Whoz, a SaaS solution delivering smart staffing and talent and project portfolio management, has raised €25 million in funding led by PSG Equity (PSG), a growth equity firm.  

Macfarlanes has advised software focused growth equity investor FPE Capital on its latest fund, FPE Fund III, which has successfully closed at a raised hard cap of £185 million. The latest fund will continue to build on the firm’s track record of being the first institutional investor into founder and entrepreneur led businesses.  The fund received commitments from existing investors with a 100% institutional re-up rate from Fund II and a group of new investors including pension funds, insurance companies, endowments and foundations, financial investors and family offices. 

FPE Capital LLP (FPE), the software & services focused lower mid-market growth investor, has successfully closed its third fund (FPE Fund III), with investor commitments of £185 million ($235 million). The Fund hard cap was raised during a compressed fundraising process to accommodate excess demand and the final fund size is a material increase on FPE’s prior Fund II of £101 million. Leading international investors have chosen to continue to invest in FPE for Fund III, with a 100% institutional re-up rate from Fund II and a group of new investors joining for Fund III. Fund III is comprised of

StepStone Group Inc, a global private markets investment firm, has made the final closing of StepStone Credit Opportunities Fund I (SCOF I), raising over $600 million of commitments. Through SCOF I, StepStone seeks to invest in both liquid and illiquid credit at stressed, dislocated, and distressed entry points or opportunistic situations across asset classes, industries, and geographies. A diverse group of limited partners from around the world is invested in the Fund.

QHP Capital LP, the management company for NovaQuest Private Equity (NQPE), has made the final close of its private equity investment fund, NovaQuest Private Equity Fund II, LP (NQPE II) at $500 million of LP commitments. NQPE II closed at its hard cap, exceeding the fund’s initial target of $425 million, and was fully committed in less than seven months of fundraising.  The oversubscribed fund includes commitments from a diverse group of new and returning investors including pension plans, insurance companies, asset managers, private foundations, and family offices.

AIB, Ireland’s largest financial services provider, has appointed Foresight Group, an SME and sustainable infrastructure investment manager, to manage a new SME equity fund. The AIB Foresight SME Impact Fund will back businesses helping to accelerate Ireland’s transition towards a low-carbon economy.  AIB is providing a cornerstone investment of €30 million to the fund which aims to raise €75 million to stimulate job creation and ensure a greener future across the island of Ireland.  The Fund will typically provide equity investments of €2 million to €5 million but it will have the ability to make larger or smaller investments. 

Plexus Capital (Plexus), a multi-strategy investment firm based in Raleigh, has raised $204 million for its inaugural buyout equity fund.

Valia Ventures (Valia), an early stage venture capital firm, has closed its oversubscribed second fund – Value Ventures II – with $50 million in capital commitments. The new fund will allow Value to continue backing ambitious companies such as Humane, Lendtable, Relativity Space, Selfbook, and System. Valia Ventures II brings together a strategic group of limited partners including experienced startup founders, leading technology executives, international family offices, and reputable institutional investors such as Tiger Global Management. The latest fund represents a significant step-up from Valia’s 2018 debut fund which ranks in the top 5% of all funds in its vintage

Muzinich & Co (Muzinich) has launched the Muzinich Dynamic Credit Income Fund (DCI), which is designed for investors seeking outperformance in rising credit markets without taking excessive risks. DCI targets a high level of portfolio income throughout the credit cycle while searching for opportunities presented by dislocated markets. The DCI portfolio has a flexible approach, with allocations dynamically changing depending on the stage of the credit cycle. This flexibility will allow the fund to pursue its higher income objective and to be fully invested across the credit segments, even during volatile markets. Michael McEachern is the Fund’s Lead Portfolio Manager.