A consortium led by iCON Infrastructure Partners II and including EEA and 2OC has entered into agreements to fund and construct an environmentally friendly 19 MW CHP facility that will provide heat and power under long-term contracts to Thames Water Utilities and National Grid.   The facility is located in Beckton, East London where it will be integrated with National Grid’s gas pressure reduction station and is in close proximity to Thames Water’s desalination plant and sewage treatment works, all of which are critical infrastructure facilities which serve London.    The facility is expected to commence full operations in the

GenSight Biologics, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of ophthalmic therapeutics using gene therapy, has closed a EUR32m Series A financing.   The financing was co-led by Novartis Venture Fund, Abingworth, Versant Ventures and Index Ventures.   GenSight will use the funds to develop a gene replacement therapy for Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) and an optogenetic therapy for retinitis pigmentosa (RP). The lead product is expected to enter the clinic in 2013 in LHON patients.   Bernard Gilly, co-founder and chief executive of GenSight, is a successful bio-entrepreneur and was formerly CEO of Fovea Pharmaceuticals (which was acquired

There were 665 private equity-backed buyout deals announced globally in Q1 2013, valued at a total of USD87bn, a 112 per cent increase from the USD41bn in the same quarter last year, according to Preqin. However, the number of deals fell from 770 in Q4 2012 to 665 in the first quarter of 2013.   Food and agriculture and IT were the most prominent areas of buyout activity in Q1 2013, with 38 per cent and 30 per cent of the aggregate deal value invested in these sectors respectively. This was driven by the two largest deals in the quarter,

North Castle Partners and its co-investors have completed an investment of growth capital in Ignite USA, a developer and marketer of reusable, environmentally friendly thermal mugs and hydration bottles.   North Castle is a private equity firm focused on investments in consumer-driven companies that promote healthy, active and sustainable living.    The terms of the investment, which is being made in partnership with chief executive Sami El-Saden, were not disclosed.   Ignite currently sells its products in over 50 countries across club, mass, sporting goods, specialty, direct-to-consumer, and exclusive strategic partnerships.      "North Castle’s mission is to invest in companies

IntraLinks has acquired MergerID and PE-Nexus, two online deal sourcing platforms for the mergers and acquisitions industry.   MergerID, based in London and owned by the Financial Times Group, and PE-Nexus, a privately-held company based in Miami, Florida, will be combined to create the largest global deal marketplace and professional network for qualified M&A professionals.   With these acquisitions IntraLinks can offer an end-to-end solution for managing the full lifecycle of strategic transactions, from deal preparation, marketing and sourcing through to due diligence and execution.   “Our strategic transactions customers are increasingly looking for a one-stop solution that can facilitate

Despite a challenging year for venture capital investment in 2012, the US VC-backed industry remains substantial.   Better portfolio company exits and returns suggest the slump in fundraising could be over in 2013, according to Ernst & Young’s tenth annual Venture Capital Insights and Trends Report.   According to the report, there is evidence of money flowing into companies that are perceived as lower risk. For example, there is a shift away from social media towards enterprise– the companies that are attracting greater VC interest are those that provide a service and are getting paid for it, rather than those

Spring Mountain Capital has organised and closed a USD9.2m Series A private equity financing facility for the Hurel Corporation, a provider of advanced artificial tissue constructs and microfluidic cell-based assay platforms.    Funds from the financing will support the commercial launch of Hurel’s current products, the continued research and development of its technologies and future products, and other general corporate purposes.    Spring Mountain, operating through its SMC Select Co-Investment Fund I, is the lead investor. Spring Mountain also organised co-investment participations by several other private investor entities.   "This investment reflects our belief in Hurel’s management, its scientific leadership,

glendonTodd Capital, a Dallas-based private equity firm, has closed its previously announced merger of Aztec Systems and Toutatis Client Services do Brasil, including foreign affiliated operating entities.   Both Aztec and Toutatis are glendonTodd portfolio companies.   This merger creates a multinational business process and information technology outsourcing firm with more than 1,000 clients in 13 countries and territories throughout the Americas. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.   The new combined company, Toutatis Aztec Solutions (TAS), is based in Dallas and offers services including human resources outsourcing, finance and accounting outsourcing, procurement outsourcing, information technology outsourcing, and data

CapVest Equity Partners II and Lantmännen ek have created the leading Nordic poultry producer through the simultaneous acquisition of Kronfågel Group in Sweden and Denmark from Lantmännen, and Cardinal Foods in Norway from CapMan. The new company will have a turnover of more than SEK5bn, while the ownership structure positions the business for further development in international markets, as well as opportunities for product development and innovation.   The new company will consist of Kronfågel, SweHatch and Skånefågel in Sweden, Danpo in Denmark and Cardinal Foods in Norway. It will be led by a team of executives drawn from both