Starwood Capital Group has closed an aggregate USD2.8bn for its two newest funds: Starwood Global Opportunity Fund VIII at over USD1.8bn and Starwood Capital Global Hospitality Fund II at USD965m. Starwood Global Opportunity Fund VIII is the largest fund ever raised by Starwood in its 19-year history. The closing of

Global mergers and acquisitions deal value for the year to date stands at USD470.8bn, up 13 per cent from Q1 2009, according to a report by mergermarket. However the start of the year is down 19 per cent from Q1 2008 and 42 per cent from Q1 2007. Q1 2010

Insight Communications, a cable operator in the US, says an investor group led by Crestview Partners and MidOcean Partners has purchased a significant equity position in the company from certain existing shareholders, including The Carlyle Group. At the conclusion of this transaction and the related share repurchases by Insight referred

Private equity firm TA Associates has acquired a majority stake in Cath Kidston, a British lifestyle brand best known for its vintage inspired prints and household and fashion products. Financial details of the investment were not disclosed. As part of the transaction, founder and creative director Cath Kidston will retain

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts has joined Triton in its investment in Ambea, a healthcare and care company in the Nordic region and one of the largest European healthcare service providers. KKR’s investment is in the form of convertible preferred stock. Subject to certain regulatory approval, KKR has the option to become

An affiliate of Alinda Capital Partners, an independent private investment firm specialising in infrastructure investments, has acquired all of the equity interests of NorTex Gas Storage Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Falcon Gas Storage Company. The transaction value was USD505m, including the repayment of all third party indebtedness.  Falcon was

During the first three months of the year, eight US venture-backed companies raised USD711m by going public on US stock exchanges, matching the number of initial public offerings that occurred throughout 2009, according to Dow Jones VentureSource. Corporations bought 77 companies for USD4bn through mergers and acquisitions during the first

Catterton Partners, a consumer-focused private equity firm, has sold Liberty Safe and Security Products, a seller of full-size residential safes in the US, to an affiliate of Compass Diversified Holdings. Since investing in Liberty Safe in 2005, Catterton Partners has worked with the Liberty Safe team to implement a number