ACON Investments has held the final closing of the firm’s most recent US middle market fund, ACON Equity Partners III, with total commitments of USD751,385,000.   ACON was significantly oversubscribed with global investor interest. Investors in the fund include public pension funds, endowments, insurance companies, fund‐of‐funds and family offices from the

Channel Mark Ventures, a privately owned technology investment company, has launched the ChannelUp Fund, a private placement investment fund designed to accelerate and expand the firm’s technology venture capital investments.   The ChannelUp Fund will place a minimum investment of USD500,000 of start-up capital into each new investment that Channel

Citi has expanded its private equity services business into Luxembourg through a dedicated centre of excellence for closed-ended funds. This launch follows Citi’s recent introduction of such services in Dublin and Singapore and allows the bank to provide end-to-end private equity solutions in the growing EMEA market.   Citi’s local

Ghost Group, a Southern California-based venture capital firm primarily focused on the emerging marijuana industry, has launched Emerald Ocean Capital, a fund that invests in market-defining companies and technology in the legal cannabis and medical marijuana sector.   Additionally, Ghost Group has launched the Ghost Domain Capital fund, which invests

Bloomberg has launched Bloomberg Beta, a USD75m venture fund to invest in and create early-stage technology companies.   Bloomberg Beta, in keeping with Bloomberg LP’s longstanding pattern of entrepreneurialism, is focused on backing and working alongside exceptional founders.   Bloomberg Beta exists to expand Bloomberg LP’s horizons by investing in

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson fired the starting gun on Accelerate 2013 when he opened trading in the central London Stock Exchange (LSE) atrium.   The London Stock Exchange is home to AIM, the world’s most successful growth market.   Following the market opening ceremony, guests headed to the flagship

Firms taken over by a private equity buy-out see their performance fall even further behind their industry rivals, according to a new study.   Private equity raises money to buy a company with the primary objective of improving the fortunes of an under-performing firm to ultimately seek a re-flotation on

On the eve of the G8 Impact Investment Forum, hosted by UK Prime Minister David Cameron on 6 June, LeapFrog Investments has announced new figures that demonstrate how investors can marry strong financial results with social impact.   LeapFrog, the emerging markets fund manager, says its portfolio companies now reach