German venture capital company eCAPITAL entrepreneurial Partners AG has participated in the second round of funding of Smart Hydro Power GmbH with its Cleantech Fond. In this round, the company, which develops, manufactures, sells and markets micro-hydro power plants, will receive further capital to the amount of EUR2.7 million. The capital increase is earmarked for the financing of reference projects and the development of international sales and marketing. High-Tech Gruenderfonds (HTGF) is also involved in Smart Hydro Power GmbH. "Smart Hydro Power has developed a promising product with an enormous market potential. With our investment via eCAPITAL Cleantech Fonds, we

Lion Capital has been granted a period of exclusivity ina bid to reach a definitive agreement to acquire European optical retailer Alain Affelou in conjunction with Mr Alain Affelou and management of the Group. Alain Affelou will commence the communication and consultation process with employee representatives this week. This should result in completion of the transaction by June 2012, after it has been approved by the European Competition Authorities. Founded in France in 1972, Alain Affelou is the largest optical franchisor in Europe, with a network of nearly 1,100 optical retail stores across France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Morocco,

Ingenious Clean Energy, a division of UK based investment and advisory group Ingenious, has successfully closed its pioneering Ingenious Energy Efficiency EIS Fund, exceeding its GBP10m target fund raise. The fund, which is the first of its kind in the UK, has been launched in collaboration with the Investment Advisors to the Fund, Sustainable Development Capital LLP. It will now begin deploying funds into companies which provide energy efficiency services in commercial and industrial properties. The UK energy efficiency market presents a unique opportunity for investors as it continues to expand, driven by high and rising energy prices and concerns

Business Growth Fund (BGF) and NVM Private Equity (NVM) have committed GBP10m of growth capital to acquisitive Northern pub chain, Wear Inns.  BGF has invested GBP8m and NVM has invested a further GBP2m in the business, which it has backed since start-up in 2006.  BGF will take a minority stake in the business and will join the existing board.   Founded in 2006 by local entrepreneurs John Weir (CEO) and John Sands (Chairman), Wear Inns focuses on the acquisition and management of freehold community pubs across the North East and Yorkshire.  The estate currently comprises 15 sites, including The Townhouse

AXA Private Equity, a European diversified private equity firm, will arrange a EUR22 million mezzanine tranche alongside Euromezzanine to support the acquisition of Stokomani by Sagard, the French investment fund. Stokomani is being acquired by Sagard from Advent International, a leading global buyout firm. The transaction is expected to complete in June. Stokomani is a leading French discount retailer of high-end brands. Throughout its network of 37 stores, Stokomani offers a wide range of branded goods at attractive prices, from clothing, sportswear, beauty and healthcare, toys and homeware. This unique concept, developed by CEO Jean-Jacques Namani, has seen the company

The Aureos Southern Africa Fund LLC (ASAF) has sold its stake in South African brick and clinker aggregate manufacturing group, SA Block (Pty) Ltd. SA Block manufactures bricks and clinker aggregate from clinker, the ash by-product produced when coal is burnt for electricity, thereby recycling what would otherwise be environmental waste. The clinker supplied by SA Block has unique advantages to manufacturers of concrete products.   ASAF is managed by Aureos Southern Africa Managers Ltd, a subsidiary of Aureos Capital Limited, a leading private equity fund management company specialising in investing in small and mid-cap companies in global growth markets.

Lyceum Capital-backed energy consultancy firm M&C Energy Group is set to be sold to trade buyer Schneider Electric, a French-headquartered multinational energy management company.   Contracts have been exchanged and the deal, which is subject to customary regulatory approvals, is expected to complete in Q2 2012.   M&C was acquired by Lyceum Capital in December 2009 and, under the growth investor’s ownership, has acquired five complementary businesses in the UK, Germany, Hungary, the US, and Australia, expanded into major growth markets, and significantly grown its base of large corporate clients from 50 to over 700.   Dunfermline-headquartered M&C has operations

Kayne Partners Fund has partnered with Airborne Biometrics Group (FaceFirst). Kayne Partners is the growth private equity group of Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors, a USD15 billion alternative investment firm. This investment in FaceFirst is Kayne Partners’ third investment in the last two months. Founded in 2007, FaceFirst has developed an innovative technology providing government grade, real-time facial recognition wrapped into a turnkey package that can be deployed across a wide array of industries and end uses, including airport security, retail theft deterrence, VIP customer recognition, and counterterrorism. FaceFirst’s technology can process millions of facial comparisons per second at the lowest