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Barclays Private Equity acquires garden company Gardman in £85m deal
31/12/2007. Pan-European mid-market private equity house Barclays Private Equity has acquired a major stake in UK wild bird care and garden product company Gardman Holdings in a deal worth £85m. 
Bain sells interactive marketing services provider TravelCLICK to Genstar
21/12/2007. Bain Capital has exited its investment in TravelCLICK, a provider of interactive distribution solutions and marketing services to independent and chain hotels. San Francisco-based mid-market private equity firm Genstar Capital has acquired the company from Bain Capital and co-founders Richard Gray, chairman of TravelCLICK, and Ray Cohen.
Doughty Hanson sells Moeller Group to Eaton Corporation for €1.55bn
20/12/2007. Doughty Hanson & Co has sold Bonn, Germany-based manufacturer Moeller Group to Eaton Corporation for €1.55bn. The return on Doughty Hanson's equity investment in Moeller is three times and represents a gross IRR of 54 per cent.
First Reserve to acquire Abbot Group in £906m take-private transaction
20/12/2007. Energy-focused private equity firm First Reserve Corporation has agreed to acquire oil and gas services business Abbot Group. If completed, the £906m buy-out will be the largest private equity buy-out in the drilling services industry and the first European oil field services take-private to date, First Reserve said.
Advent International to sell Gruppo Argenta to Cognetas, Investitori Associati
20/12/2007. Advent International has sold Italian vending machine operator Gruppo Argenta to Cognetas and Investitori Associati. As part of the sale, minority shareholder PM & Partners will also dispose of its stake in the business. The company's management team will retain a minority stake. The value of the transaction has not been disclosed.
Ross Gatlin, George Stelling launch mid-market firm Prophet Equity
19/12/2007. Former Bain & Company employees Ross Gatlin and George Stelling have established Prophet Equity, a new firm focused on the mid market, particularly the lower mid market. The Southlake, Texas-based firm's first fund, Prophet Equity I, will be launched in early 2008. It will have a $250m target and hard cap.
Cognetas sells Global Solutions for £355m
19/12/2007. Pan-European mid-market private equity firm Cognetas has sold outsourced support services provider Global Solutions to security solutions group G4S for £355m. The deal represents a multiple of 2.25 times the original investment, according to Cognetas.
US firm Santé Ventures closes debut fund on $130m
19/12/2007. Austin, Texas-based venture capital firm Santé Ventures has closed its debut fund, Santé Healthcare Ventures I, on $130m, exceeding its original target of $100m. Fundraising began in mid-2006 and the firm held a first closing on the fund in June of this year and a second closing in August.
Tenaska to sell Commonwealth Chesapeake Power Station to Tyr Energy
19/12/2007. Tenaska Power Fund has agreed to sell Virginia-based Commonwealth Chesapeake Power Station to Kansas-based energy asset manager Tyr Energy. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Carlyle, Mercapital to acquire Arsys for €160m
19/12/2007. The Carlyle Group and Spanish private equity firm Mercapital have agreed to jointly acquire web hosting and domain registration services provider Arsys for €160m. Carlyle and Mercapital will invest equally to acquire a majority stake in the business, while the company founders Luis Ignacio Cacho and Nicolás Iglesias will retain a minority stake.
Macquarie, Goldman Sachs to invest in Waste Industries USA
19/12/2007. An investor group including Macquarie Infrastructure Partners and Goldman Sachs has agreed to acquire waste disposal company Waste Industries USA. The total equity value of the transaction, including the investment to be made by the investor group, is valued at approximately $544m.
Karen Spilizewski to lead RiverVest's new Ohio office
19/12/2007. Life science venture capital firm RiverVest Venture Partners is to open an office at the Cleveland, Ohio-based BioEnterprise facility, a bioscience technology initiative. The office will be managed by Karen Spilizewski, who is joining RiverVest on a part-time basis as a vice president, as of 1 January 2008.
Inspicio independent directors recommend 3i bid to shareholders
18/12/2007. 3i has made a cash offer of £228.6m for substance testing company Inspicio. The independent directors unanimously recommend that Inspicio shareholders accept the offer.
EIF to launch €200m fund of funds programme for Turkey
18/12/2007. The European Investment Fund, the Technology Foundation of Turkey, the SME Development Organisation of Turkey and the Development Bank of Turkey have launched a new fund of funds and co-investment programme dedicated to investments in Turkey. The fund, called Istanbul Venture Capital Initiative (iVCi), held a first closing on €150m in November. It has a target of €200m.
GTCR, Platform Partners to acquire Landmark Aviation for $436m
18/12/2007. US private equity firms GTCR Golder Rauner and Platform Partners, through Platform portfolio company Encore FBO, have agreed to jointly acquire the fixed base operator (FBO) business including the related charter, aircraft sales and maintenance parts assets of Landmark Aviation from Dubai Aerospace Enterprise for $436m.
