Favourable trends are emerging for the US private equity industry, supported by improved valuations and conditions in the capital markets, according to a report issued by Fitch Ratings. Since August 2009, Fitch has assigned initial long-term issuer default ratings to several alternative asset managers, including: • The Blackstone Group: ‘A+’ on

KRG Capital Partners, a Denver-based private equity firm, has completed an investment in PAS Technologies, a provider of repairs and coatings for the aerospace, industrial gas turbine and oil and gas markets. PAS is the eighth platform company for KRG’s USD1.96bn Fund IV and represents KRG’s second platform investment in

MPM Capital, a life sciences venture capital firm, has opened its Midwest office in Kansas City. Governor Mark Parkinson, Joe Reardon, Mayor and chief executive of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, and Tom Thornton, president and chief executive of the Kansas Bioscience Authority, were joined

An affiliate of H.I.G. Capital, a private equity investment firm, has acquired VAS Aero Services from AB Volvo. Headquartered in Florida, VAS is a provider of aftermarket aviation component services and distribution. The company was formerly known as Volvo Aero Services. VAS Aero Services sources, warehouses, and markets aftermarket components

Alps Advisors, a provider of advisory solutions to the investment management industry, says assets under management in the Alps Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund have crossed USD100m. Sub-advised by Red Rocks Capital, the fund is one of the Alps Portfolio Solutions sponsored by Alps Distributors. The fund, launched on

Halfpenny Technologies, a provider of clinical data integration solutions specialising in laboratory, pathology and physician electronic medical record system interoperability, has secured USD2.6m in venture capital funding co-led by Pennsylvania-based Osage Venture Partners and New York-based Milestone Venture Partners. Lore Associates, a Philadelphia-based angel group, also participated in the round.

Mountain Acquisition and Mountain Merger Sub, both affiliates of Vestar Capital Partners V, have completed the cash tender offer for all of the outstanding shares of common stock of HealthGrades at a purchase price of USD8.20 per share in cash, without interest and less any applicable withholding taxes. The tender

Capital raised by US private equity funds has fallen despite a rise in the number of funds raising capital. During the first three quarters of 2010, 279 funds raised USD68.8bn, a ten per cent drop in capital raised from the same period last year when 266 funds secured USD76.7bn, according

The National Pensions Reserve Fund will commit EUR30m to two venture capital funds in support of Innovation Fund Ireland.  Innovation Fund Ireland is a government initiative to attract international venture capital fund managers to Ireland. DFJ Esprit Fund III (EUR20m) and DFJ Fund X (EUR10m) are the recipients of the