Apax closes Apax Digital Fund II at USD1.75bn hard cap

European private equity firm Nordic Capital signed its largest deal to date last week, in a USD7.3 billion all-cash transaction that will take Inovalon, a publicly traded American tech company that provides cloud-based tools to support data-driven healthcare, private. Private Equity Wire sat down with Fredrik Näslund (pictured), Stockholm-based partner at private equity firm Nordic Capital, for an exclusive interview on the back of the deal.

Allocators are blurring the boundaries between the hedge fund and private equity sides of their portfolios, as once strictly segmented alternatives buckets begin to blend, according to investment firm Cambridge Associates.

Hedge funds and private equity are both improving their transparency over ESG. However, while on the private equity side, ESG is more seen as an investment opportunity, complexities remain on the hedge fund side around issues of reporting and shorting, according to Cambridge Associates.

German institutional and high-net-worth investors are increasingly turning their attention to the private markets space, with a specific focus on private equity and private debt.  

Private equity firm CVC plans to inject USD3.2 billion in Spain’s La Liga, which covers Spain's top two soccer divisions, in exchange for nearly 11 per cent of its television rights over 50 years, a deal which is currently being contested by two of its heavyweights: Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona.

Global M&A activity saw a strong recovery in H1 2021, as dealmaking count and value are both set to reach or surpass the record highs of previous years, according to Pitchbook's latest Global M&A report.

When it comes to private equity firms and digital transformation, there isn’t much Thomas Ballard, founder of Market Hill, hasn’t seen. Market Hill works alongside private equity firms to maximise portfolio companies’ future valuations, and as the company’s founder and chief commercial officer, he collaborates directly with private equity operating partners and portfolio company CEOs to uncover the unconsidered needs of firms within the space.

Almost four out of five (75 per cent) of LPs expect sustainability to drive investment decisions over next five years, while 66 per cent of LPs see value creation as a leading driver of ESG, according to new research from Manulife on how private equity relates to sustainable investing.

The private equity secondaries market is seeing a sharp uptick in first-time allocations, according to a leading investment consultant, marking a sea change in fortunes for a once unloved asset class.  

Private Equity Wire is joined by Thomas Ballard, CEO of Market Hill, to talk about digital transformation within the private equity space. Ballard explains what digital transformation actually means for private equity firms and what best practices look like when it comes to structuring efficient systems and new ways of working.