FORWARD FEATURES CALENDAR

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Vectra Co (Vectra), a portfolio company of certain funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, has signed a definitive agreement to sell its EaglePicher business to affiliates of private equity firm GTCR. EaglePicher is a provider of power and energy solutions for mission-critical applications with over 170 years of materials and electrochemistry expertise. The company is focused on specialised applications within high growth areas of defence, aerospace and medical products. As part of the transaction, it is anticipated that the existing management team at EaglePicher and its approximately 800 employees will remain with the business upon the closing. Terms
Aspect Ventures, an early stage venture capital firm in Silicon Valley, has closed its second institutional venture fund of USD181 million, above the top end of its target range.  The firm will use the funds to continue to invest in early stage technology companies.   Aspect was founded in 2014 by industry veterans Jennifer Fonstad and Theresia Gouw and raised its first institutional fund of USD150 million in 2015. The firm boasts an impressive roster of over 25 portfolio companies. Fund I investments include cybersecurity providers Forescout Technologies, Cato Networks, and Exabeam, future of work-focused companies Crew, Gusto, Chime, and
Brand Industrial Services, known as BrandSafway, has acquired Venko Groep BV, a portfolio company of Mentha Capital, effective 1 January, 2018. Moving forward, the company will operate as Venko, A BrandSafway Company and become a part of Brand Energy & Infrastructure Services (Brand) in Europe.   “We’re excited to announce the closing of the acquisition of Venko,” says Dave Witsken, President of Energy and Industrial for BrandSafway. “Venko is a leading offshore coatings maintenance provider for platforms in Europe. By leveraging the highly specialised knowledge and capabilities of Venko, we will be able to provide expanded coatings services to Brand’s European customers.
Tikehau IM, a subsidiary of Tikehau Capital, has arranged a EUR14.4 million add-on Unitranche to support Terratest’s acquisition of Geostructures, a US-based provider of ground improvement services for commercial, residential and institutional construction. Founded in 1959 in Spain and majority owned by Platinum Equity since 2014, Terratest is a leading international provider of foundation work, ground improvement and micro-tunnelling services for large-scale international infrastructure projects, industrial, commercial and residential construction.    In May 2017, Tikehau led the refinancing of Terratest with a EUR60 million Unitranche. This transaction is another illustration of Tikehau IM’s expertise to offer private debt financing solutions
2018 snow globe
By George Ralph, RFA – Last year was all about the compliance; with MiFID II and GDPR, about understanding your data, knowing where it is, protecting it and how to extract what you need to report to the right authorities, within the nominated timescales. This year may be a tough year for the alternative investment sector and for hedge funds, with Agecroft Partners, in its annual predictions post, suggested that as many as 90 per cent of all hedge funds do not justify their fees, don’t deliver good returns and could be in danger of closure in this overcrowded market.
Private equity firm Mid Europa Partners has completed the acquisition of Hortex, a consumer goods player in Poland, operating in juice and frozen food sectors. Hortex is the largest manufacturer of branded frozen food and second largest juice producer in Poland. The Company has one of the most iconic and recognisable FMCG brands in Poland and CEE, state-of-the-art production facilities, and nationwide distribution capabilities. Mid Europa will support Hortex in executing strategic initiatives, including new product development, expansion into adjacent categories and selective add- on acquisitions.   The transaction was executed by Berke Biricik, Marek Rodak, Bartosz Malecki, and Elzbieta
Capital A Partners (CAP A), a USA and Nordic-based venture capitalist firm specialising in B2B technology, is launching a USD60 million fund focused on early stage companies hailing primarily from the Nordic Region. The areas of focus will be sectors including Internet of Things (IoT), mobility, and human-computer interaction (“HCI”), as well as the nanotechnology, advanced materials, and security layer technologies that enable them. CAP A, already strategic partners with Ericsson Garage, the Nordic Innovation House-New York, and other parties, has recently received early commitments from California-based Universal Electronics Inc (UEI), a leader in control device and IoT technologies, and other
UK multi-site crêperie brand Crêpeaffaire has secured investment from BGF to accelerate its new site rollout. The firm, which operates 10 company owned sites and has a growing franchise in the Middle East, will use the funding to expand across the UK and internationally. BGF, which has become a long-term, minority investor in the business, has provided over GBP2 million to support the expansion.   Set up in 2008 by chief executive Daniel Spinath, Crêpeaffaire provides an all-day offering, serving sweet and savoury crêpes, waffles, coffees and smoothies for food-to-go and sit in customers.    Starting from a single London
Aliter Capital 1, a the specialist investor focused on small to mid-size UK support services businesses, has completed an investment in Boston Networks, through the formation of a topco. Boston Networks is an integrated technologies specialist, working across IT network infrastructure, with a focus on fire, security and smart building systems. The value of the transaction was not disclosed.   This investment establishes a third platform and is the sixth transaction that Aliter has made since launching its specialist fund dedicated to investing in the support services sector just twelve months ago, including two other platform investments and three bolt-on
Capzanine has made its first investment in Spain providing MBA, a Spanish orthopaedic prostheses and trauma products distributor, with a EUR25 million unitranche facility. Founded in 1988 in Asturias, Spain, MBA differentiates itself from competitors through its offering of a wide range of products, a qualified and specialised sales team, and a surgeon-focused strategy.   Capzanine’s main investment fundamentals in MBA are the company’s well-established leadership position and its confidence in Alantra (majority shareholder) and in the management team of the company, led by Carlos Marina. This EUR25m unitranche facility will allow MBA to reorganise its capital structure and to

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