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Deals

Axiata Digital (AD), the digital services arm of Axiata Group (Axiata), is to sell its Digital Ventures portfolio for USD140 million to Singapore-based investment fund Pegasus 7 Ventures. The sale consists of ownership stakes in category-leading digital businesses such as India’s largest rural commerce platform, StoreKing, and global micro-insurance company, BIMA. Pegasus which is managed by Gordian Capital, will aim to drive the growth of the portfolio under the leadership of Gautam Saxena, an investment banker and former Head of Asia Telecom and Media with Bank of America Merrill Lynch.  The Ventures portfolio is largely focused on companies that seek
Phoenix Equity Partners has reached an agreement with Souter Investments (Souter) and Manfield Partners (Manfield) to acquire a majority stake in Mobius Life, an independent provider of investment administration services to UK pension schemes.  Phoenix will invest alongside the current management team, led by CEO Adrian Swales. Equity for the transaction, which remains subject to necessary regulatory approvals, will come from Phoenix’s 2016 Fund. Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. Mobius Life provides investment administration services, via a UK life insurance structure, to UK defined benefit and defined contribution pension schemes to help them implement their investment strategies
Broadstone, a UK-based employee benefits and pensions consulting businesses backed by private equity firm Livingbridge, has acquired Glasgow-based Thomson Dickson Consulting (TDC) to support its growth across consulting and actuarial.  The business is owned and managed by actuaries Ann Marie Dickson and Andy Thomson who, along with all of the company’s employees, will remain with the firm post-acquisition in its Glasgow offices. TDC provides actuarial consultancy, scheme administration, and governance services to trustees and sponsoring employers of occupational pension schemes. The company was established in 2002 with an almost exclusive focus on providing high quality and cost-effective services to employers
Walter Global Asset Management (Walter) has become a minority shareholder in LionGuard Capital Management (LionGuard), an asset management firm that specialises in fundamental research on small and medium capitalisation companies. This is Walter’s first investment since forming in late 2018, and its new commitment includes direct allocations toward LionGuard-managed funds via parent company Walter Financial. Through this partnership, LionGuard is poised for growth and will expand its teams across research, operations, and client-servicing divisions. “Partnering with Walter Global Asset Management and, in particular, Sylvain Brosseau, who brings an outstanding reputation in the industry, enables us to rapidly grow LionGuard, bringing us
Challenge Group – a logistics recruitment and distribution company – backed by Praetura, has acquired TRG Logistics to form one of the largest independent providers of HGV drivers and warehouse staff in the UK. The undisclosed deal will see the two companies merge to become Challenge TRG Group, with current TRG CEO, Nick Gordon, and TRG MD, Steve Imber, continuing in their roles, as well as becoming shareholders in the newly-formed business.   Challenge TRG Group, which will have a combined turnover of GBP120 million, will collectively employ around 4,000 temporary workers and 150 permanent employees, and will continue to
Offshore law firm Mourant has advised Brazilian private equity firm IG4 Capital in connection with their agreement with Alberta Investment Management Corporation to inject USD107.26 million in the Brazilian water service holding company Iguá Saneamento SA through the investment vehicles and funds managed by IG4.  The proceeds will be used to finance capital expenditures in Iguá’s 18 existing concessions and public-private partnerships in five Brazilian states. Mourant LP Partner Alistair Horn led Mourant’s advice in connection with the matter and was supported by  Senior Associate Alex Henderson.  Horn says: “It’s fantastic to work alongside a firm like IG4 Capital and
Mid-market private equity firm LDC has invested GBP20million to back the management buyout (MBO) of Shield Group International (SGI) from global testing, inspection and certification group Kiwa. SGI, formerly known as Kiwa Compliance International, is an international environmental testing, inspection and consultancy business. LDC has invested to support the existing management team as it accelerates its growth strategy. Led by CEO Frank-Maarten Gribnau, UK Managing Director Gavin Hartley and European Managing Director Alain Jeger, SGI is a market leader in environmental compliance and specialises in health and safety services in relation to legionella, water safety, asbestos and other hazardous materials.
E-sports brand Fnatic has secured USD19 million USD in a Series A funding round led by tech entrepreneur Lev Leviev of LVL1 Group, who also joins the board, plus new and continued support from investors including transatlantic venture capital firm Beringea,  BlackPine, Unbound and Joi Ito. With this investment, Fnatic will enter the next phase of its global expansion, aim to strengthen involvement in tier-one leagues, including the League of Legends European Championships, launch new product categories in its e-sports equipment subsidiary including a new audio line, as well as scaling up resources to deliver and deploy marketing efforts and
Social and Sustainable Capital (SASC), a UK fund manager and social enterprise has invested GBP250,000 in Futures, a social enterprise which provides jobs and skills advice, training and apprenticeships in Nottinghamshire. SASC has provided a loan of GBP250,000 to fund the expansion of the organisation’s support services for young people at risk of being not in education, employment or training (NEET) in Nottinghamshire. Through an innovative project called Future Impact, developed in collaboration with local commissioners, Futures will address the hardest to reach part of their NEET cohort – young people with special education needs and disability. The new service
Private investment firm Inverness Graham Investments’ dental products manufacturing platform, Vista Dental (Vista), has acquired Apex Dental Materials (Apex).  Based in Lake Zurich, Ilinois, Apex is a branded manufacturer of restorative dental materials including adhesives, primers, composites, and cements. “The acquisition of Apex expands Vista’s endodontic product portfolio with a complementary restorative offering,” says Aliya Khaydarova, Principal at Inverness Graham. “Apex provides world-class products that meet the needs of general practitioners and endodontists. The Company continues to innovate and we are excited about the new products in development that we expect to bring to market later this year.” Vista Dental

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