Plantronics has sold Altec Lansing, the Audio Entertainment Group segment, to an affiliate of Texas-based private equity firm Prophet Equity for approximately USD16.2m in cash. The transaction was completed on 1 December 2009. The change in the consideration from USD18m as previously announced to USD16.2m reflects the change in the

Evofem, a women’s healthcare company located in La Jolla, California, has received a USD25m investment from a private equity firm in Europe. Evofem (formerly Instead Healthcare) currently markets a feminine hygiene product, Instead Softcup, an alternative to pads and tampons, available in pharmacies and retail stores across the US and

Vision Opportunity China Fund, a closed-ended fund that invests in companies with operations principally within Greater China, has reported a 71.7 per cent rise in net asset value to USD2.09 per share for the year ended 30 September 2009. As at 30 September 2009, the company’s NAV was USD138,649,851. During

Adveq Holding and Dalian United Holding have formed a jointly owned investment management company in China. The company will be the first non-government private equity fund of funds investment company in the People’s Republic of China. The new entity’s purpose is to pursue investment management and related service activities in

Ansca Mobile has received USD1m in backing from Merus Capital, the venture capital fund founded by ex-Google and ex-Microsoft executives. Ansca Mobile creates products that allow people to create and share applications designed for the Apple iPhone. It plans to use the funding to expand company operations in both the

Intuit has signed a definitive agreement to sell Intuit Real Estate Solutions to Vista Equity Partners for approximately USD128m in cash. Vista Equity Partners is a private equity firm with more than USD2.5bn in committed equity capital, focused on investments in software and technology-enabled businesses. IRES, formerly known as Management

NorthStar Equity Investors has been selected by Northern Film and Media and regional development agency One NorthEast to manage a GBP2.4m fund. The Creative Fund will be used to invest in creative companies and the commercial content that they are developing and producing. It will be open to both companies

Private equity firm Resilience Capital Partners has acquired Victor Oolitic Stone, a provider of Indiana limestone to the dimensional stone marketplace. This transaction marks the first acquisition under Resilience’s previously announced industrial minerals platform, North Coast Minerals. Victor Oolitic primarily sells into four end markets: institutional (churches, universities, government), high

2010 will see a significant growth in the clean technology and information technology sectors, according to a report by recruitment consultancy Polachi. As the economy pulls out of a recession, the job market is changing with information technology and clean technology gaining speed. The company says that with an increasing