Deals
Private equity and venture capital fundraising hit EUR109 billion, up 6 per cent, in 2019, and the highest total over a decade, according to new data from Invest Europe.In parallel, the total equity amount invested in European companies increased 10 per cent year-on-year to EUR94 billion in 2019, the highest level on investment ever recorded.
Invest Europe, the association representing Europe’s private equity, venture capital and infrastructure sectors, as well as their investors, today published its “Investing in Europe: Private Equity Activity 2019” report – the most comprehensive and authoritative source of fundraising and investment data available, covering over 1,400 firms.
Alongside Rand Merchant Bank Ventures (RMBV) and other shareholders, Ninety One, via its Africa Private Equity Fund 2 (91APEF2), has sold a portion of its equity investment in Kamoso Africa (Kamoso) to the Botswana Development Corporation (BDC). Founded in 2015, Kamoso has established itself as one of Botswana’s leading diversified fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) platforms. Ninety One and RMBV acquired a controlling stake in Kamoso in 2017, in what was believed to be Botswana’s largest ever private equity investment.
In this transaction, BDC acquired a 24 per cent shareholding in Kamoso and has joined the board.
Ian Dewar, CEO of
Parabellum Investments, an international investment firm specialising in the mid-market, has teamed with operational investors The Acacia Group to acquire The Column Group a privately-owned technology consulting, systems and services provider. Working in partnership with the Column management team, Parabellum and Acacia plan to accelerate the company’s growth with new investment in the brand, strengthening strategic customer and partner relationships, a renewed focus on operational effectiveness, and market expansion through acquisition.
The deal follows Parabellum Investment’s recent acquisition of Advanco, a specialist in product serialisation software, providing a strong launchpad for further US acquisitions. Rami Cassis, founder and CEO of Parabellum
Blockchain Valley Ventures (BVV), a blockchain technology-focused venture capital firm, in collaboration with Delio, a provider of private markets investment technology, has launched the BVV Dealroom – a virtual deal marketplace for blockchain startups and investors. The new platform – one of the first of its kind in the blockchain space – will offer a solution to the current funding bottleneck that has beset many startups, owing to the Covid-19 related restrictions imposed across the world.
Heinrich Zetlmayer, Founder and General Partner of BVV, says: “We are on a mission to provide the essential support that startups require during these
FalconX is to expand its digital asset trading platform following a new USD17 million VC funding round. Read the full story at Hedgeweek…
CEE-focused Mezzanine Management has fully exited its investment in European contract research organisation Optimapharm by selling it to The Rohatyn Group.
Mezzanine Management is an advisor to the AMC group of funds, whose total investments exceed EUR700 million. The investment advisory firm has been operating in Central Europe since 2000 from its offices in Vienna, Warsaw, Bucharest, Budapest and Prague.
The funds’ investment portfolio includes 53 transactions across 12 countries in the CEE region. The firm is also adding a direct lending strategy to its regional private debt platform to address the growing market in Central Europe, and to support local
UK Innovation funder Rocking Horse has announced a multi-million-pound partnership with London-based specialist investment firm Quilam Capital.The companies will look to assist the millions of UK SMEs who are eligible for around GBP22 billion worth of Government R&D tax credits or Innovate UK grant schemes, with advance funding to support their growth and development.
Rocking Horse provides unique loan solutions at competitive rates with no monthly capital payments to SME’s which are secured against R&D tax credits and Innovate UK grant regimes. The loans are then repaid when the funding comes through. It anticipates that the loans will range from GBP50k
Thompson Street Capital Partners (TSCP), a private equity firm based in St Louis, has acquired PKWARE, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based provider of data security software solutions. AGC Partners served as the exclusive financial advisor to PKWARE on this transaction. Terms have not been disclosed.
Founded in 1986, PKWARE (www.pkware.com) created the .ZIP file format and provides leading compression, encryption and data security platform solutions to highly regulated enterprises. The Company’s flagship data security platform, Smartcrypt, enables companies to protect sensitive data, meet compliance and regulatory requirements and manage risk.
Brandon Muirhead, Director, TSCP, says: “Enterprises have a critical need to protect sensitive
Wellth, a platform designed to improve treatment adherence using behavioural economics, has received USD10 million in Series A funding round.
Existing investors yabeo and Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund (BIVF) co-led the funding round with participation from returning investors AXA Venture Partners, New York Life Ventures, NFP Ventures and I2BF Global Ventures, as well as new investors Rock Health and DaVita Venture Group.
Wellth will use the new capital to support rapid scaling to address larger and broader populations of patients.
Wellth members receive financial incentives, nudges, and behavioural reinforcements to establish healthy, lasting habits. Once enrolled, members use Wellth’s platform
Blockdaemon, a blockchain infrastructure platform for node management serving institutions and developers, has completed a strategic funding round of USD5.5 million led by venture capital (VC) firms focused on blockchain technology. Blockdaemon’s funding round is supported by a number of new investors including Hashkey, CoinShares, Blockchain.com, Kenetic, SPiCE VC and Fenbushi Capital. Early investors Comcast Ventures, Lerer Hippeau, Boldstart, and Heavybit will also continue their participation in the latest funding round.
Investor and advisor Meltem Demirors, says: “At CoinShares, we believe compute and connectivity will define the next decade of economic growth, and that blockchain networks and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are
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12 November, 2026 – 8:00 am
12 November, 2026 – 5:00 pm
