GE Energy Financial Services, a unit of GE, has joined a USD8m funding round for CoolPlanetBioFuels, a start-up company developing a technology that converts low-grade biomass into high-grade fuel and carbon that can be sequestered. The venture capital investment was led by North Bridge Venture Partners, which had also led

Private equity firm Advent International has acquired Tinsa, a Spanish property valuation firm, from its founding partners. Advent International has taken a 94.5 per cent majority stake in the business, with the remaining capital held mainly by the management team. The transaction is valued at EUR100m and has been approved

Small and medium-sized businesses in Francophone West Africa will receive commercial investment thanks to a EUR8m investment by CDC, the UK’s development finance institution. CDC’s EUR8m commitment is to the Fonds Cauris Croissance II, a private equity fund run by Cauris Management, a West African team based in Togo and

Marketo, a provider of revenue performance management solutions, has secured additional funding to fuel its growth. Institutional Venture Partners, which has also funded Netflix, Twitter and Zynga, led the USD25m investment with participation from previous investors InterWest Partners, Storm Ventures, and Mayfield Fund. The new funding will be used to

Dutchess Capital has recently provided equity line facilities for several more mining and resources companies. They include GBP5m for Baobab Resources, CAD10m for Nordic Oil and Gas and CAD10m for Houston Lake Mining. Earlier this year, Dutchess provided GBP10m in ELF financing for Sunkar Resources and USD35m for AsherXino. For

Choice Care Group, Sovereign Capital’s portfolio healthcare company, has acquired Excel Support Services, which provides supported living for people with learning disabilities. Founded in 2005, Excel has grown significantly in the past few years. It operates from two regional offices in Bracknell, Berkshire and Sandwell, West Midlands.   Excel aims to

Yorkville Advisors, the US-based alternative investment manager, has entered into a PLN50m standby equity distribution agreement on behalf of one of its funds with Warsaw Stock Exchange listed Calatrava Capital. Calatrava Capital is a Poland-based investment company specialising in IT services and software, energy and fast moving consumer goods.  

Intel Capital is making 18 new investments totalling approximately USD77m. The investments were announced at the 11th annual Intel Capital CEO Summit, Intel Capital’s gathering of portfolio company chief executives, corporate technology decision makers from Global 1000 companies and thought leaders from around the world. The new Intel Capital investments

Half of pension funds have recently altered the asset allocation of their investments, with the majority reducing exposure to equities in favour of alternatives, according to Baring Asset Management’s annual poll of UK pension schemes. Of the 50 per cent of pension professionals that had changed recently changed the asset

CIG, a wealth management and business advisory services firm, has launched a healthcare private equity fund, CIG Capital Partners. "The objective of CIG Capital Partners is to achieve above-average returns by investing in healthcare companies that we believe can deliver cost-effective services and products and have the ability to gain