East Capital launches new power utilities-focused fund
18/12/2007. Eastern Europe-focused asset manager East Capital has launched a new fund to target the power utilities sector. The East Capital Power Utilities Fund will invest in the power utilities industry in Russia and other CIS countries including the Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Georgia.
Advent acquires travel retailer Hudson Group
18/12/2007. Boston-based private equity firm Advent International has agreed to acquire travel retailer Hudson Group. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Advent International expands CEE team
17/12/2007. Advent International has added two new principals to its CEE team. Dan Morgan and Albena Vassileva will bring the team's size to 16 people.
US life sciences venture capital firm Third Rock hires three new partners
14/12/2007. Boston-based early stage life sciences venture capital firm Third Rock Ventures has appointed Dr Cary G Pfeffer as partner and Neil A Exter and Craig D Muir as venture partners.
Advent International to buy Bulgarian tiles producer KAI Group
14/12/2007. Advent International has agreed to acquire a 70 per cent stake in KAI Group, a Bulgarian manufacturer of interior and exterior floor, wall and decorative ceramic tiles, for an undisclosed amount.
Venture Investment Associates VI closes on $225m
14/12/2007. Venture Investment Management Co. has closed its latest private equity fund of funds, Venture Investment Associates VI, on $225m, the target and hard cap of the fund.
Actis exits investments in Nigeria, Egypt
13/12/2007. Emerging markets private equity investor Actis has announced two exits. The firm has completed the sale of shopping centre The Palms Mall in Lagos, Nigeria. It has also sold its stake in El-Rashidi El-Mizan Confectionary Company (REM) in Egypt as part of a successful sale of 100 per cent of REM.
Barclays Private Equity completes sale of The Original Factory Shop
13/12/2007. European mid-market private equity firm Barclays Private Equity has sold UK company The Original Factory Shop to Duke Street Capital in a £68.5m secondary MBO transaction.
Apollo to buy cruise company Regent Seven Seas Cruises
12/12/2007. Apollo Management has agreed to acquire Fort Lauderdale, Florida-headquartered leisure business Regent Seven Seas Cruises from Minneapolis-based Carlson. The deal, which will be Apollo's third cruise ship company purchase this year, is reported to be worth around $1bn.
D.E. Shaw leads $573m acquisition of James River
12/12/2007. James River Group has completed its merger with a subsidiary of Franklin Holdings (Bermuda), a holding company whose investors include entities in the D. E. Shaw group, The Goldman Sachs Group, Sunlight Capital and Lehman Brothers. The transaction has a total equity value of approximately $573m.
Investment bank Allegiance hires John Sloan to start private equity fund
12/12/2007. Dallas-based investment bank Allegiance Capital has appointed former The Thompson Company CEO John R Sloan to the new position of vice chairman. In his new position Sloan will be part of the company's senior leadership team, with responsibility for initiating the company's private equity fund, and handling other complex investment transactions.
Technology expert Jon Auerbach joins CRV as general partner
11/12/2007. US early stage venture capital firm Charles River Ventures has appointed Jon Auerbach, formerly general partner at Highland Capital Partners, as a general partner, based in the firm's East Coast office. Auerbach will focus on making investments in wireless technologies and services.
Metalmark to become part of Citi
11/12/2007. Mid-market buy-out firm Metalmark Capital has agreed to become an investment centre within CAI Alternative Investments.
ECI appoints Jeremy Lytle as investor relations manager
11/12/2007. UK mid-market buy-out firm ECI Partners has appointed Jeremy Lytle as investor relations manager. Lytle will act as a main point of contact for investors and lead future fundraisings with the firm's investment committee.
UK mid-market private equity fund Synova Capital Fund I holds first closing
10/12/2007. Synova Capital Fund I, a UK private equity fund focused on the lower mid-market, has held a first closing on over £70m. The fund is expected to close on £100m at the end of January 2008. Synova Capital began raising its first fund in September 2007.
Phoenix sells majority stake in UK handbag company Radley to Exponent
10/12/2007. UK private equity firm Phoenix Equity Partners has sold its majority shareholding in ladies handbag, luggage and accessories company Radley to mid-cap private equity firm Exponent Private Equity in a secondary buy-out. The transaction values the business at £130m.
Actera closes $475m fund for Turkey
10/12/2007. Istanbul-based private equity firm Actera Group has closed its debut fund, Actera Partners, on over $475m. The new vehicle is the largest private equity fund dedicated to investments in Turkey. It has exceeded its initial target by 30 per cent, according to a statement.
Conduit sells Mexican power plants for $156m
10/12/2007. Electric power and energy-focused private equity firm Conduit Capital Partners has sold its 70 per cent stake in Inelec, a portfolio of three hydroelectric power plants in Western Mexico, to European utility company Enel, for $156m.
