Funds advised by Apax Partners are to invest approximately $450 million to acquire a significant minority stake in IBS Software, a provider of Software-as-a-Service solutions to the global travel and logistics industry, from Blackstone. 

Aquiline Capital Partners, a private investment firm based in New York and London, has lead a $95 million Series E funding round in Smart, a London-headquartered fintech focused on the retirement savings market. 

Private equity group TPG Capital has resurrected its deal to acquire Australia’s largest funerals group Invocare, with a slightly improved AUD13 per share bid, which equates to an equity value of AUD1.9 billion and an enterprise value of AUD2.2 billion, according to a report by the Financial Review.

The waste and recycling management arm of Singapore’s energy group Sembcorp is attracting the attention of several investment firms with US private equity group KKR & Co Inc and Australia’s Macquarie Asset Management said to be among the potential bidders for the business, according to a report by Reuters.

Braemont Capital, a relationship-driven investment firm that partners with founders, families and ownership-minded management teams, has made a growth equity investment in Vixxo Corporation, a provider of tech-enabled facilities maintenance services.

Funds affiliated with Crosspoint Capital Partners have agreed to pay $667 million to acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Absolute Software, a provider of “self-healing, intelligent security solutions”. Under the terms of the deal, Absolute shareholders will receive $11.50 per Common Share in cash on completion of the acquisition, corresponding to an enterprise value of approximately $870 million, inncluding debt.  The cash consideration represents a premium of 34% and 38% to the closing price and 30-day volume-weighted average price, respectively, of the Common Shares on the Nasdaq on 10 May, 2023.

Private investment major KKR is to increase its majority holding in Seiyu, a nationwide supermarket chain in Japan, by acquiring Rakuten’s stake in the business. The deal sees KKR up its stake from from 65% to 85%. KKR and Rakuten, together with Seiyu’s third shareholder, Walmart, have collaborated to support the company’s growth since KKR and Rakuten first invested in the business in 2021. Support initiatives have included improving product quality, user experiences, and store operations, and renovating and refurbishing stores. KKR is making its investment from its Asian Fund IV. Further details of the investment have not been disclosed.

Mediterrania Capital Partners, a private equity firm focused on growth investments for SMEs and mid-cap companies in North Africa and Sub-Saharan countries, has acquired a stake in Moroccan pharmaceutical company Laprophan through its fund MC IV, alongside Germany’s development finance institution DEG, Proparco and FMO. Founded in 1949 by Abderrahim Bennis, Laprophan distributes its own branded products and imported finished products from large international laboratories, providing patients and healthcare professionals with a wide range of medical drugs covering over 40 specialties. Laprophan also exports products to more than 30 countries across Africa and the Middle East and is an internationally