Borders Group has closed on the previously announced transaction to sell Paperchase Products to Primary Capital, a UK-based private equity firm, for approximately USD31m. Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Borders Group is a retailer of books as well as other educational and entertainment items. The company employs approximately 19,500 throughout

Boston-based Gazelle, a reCommerce service, has raised a USD12m series C round of investment led by Physic Ventures. Gazelle’s current investors, Venrock Associates and RockPort Capital, have also invested in this round of financing.  Last year, Gazelle’s business tripled as it attracted nearly 100,000 customers to trade in or recycle

Axa Private Equity has acquired 50 per cent of the capital of Autopista Trados 45 from Cintra, Ferrovial’s toll road subsidiary. The acquisition was made by Finavias, an investment vehicle for the infrastructure funds of Axa Private Equity. Autopista Trados 45 manages a 14.5 kilometre section of the M-45 highway

Highgate Associates and Enterprise Corporate Finance say their EIS fund for UK based high tech businesses is seeing huge interest from investors and entrepreneurs looking to defer capital gains tax commitments through the EIS investment vehicle. EIS funds are a tax efficient mechanism for investing and with the latest government

GenNx360 Capital Partners, a private equity firm focused on industrial business-to-business companies with USD75m to USD500m in revenues, has acquired Maine Machine Products, a manufacturer of precision components and assemblies for the defence, oil and gas, and semiconductor industries. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Maine Machine Products operates

Key Principal Partners, a USD1bn private investment firm, has invested USD15m in Ice River Springs Water to support a capital expenditure programme and facility expansion that will allow the company to produce recycled PET resin. The recycled PET pellets will be made entirely from post-consumer materials, which Ice River will

Alternative asset manager The Carlyle Group will acquire a controlling stake in Grupo Qualicorp, a provider of brokerage, consultancy services and management of private health insurance plans in Brazil. As part of the transaction, minority shareholder General Atlantic will sell 100 per cent of its shares in Qualicorp to Carlyle

Green private equity is on the agenda of virtually all institutional investors, with more than 90 per cent wanting exposure to the sector, according to a new survey. The level of interest and commitment varies markedly across institutional investors, with most taking a cautious but positive step into the green

Castle Harlan Partners IV has agreed to sell Ames True Temper, a North American manufacturer and marketer of non-powered lawn and garden tools and accessories, to Griffon for USD542m. Griffon is a diversified management and holding company based in New York. Its businesses include Telephonics, which produces information, communication and