CMEA appoints Bruce Pasternack as venture partner
07/12/2007. US venture capital firm CMEA Ventures has appointed former Booz Allen Hamilton senior vice president Bruce Pasternack as a venture partner. Pasternack will join the firm's Energy & Materials investment practice.
3i Benelux appoints Marc van Gelder, Marcel van Poecke to advisory board
07/12/2007. Marc van Gelder and Marcel van Poecke have joined the 3i Benelux advisory board. This follows Laurens Jan Brinkhorst, the former Minister of Economic Affairs in the Netherlands, joining the advisory board in February.
EnCap Fund VII closes on $2.5bn hard cap
07/12/2007. US-based oil and gas-focused private equity firm EnCap Investments has closed its latest fund, EnCap Energy Capital Fund VII. The fund has raised $2.5bn, exceeding its initial target of $2bn.
Venture capital investment on pace to reach highest annual total since 2001
07/12/2007. Global venture capital investment is expected to top $40bn at the close of the fourth quarter, according to a global year-end analysis by Dow Jones VentureOne and Ernst & Young. This would be the highest annual total since 2001.
Graphite backs £100m MBO of Alexander Mann Solutions from Advent
06/12/2007. UK mid-market private equity firm Graphite Capital has backed the £100m MBO of UK recruitment process outsourcing solutions provider Alexander Mann Solutions from Advent International. The company's senior management team, led by chief executive Rosaleen Blair, is investing in the buy-out.
Hg, Montagu have second Biffa offer rejected
06/12/2007. UK-based waste services company Biffa has rejected a £1.2bn indicative offer from European private equity investors Hg Pooled Management and Montagu Private Equity for the second time 'on the basis that it materially undervalues the business and prospects of Biffa'.
New Venture Partners appoints Dr Paul Horn to advisory board
06/12/2007. Corporate technology spin-out-focused venture firm New Venture Partners has appointed Dr Paul Horn, former director of IBM research, to its advisory board.
Babcock & Brown closes infrastructure fund on €2.17bn
05/12/2007. Babcock & Brown has held a final closing on its Babcock & Brown European Infrastructure Fund. The fund has raised €2.17bn, exceeding its initial target of €1.5bn.
Temasek reportedly invests $1bn in China-focused private equity fund
05/12/2007. Temasek Holdings, an investment company headquartered in Singapore, is putting $1bn into a new China-focused private equity fund, according to various reports.
Early stage venture capital firm BlueRun establishes Beijing office
05/12/2007. Early stage venture capital firm BlueRun Ventures has opened a new office in Beijing. The announcement follows the firm's recent appointments of William Qu and Mike Ding in China.
Pegasus Partners IV closes on $750m
05/12/2007. New York-based mid-market private equity firm Pegasus Capital Advisors has closed its fourth fund, Pegasus Partners IV, on its $750m cap. The firm said it began fundraising in autumn 2006, and held a first closing in January this year.
Pomona hires Rockefeller's Seth Katz to lead fund of funds operations
04/12/2007. Pomona Capital has hired Seth Katz as director, fund of funds. Katz will be responsible for leading Pomona's $2.1bn fund of funds operations. He will be based in New York.
Venture capital investment in India reaches $777m in first nine months
04/12/2007. Venture capitalists invested more than $777m across 57 deals in India during the first three quarters of 2007, according to the Quarterly India Venture Capital Report, published for the first time by Dow Jones VentureOne and Ernst & Young. This was nearly five times the $158m invested during the first nine months of 2006 and more than twice the annual investment record of $320m set in 2005.
Providence invests $200m in Ukrainian cable TV and internet company Volia Cable
04/12/2007. Media and communications-focused private equity firm Providence Equity Partners is investing over $200m in Ukrainian cable TV and internet provider Volia Cable, in the largest investment in the region by a Western private equity firm.
Wasatch changes name to EPIC Ventures
04/12/2007. US early stage technology venture capital firm Wasatch Venture Fund has renamed itself EPIC Ventures. The name change is meant to reflect the firm's evolution from an Utah-centric firm to a growing regional and national firm.
Stephen Vineburg appointed chief executive of CVC's infrastructure arm
04/12/2007. CVC Capital Partners has appointed Stephen Vineburg as chief executive of the firm's newly established infrastructure investment business.
Warburg Pincus buys Czech internet company NetCentrum
04/12/2007. Warburg Pincus has acquired Czech internet company NetCentrum for an undisclosed amount. The existing shareholders in NetCentrum will reinvest in the company as part of the transaction, according to a statement.
Warburg Pincus to sell stake in Loyalty Management Group
03/12/2007. Warburg Pincus, Loyalty Management Group chairman Sir Keith Mills and the company's management team have agreed to sell UK consumer loyalty company LMG to Canadian loyalty marketing company Aeroplan Income Fund for a total consideration of £368m, including working capital adjustments of £18m.
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