“The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it.” - Molière

These are extraordinary times; a defining moment in our collective history. Covid-19 has forced over one billion of the world’s population into lockdown, and while many businesses are adjusting to remote working, the repercussions for non-human contact in a people-centric industry like private equity are significant.

CEPRES, a provider of portfolio forecasting for Private Markets, is advising clients to use 10 per cent VaR (Value at Risk) forecasts for 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. 

US-based private equity firm Thoma Bravo has agreed to acquire Command Alkon from its current owner Quilvest Capital Partners. 

Seafort Advisors has invested in Deskcenter AG, the parent company of Deskcenter UK, becoming the company’s new majority shareholder as a result.

Rewired, a robotics focused venture studio that invests in growth-stage technology ventures, is looking to add new artificial intelligence and robotics investments to its portfolio. 

GRO Capital has agreed to become the new majority shareholder and provide further capital into Queue-it, a virtual waiting room software application, to accelerate growth.

Kenyan health tech startup Afya Rekod is about to launch an AI and blockchain consumer-driven, health data platform in support of global efforts to curb the coronavirus pandemic.

C5 Capital’s founder and managing partner, Andre Pienaar speaks with tangible passion when discussing the potential for investing in female entrepreneurs in the cybersecurity space. As one of the UK’s foremost cybersecurity VC investors, C5 Capital knows what to look for when assessing innovation in the sector. In Pienaar’s view “for the future success of the sector we have to diversify”. 

London-founded tech company JUMO, focusing on next-generation financial services for emerging market entrepreneurs, has raised USD55 million in debt and equity funding from new and existing investors.