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,

Lightyear Capital, a New York-based private equity firm, has completed its acquisition of Financial Network Investment, based in El Segundo, California, Multi-Financial Securities, based in Denver, Colorado, and PrimeVest Financial Services, based in St. Cloud, Minnesota, via an affiliate of Lightyear Fund II. The acquisition includes the holding company and

The Luxembourg Private Equity and Venture Capital Association has been created to represent and promote the interests of private equity and venture capital players based in Luxembourg. The non-profit organisation also intends to support initiatives to enhance the competitiveness and efficiency of the Luxembourg economic, legal, regulatory and operational framework

With the end of tax year approaching, commentators are predicting a bumper year for VCTs in light of the forthcoming increase in the top rate of income tax, as well as the reduction in pensions tax relief for higher earners.  The Association of Investment Companies has collated the views of