Clean Filtration Technologies has concluded a first closing of USD1.5m in a new round of financing led by The Dow Chemical Company through its venture capital group. An additional and final closing is anticipated in 2010 that will bring the total investment to USD3m. CFT is the company behind the

Climate Change Capital Private Equity, a EUR200m fund dedicated to investments in clean technology companies, has led a convertible bond issue in Metallkraft, a Norwegian company that has developed a patented process to recycle spent slurry used in cutting solar silicon wafers. Climate Change Capital subscribed for NOK85m (EUR10.3m) of

Lovell Minnick Partners, a private equity firm providing buyout and growth capital to companies in the financial services industry, has completed the final closing of Lovell Minnick Equity Partners III. The fund surpassed its USD350m target by raising USD455m from institutional and private investors. The fund focuses on middle market

Glam Media has raised USD50mi in a private equity mezzanine funding to build a digital media technology centre, expand internationally and make acquisitions. The series E round is led by Aeris Capital with existing Glam Media series D investors Burda Digital Holding, the digital arm of Hubert Burda Media, and

Galileo Capital Management has launched LGBT Capital, a corporate advisory and investment management unit focused on the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) consumer market. LGBT Capital provides corporate advisory and business development services for companies that serve the LGBT consumer sector.  In addition, LGBT Capital is preparing to launch

Sovereign Capital, a UK private equity firm, has acquired three funeral directors, John Stuart Funeral Services, CS Bowyer and KY Green, for its portfolio company, Laurel, a Wolverhampton-based funeral group which now comprises 50 sites. John Stuart and CS Bowyer, both based in Wiltshire, have over 150 years of trading

The Amplio Group, an operator and investor in the renewable energy and environmental sectors, has completed and connected two plants of 1MW each and expects to connect by the end of the month four additional plants of 1MW. Amplio’s investment will be approximately EUR13m for a total of 6MW of

Gresham Private Equity, a UK mid market private equity specialist, has signed a deal to dispose of its investment in Minivator Group through the sale of the business to Handicare Group, a health company in Europe. The deal, which is subject to regulatory approval, will yield Gresham a return on

In most markets outside the US the fourth quarter of 2009 was the best quarter of the year for venture capital investment, but it did little to boost the year’s annual totals. In the fourth quarter, venture capitalists invested USD2.5bn in 396 deals in Europe, Canada, Israel, China and India,