Allocations
One of the clearest messages that came out of CAIS 2017 was that the world is changing in innumerable ways that have the capacity to shock and destabilise. One only has to refer recently, to Brexit and the outcome of the US presidential election, to appreciate that uncertainty is the only known certainty to contend with in an ever more complex, interconnected world.
As KPMG's Cowell said, headline risk seems to dominate decision making: "It's unlikely that markets will be able to deliver on expectations. Turbulence in China and uncertainty in US markets is causing an institutional shift in investing.
The alternatives industry has a duty to not only defy gravity and deliver strong returns, but to do so in a way that can genuinely change the world for the better, inspiring the next generation of star managers and investors.
Cognisant of its importance, CAIS 2017 focused on philanthropy and impact investing and emerged as key themes among panellists. It demonstrated a collective vision of responsible investing in new technologies and energy initiatives, to make the world a better place. And a commitment to philanthropic endeavours to bring people out of poverty, not just in the developing world, but first
There was no shortage of idea generation when it came to discussing the various ways alternative fund managers are trying to overcome the gravitational effects of market forces in a bid to boost returns.
As markets begin to normalise, fundamental-focused active fund managers are seeing more opportunities to trade both long and short, while credit markets are offering opportunities, especially for those pursuing relative value strategies to profit from tightening spread ratios between investment grade and high yield corporate bonds.
But this is no time for managers to rest on their laurels. The alternatives industry, as a whole, remains vibrant but
Go Capital has held the first closing of Go Capital Amorçage II, a EUR60 million venture capital fund.
The first Go Capital seed fund of EUR57 million was launched in 2012, at the initiative of the Regional Councils of the western France, with the support of Bpifrance (through the French state-owned Seed Fund FNA), the European Investment Fund and a regional bank partner.
It has just closed its investment period with 25 equity investments in innovative start-ups.
Out of this first seed fund, over EUR60 million was invested into multiple start-ups, both by the fund and in co-investments
Vendep Capital has launched a EUR40 million venture find which will invest mainly in Finnish start-ups offering software to B2B customers.
The investors are Finnish institutional investors, foundations, family offices and private investors.
By the first closing at the end of April, Vendep Capital Fund II has received capital commitments worth over EUR30 million from more than 20 investors.
Among the investors in Vendep Capital Fund II are Tesi (Finnish Industry Investment Ltd), KRR II, Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Company, The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, AI-Partners, and Gerako.
Other investors include foundations, such as the Gösta Serlachius
Kain Capital has acquired a majority stake in King Engineering Associates, strengthening its position within the civil engineering space.
Financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.
King Engineering is a full-service civil engineering firm with headquarters in Tampa, Florida, and operations across Miami, Sarasota, Florida and Austin, Texas.
"This acquisition greatly advances our strategy of focusing on strong businesses in the engineering space with opportunities for growth," says Kunal Kain, managing partner of Kain Capital. "Our partnership begins with all existing managers remaining in place, and 16 senior managers retaining an ownership stake in the company."
Elaia Partners, a Paris-based venture capital firm, has held the initial closing of its new venture capital fund, Elaia Delta Fund, at EUR115 million.
This new investment vehicle pursues the fundamental drivers of Elaia Partners’ historical strategy targeting European early-stage digital opportunities based on high disruption and on deep technology.
Elaia Partners will focus on B2B or B2B2C business models demonstrating global ambitions.
Thanks to its increased fund size and optimised portfolio management model, Elaia Partners will be able to drive further its investment strategy by supporting its best performing investments through their successive fundraisings.
Xavier Lazarus,
Citizens Financial Group has acquired Western Reserve Partners, a Cleveland-based merger and acquisition advisory firm dedicated to delivering a full range of financial advisory services with a focus on middle market clients.
The transaction follows the 2016 launch of Citizens Capital Markets, which added broker-dealer capabilities to the bank’s capital markets platform.
The acquisition will further strengthen Citizens’ ability to serve commercial clients by accelerating the build out of its M&A and financial advisory capabilities. This key and growing client need was highlighted in the bank’s recently published sixth annual nationwide Middle Market M&A Outlook, in which 73 per
Moderne Ventures, a Chicago-based venture capital firm focused on early stage investments in technology companies, has closed its early stage venture investment fund with USD33 million in total commitments.
Launched in 2015 by Constance Freedman, Moderne identifies and invests in cutting-edge technology companies who have a shared purpose of modernising highly-regulated, multi-trillion dollar industries.
These markets represent 20 per cent of the US Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and spend billions of dollars annually on marketing, technology and business services.
Moderne provides its early stage investments with proprietary access and exposure to the Moderne Network – more than 400
GBfoods has partnered with Helios Investment Partners, an Africa-focused private investment firm, to create one of Africa’s largest fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) businesses.
GBfoods Africa Holdco, a joint venture owned by GBfoods and Helios, has acquired assets from different African companies including leading brands such as Jumbo (bouillon), Gino and Pomo (tomato paste), and Jago (milk powder and mayonnaise), as well as Bama (mayonnaise) distribution rights for Africa.
This will result in a pan-African culinary products company with presence in over 30 African countries.
GBfoods chief executive, Ignasi Ricou, says: “GBfoods has a long history operating in
Events
12 November, 2026 – 8:00 am
12 November, 2026 – 5:00 pm
