Kester Capital, a UK lower mid-market private equity specialist, has acquired a majority stake in DC Byte, a global market intelligence and analytics provider for data centre operators, developers, investors, advisers and suppliers. The investment represents Kester’s third investment in the information & data sector, and the fifth investment from of its latest fund, Kester Capital II, which closed at its hard cap in 2020. The DC Byte investment follows two recent exits: Vixio, a high growth provider of data and information services generating a 4.8x return for Kester; and, Avania, the leading global medical technology CRO for 8.4x.  

Icona Capital, an independent, London-based investment firm focused on real estate, credit, private equity, special situations and growth equity, has acquired a 40% minority stake in global real estate investment company, Stoneweg. The strategic partnership creates a combined €8 billion platform leveraging both partners’ capital sourcing, deal flow origination and asset distribution capabilities. Stoneweg has been identifying real estate opportunities and structuring investment products in Switzerland, Spain, Andorra, Italy, UK, Ireland and the US since 2015. The company has enjoyed a strong period of growth since its inception and now employs over 140 professionals managing more than €5 billion of

The EQT X fund, part of global investment firm EQT, has competed its acquisition of BTRS Holdings Inc, a B2B order-to-cash software specialist.

Software-focused private investment giant Thoma Bravo has closed its AUD1.06 billion ($729m) acquisition of Australia-based aerial imagery company Nearmap. The purchase price which equates to AUD2.10 per share, represents a 39% premium to the stock’s closing price on 12 August, the day before news of the all-cash deal broke. Nearmap, founded in Perth, Australia in 2007, is one of the world’s largest aerial survey companies, providing users with access to high resolution aerial imagery, city-scale 3D content, AI data sets and geospatial tools.   

Sun King, a provider of solar energy products for off-grid homes in Africa and Asia, has expanded its Series D funding round to $330m through an additional $70 million equity investment led by LeapFrog Investments (LeapFrog). The investment is an extension of Sun King’s initial $260 million Series D, which was led by General Atlantic’s BeyondNetZero and M&G Investments in April 2022, and includes $38 million of additional primary investment. The funds will support the company’s plans to make consumer-financed solar power available to the 1.8 billion consumers across Africa and Asia who lack access to reliable electricity.  The Series

Lower middle market private equity firm TELEO Capital Management has made a majority control investment in Sharpen Technologies Inc, the provider of a cloud-native contact centre platform with a focus on solutions for multiple industries, including financial services, technology, retail, and healthcare.

Middle-market private equity firm Gryphon Investors is to sell its portfolio company Heritage Distribution Holdings to Beijer Ref, a worldwide distributor of commercial refrigeration, industrial refrigeration, and air conditioning.