Nordics
EUROPE - Baird expands institutional equity services team
Baird has hired Said DeSaque as director of institutional sales and investment strategy to be based in London.
GLOBAL - HSBC names Alternative Investments managing director
HSBC has promoted the present head of real estate at HSBC Alternative Investments, Chris Allen, to managing director of the unit.
SWEDEN - Chalmers in SEK 2.3m funding for Aluwave
Chalmer Innovation Seed Fund has alongside Innovationsbron and existing backers participated in a SEK 2.3m funding round for Aluwave, a LED technology company.
NORWAY - Hitec, Aker Capital Fund and Camar bid for Bjørge ASA
Norwegian private equity fund HitecVision, Converto Capital Management via Aker Capital Fund, and investment company Camar, have launched a voluntary cash offer for listed technology company Bjørge ASA, valuing the business at NOK 483m.
UK/EUROPE - Wellington leads $16m Livebookings funding
Pan-European venture capital firm Wellington Partners has led a $16m funding round for online restaurant marketing and reservations service Livebookings, along existing investors.
UK/EUROPE - Impax appoints head of sales
Environmentally focused Aim-listed investor Impax Asset Management has appointed John McDonald as head of sales and marketing.
GLOBAL - Carlyle appoints vice chairman of global buyouts
International private equity firm Carlyle Group has appointed Gregory Summe to the newly created position of vice chairman of global buyouts.
EUROPE - Oak Hill appoints new European head
Oak Hill Advisors has appointed Alexandra Jung as co-head of the firm's European business based in London.
DENMARK/SWITZERLAND - Blackstone-backed Nycomed bids for EUR 4.5bn Solvay
Reports suggest that Nordic Capital- and Blackstone-backed pharmaceuticals business Nycomed has made a takeover approach for the drug division of publicly listed chemical and pharmaceutical company Solvay SA, with the offer thought to be valued at around...
SWEDEN - Pod invests in Transmode
Swedish investor Pod Venture Partners has acquired a 42% stake in Transmode, a developer of optical networking solutions, from private and institutional backers.
EUROPE - ML Capital launches alternative assets advisory service
ML Capital has today launched an alternative assets advisory and business solution service, dedicated to advising private equity and hedge fund managers on how to meet current market expectations.
EUROPE - Growth Capital to take the lead in 2010
In a market starved for debt, growth capital investments are in line to become the favoured deal type of 2010, as highlighted in Nordic editor Rikke Eckhoff's interview with Louis Elson, co-founder and managing partner of Palamon Capital Partners. See...
EUROPE – Specialist or generalist ?
"We will see a shift from local generalist funds to global sector specialists," said Simon Havers, BVCA chairman and managing director of Baird Capital Partners Europe. He was speaking at this morning's Capital Creation panel, which debated the future...
EUROPE – Remuneration a hot topic
A central theme this morning at the Capital Creation event was remuneration: As bankers worldwide prepare for their compensation packages to shrink, many in the private equity industry are championing maintaining the high levels of salary and bonus paid...
US/EUROPE - Oak Hill closes distressed debt fund on $1.13bn
Oak Hill Advisors has surpassed the firm's $750m target for its OHA Strategic Credit Fund, holding a final close on $1.125bn.
GLOBAL - Campbell Lutyens appoints new partner
Placement agent Campbell Lutyens has appointed Richard Allsopp as partner.
GLOBAL - CVC Capital appoints two senior advisers
CVC Capital Partners has appointed Robert Jenkins and Jim Sutcliffe as senior advisers on the firm's global financial institutions advisory board.
GLOBAL - GI Partners completes sale of assets in first fund
Private equity and real estate investor GI Partners has sold the last remaining asset in its first fund, a Frankfurt data center, to Equinix Holding BV for $28m.
EUROPE - DFJ Esprit holds first close of third venture fund on EUR 70m
DFJ Esprit has held the first close of it latest venure fund, DFJ Esprit III, on EUR 70m.
GLOBAL - KKR to delay launch of next buyout fund
Reports suggest that KKR is delaying the launch of its next buyout fund until next year, after having already invested 70% of its previous $17.6bn vehicle that closed in 2007.
EUROPE - 3i sells venture portfolio to Coller-, HarbourVest-backed Encore
Secondaries specialists Coller Capital and HarbourVest Partners have teamed up with venture house DFJ Esprit to acquire a £130m portfolio of venture assets from 3i. The portfolio will be managed by a new division of DFJ, Encore Ventures.
NORWAY - FSN appoints COO
Norwegian mid-market buyout house FSN Capital has recruited Marianne Michelsen as COO and head of investor relations, replacing Ragnhild Skjævestad.
GLOBAL - IPEV publishes updated valuations guidelines
The International Private Equity and Venture Capital Valuation (IPEV) Board published its updated version of the Private Equity Valuations Guidelines today. Significantly, the updated version highlights the importance of consistency with international...
GLOBAL - KPS tops up third fund by USD 800m
Turnaround specialist KPS Capital Partners has increased the size of its Fund III from its original USD 1.2bn to USD 2bn.