Alternative asset manager The Carlyle Group’s infrastructure fund is to acquire from Goldman Sachs Group the North American power generation assets held by Cogentrix Energy, which include five coal and solar power projects in Florida, Virginia, Colorado and California, as well as a development pipeline of gas and renewable power projects. The transaction includes the Charlotte, North Carolina-based Cogentrix team, including professionals who will continue to initiate new power generation projects and acquisitions as well as bring their power asset management and operating expertise to Carlyle’s future investment activity in the power sector. Equity for this investment comes from Carlyle

Brille24, a German online retailer for prescription eyeglasses, has closed an equity financing deal through its holding Tejado with growth investment firm TIME. The company signed a financing deal with growth investment firm TIME for an amount of up to EUR12m, of which EUR7m is invested as of today. Matthias Hunecke, who founded the company in 2007, remains the largest shareholder.   Brille24 offers prescription eyeglasses with the same quality as those sold by the traditional opticians, but at very affordable prices. The frames and corrective lenses are less than one fourth the average price of the traditional optician chains.

A fund managed by Blackstone on behalf of its private equity investors, Blackstone Capital Partners V, is to acquire GCA Services Group, a US facility services company, from Nautic Partners and other minority shareholders.   Robert Norton, chairman, president and chief executive of GCA Services Group, says: “This transaction is a tremendous opportunity to fuel our continued growth. We have transformed ourselves into one of the country’s leading facility services companies in a few short years and our new relationship with Blackstone demonstrates our management-led commitment to continued dynamic growth which will energise our investment in our people and our dedication

Russian Direct Investment Fund’s Russia-China Investment Fund (RCIF) has reached a preliminary agreement to become a shareholder of Russia Forest Products (RFP), Russia’s second-largest forestry company. RCIF’s investment will fund the company’s move up the value chain from producing primarily raw logs to higher value added products like veneer and sawnwood. Completion of the transaction is subject to the satisfactory completion of regulatory approvals, as well as final approval according to corporate procedures of RCIF.   “This transaction ideally fulfils the mission of the Russia-China Investment Fund: we expect it to generate strong returns as well as to advance bilateral

Mid-market private equity firm GI Partners has sold its portfolio company, PC Helps Support, to Baird Capital Partners (BCP), the US-based buyout fund of Baird Private Equity. The sale of PC Helps generated a return of approximately five times invested capital to limited partners of GI Partners Fund II. PC Helps supports over 200 software applications and serves over 400 clients across 15 vertical markets. The company was acquired by GI Partners in 2005. Under the investment firm’s nearly seven years of stewardship, PC Helps substantially expanded its operations and achieved considerable organic growth. The company increased employee headcount by

Palatine Private Equity’s portfolio company, MoneyPlus Group (MPG), has completed the acquisition of debt management company Debt Free Me for an undisclosed sum.   Debt Free Me, based in Blackburn, UK, provides a range of debt management solutions to consumers and employs 30 people. The business will continue to trade under the Debt Free Me brand as part of MoneyPlus Group. The acquisition adds over 6,000 consumers to the MPG customer base.   This is the fifth acquisition completed by MPG since Palatine backed a management buyout in June 2011. MPG now employs more than 190 people and is due

Huron Capital Partners has recapitalised Ronnoco Holdings in a transaction marking the 60th investment overall for Huron.  Founded in 1904 and based in St Louis, Missouri, Ronnoco manufactures and distributes premium quality coffee, tea and related products sold to convenience stores, foodservice outlets and offices throughout the central US.  Huron, in partnership with Ronnoco’s management team, made the investment with a plan to continue growing the business through geographic expansion, new product offerings and acquisitions.  The Ronnoco transaction builds on Huron’s prior experience and success investing in consumer product and food businesses.  This latest investment was made through The Huron

Almaz Capital Partners’ managing partner and co-founder Peter Loukianoff has sold his managing interest in the firm. Loukianoff (pictured), who is leaving to pursue new opportunities, has retained a passive minority interest in the firm. Loukianoff and Alexander Galitsky established Almaz Capital in 2007.  Loukianoff will continue to participate in the investment committee and serve on the board of Almaz portfolio company nScaled. Almaz Capital Partners, whose investors include Cisco and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), was the first technology-oriented venture capital firm to focus on Russia. "Our success has allowed me the flexibility to consider new

Mid-market private equity firm Palamon Capital Partners has agreed the sale of Espresso House to Herkules Private Equity III, a Norwegian private equity fund.  The terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.   In 2005, Palamon identified a gap in the Nordic markets for a quality, branded coffee bar offering and approached the founders of Espresso House about purchasing a majority interest and initiating a high-growth strategy. Beginning with 22 outlets in the south of Sweden in 2006, Espresso House purchased a 15 store chain in Stockholm to create a national brand with 37 outlets. From that base, the