Funds
Wellington Partners IV holds €70m first close
Wellington Partners has held a first closing for Wellington Partners IV Life Science on €70m.
European VC "stronger now than in 2000"
Venture capital is on an upward trajectory, with phenomenal exits and a handful of fund closes building momentum. Kimberly Romaine interviews John Holloway, director at European Investment Fund, Europe's largest venture backer, about the industry's decade...
Dutch government backs new tech fund-of-funds
The Dutch ministry of economic affairs has confirmed the launch of a €150m fund-of-funds to support the country's technology companies.
VNT holds €72m second close for Power Fund III
Venture capital firm VNT Management has held a second closing for its Power Fund III vehicle on €72m.
Montefiore hits €180m target for third fund
French mid-cap GP Montefiore Investment has raised €180m for its third fund and is still raising the vehicle beyond its initial target.
JP Morgan PE buys back shares
JP Morgan Private Equity plans to buy back some of its shares in a move to reduce its discount to net asset value (NAV).
Ludgate targets $200-300m for new fund
UK-based growth capital provider Ludgate Investments is looking to raise up to $300m for its new fund - more than doubling its previous effort - according to reports.
Top 5 final closes of 2012 so far
Fundraising
Partners Group closes debt fund on €375m
Partners Group Private Markets Credit Strategies 2012 has held a final close on €375m.
Blackstone closes $2.5bn energy fund
Blackstone has held a final close for its first energy-focused private equity fund, Blackstone Energy Partners (BEP), on $2.5bn.
Idinvest holds first close at €100m
Idinvest Partners has held a first close for Idinvest Secondary Fund at €100m.
Patron hits €880m for fourth fund
Patron Capital Partners has reached a final close on its fourth fund at €880m.
Emerald reaches first close for third fund
Switzerland-based Emerald Technology Ventures has held a first close for its third venture fund.
Active Venture Partners holds final close on €54m
Active Venture Partners has closed its second technology fund on €54m.
Danske Private Equity holds final close on €650m
Danske PEP V has held a final close on €650m, the fund's hard cap.
DN Capital holds first close on €51.5m
DN Capital is reported to have held a first close of DN Capital GVC III on €51.5m.
Apollo looking to raise up to $12bn
Global private equity house Apollo Global Management is planning to raise $10-12bn for its next buyout fund, according to reports.
Elbrus Capital Fund II gets $50m injection from EBRD
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has agreed to invest up to $50m in Russia-based Elbrus Capital Fund II.
Cherie Blair's PE fund raises £4.5m towards £75m target
Allele, a healthcare-focused private equity fund set up by Cherie Blair, is understood to have raised 6% of its £75m target.
Latvian Guarantee Agency seeks managers for local VC funds
State-backed Latvian Guarantee Agency (LGA) has launched a tender to select up to three managers for recently established VC funds.
NorthEdge hits £125m first close
Manchester-based lower mid-market investor NorthEdge Capital has hit a first close on £125m for its maiden fund, according to sources close to the firm.
Competition heats up for German fundraising
Deutsche Beteiligungs AG (DBAG) last week closed Germany’s biggest fund since 2007. While the country’s fundraising environment has been paid little attention in recent years, it has seen as many fund closes in 2012 as the UK. John Bakie investigates
Star Capital SGR holds first closing
Italian investor Star Capital SGR has held a first closing on more than €70m for Star III, a fund aiming to back Italian SMEs.
Inveready launches €15m technology fund
Spanish investor Inveready has launched a €15m fund to back technology companies.