Benelux
GLOBAL - China invests USD 2.5bn in TPG fund
China's State Administration of Foreign Exchange has agreed to invest more than USD 2.5bn in the latest TPG fund.
BELGIUM - Carlyle completes exit from Transics
Carlyle has sold its 42.2% stake in Transics, a provider of on-board computers and fleet management solutions for the transport and logistics sector, to Parcom. The transaction consisted of a block trade covering 16.5% of the outstanding share capital...
GLOBAL - LPs concern over GP strategy shift
According to a global barometer by Coller Capital, global LPs are worried about recent GP strategy shifts as the credit crisis continues to bite.
BELGIUM - GIMV sells five holdings to Becap
GIMV and Halder IV, which is owned by GIMV's subsidiary Halder, have sold five minority shareholdings to BECAP, a fund specialising in secondary transactions. The sales have had a negative impact of -EUR 800,000 on GIMV’s last equity value.
GLOBAL - Bear Stearns private equity arm to spin out
Bear Stearns Merchant Banking, the private equity arm of investment bank Bear Stearns, is to spin out into an independent company.
GLOBAL – Lime Rock closes fifth fund on USD 1.4bn
Lime Rock has closed its fifth fund, Lime Rock Partners V LP, on USD 1.4bn. The fund will continue the firms focus on global growth capital opportunities in energy projects.
EUROPE - Carlyle closes third European real estate fund on EUR 2.2bn
The Carlyle Group has closed its third European real estate fund, Carlyle Europe Real Estate Partners III (CEREP III), on EUR 2.2bn, exceeding its EUR 1.5bn target. Including leverage, the vehicle will have an investment capacity of EUR 9bn.
NETHERLANDS – Big Bang and HENQ invest in Wakoopa
Big Bang Ventures and HENQ have invested in Wakoopa, a Dutch social network site for software users. This funding follows on from an initial investment into the company in January 2007 by the Dutch Creative Industry Fund, which was founded by the four...
NETHERLANDS - Summit Partners invests in Flow Traders
Summit Partners has acquired a minority stake in Flow Traders, an electronic trading firm.
GLOBAL - Intel defies economic downturn
Despite the global credit meltdown and resultant sombre sentiment in the investment markets, Intel Capital has invested more than $60m across ten deals in the last couple of weeks.
EUROPE – Björn Savén as executive chairman of Industri Kapital
Industri Kapital has appointed Björn Savén as executive chairman.
Not mezz-ing around
Now that the door has firmly shut on cheap debt and new types of junior products, mezzanine has a way into capital structures again. But it still faces competition and challenges in today's market. Linn Ronning speaks to mezzanine specialists to find...
The end of the golden age?
People in the industry talk about 2005, 2006 and 2007 as years of splendorous wonders that brought fantastic investment opportunities with amazing returns, essentially due to easy access to debt. The credit crunch last summer has seriously cooled down...
EUROPE - Mezz cashes in on new markets
One man’s loss is another man’s gain and nowhere is this clearer than in the subordinated debt market right now. Anecdotal evidence suggests the layer is set for its headiest days yet, with mezzanine now accounting for up to 2x EBITDA on average in...