Allocations
Ampersand Capital Partners-backed Accuratus Lab Services has acquired the chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC) operation of Array BioPharma Inc (Array).
Accuratus was formed in July 2014 when ATS Labs of Eagan, MN acquired Microtest Labs of Agawam, MA. Accuratus provides GMP and GLP analytical and microbial testing services to the medical device and biopharmaceutical industries, as well as manufacturers of EPA-regulated consumer products. The addition of Array's CMC operation sets the course for Accuratus to become a leading contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) in the pharmaceutical industry.
The Array CMC operation will be known as Avista Pharma Solutions
Private equity firm GMT Communications Partners (GMT) has agreed to sell Seagull Group (Seagull), a provider of technology-enabled training and compliance tools for the maritime, oil and gas industries, to Herkules Capital.
Closing is expected in mid-June.
The sale of Seagull delivers a 2.3x return to GMT in two and a half years. As a result, GMT III will have returned 85% of drawn down capital from just three exits to date. GMT originally backed Seagull in 2012, alongside Oscar Johansen and Roger Ringstad, Chairman and Managing Director, respectively.
Seagull’s offerings are delivered through cloud-based and on-site solutions, for use
A Brookfield-managed fund has agreed to acquire Center Parcs UK for an undisclosed sum from funds managed by Blackstone’s private equity and real estate businesses. The transaction is due to complete by the end of July.
Center Parcs operates five short break destinations across the UK: Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire; Elveden Forest, Suffolk; Longleat Forest, Wiltshire; Whinfell Forest, Cumbria and Woburn Forest, Bedfordshire. In 2015, Center Parcs expects to welcome more than two million guests. The Center Parcs concept originated in Holland in 1967, with Sherwood Forest opening in the UK in 1987. Each Center Parcs is nestled within around 400
Fengate Capital Management has launched a USD180 million infrastructure fund mandate with KB Asset Management, the investment arm of KB Financial Group, a leading financial institution in Korea.
The fund will target infrastructure assets such as roads, hospitals and renewable energy in Canada and the United States. The investors in this fund are Public Officials Benefits Association, Dongbu Insurance, Heungkuk Life Insurance, Hyundai Marine and Fire Insurance and Lotte Insurance.
KB Asset Management held an Investment Fund Agreement Signing Ceremony in Seoul, Korea with representatives from Fengate Capital Management, the fund investors, the Embassy of Canada to Korea, the Canadian
David Shine, Partner – Corporate Department at international law firm Paul Hastings, comments on the news that US bound M&A deal activity in May surpassed the previous monthly record set in 2007…
The aggregate dollar amounts are huge and are records, but let’s not forget that the stock markets are also way beyond the highs of earlier M&A booms. So, because most public companies are way more expensive than they have ever been, I think that the focus on dollar size is a bit unexciting.
If, instead, we look at deal frequency, I think we’d find that it is
Northern Trust has established a registered investment advisor subsidiary, 50 South Capital Advisors, which will provide investors with customised solutions through its access to private equity and hedge fund managers in the small- and mid-market segments.
Led by Managing Director Robert P Morgan, a 25-year veteran of financial services and private equity, along with a dedicated team of highly experienced investment professionals, 50 South Capital builds on Northern Trust’s history of developing multi-manager strategies for investors. The new company, with $4.3 billion in assets*, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Northern Trust Corporation, and its clients will benefit from increased
Backstop Solutions Group has acquired Cogency Software, a provider of accounting solutions for multi-manager investment firms.
Cogency’s clients are some of the world’s leading Fund of Funds, Endowments, Pensions, Outsourced CIOs, and Family Offices who collectively represent over USD100 billion of assets on the Cogency platform.
With the addition of Cogency, Backstop will further expand its capabilities, particularly in the areas of partnership accounting and portfolio management. Backstop also gains a seasoned team, new customers and two additional offices that increase their footprint in key locations – New York and California.
“We are very pleased about the addition of
Funds advised by CVC Capital Partners are to acquire Douglas AG (Douglas) from a holding jointly held by Advent International (Advent) and the Kreke family. The purchase price has not been disclosed.
The Kreke family has furthermore agreed with CVC to reinvest in Douglas AG through a joint holding company owned by CVC and the Kreke family. Dr Henning Kreke will continue to serve as CEO of Douglas.
Kreke says: “Over the past two years, Douglas has become the largest specialist beauty retailer in Europe. It is renowned for its clear customer focus, an innovative product portfolio and an impressive
BGF (Business Growth Fund) is launching the largest ever venture capital fund dedicated to earlier stage UK technology companies. The GBP200m fund will be run by a new, dedicated team based in London and will open for business in autumn 2015.
The initial team will be Rory Stirling and Harry Briggs, both of whom bring extensive venture experience from MMC Ventures and Balderton Capital respectively, and Simon Calver, former chief executive of LOVEFiLM. BGF will provide £200m of investable capital as well as support from its established regional platform, meaning the team can focus on investing in Britain’s best entrepreneurial
Neuberger Berman has formed a strategic partnership with Intesa Sanpaolo to pursue direct investments in Italian companies.
As part of this cooperation, Marco Cerrina Feroni and Fabio Canè, who previously led Intesa Sanpaolo’s merchant banking and private equity operations, and several members of their team, have joined Neuberger Berman together with Stefano Bontempelli, a former Managing Director at Neuberger Berman’s European Private Equity business who has rejoined the firm. The three senior partners and their team will continue to be based in Milan and they will be part of the global Private Equity Division headed by Anthony Tutrone, Global Head
Events
12 November, 2026 – 8:00 am
12 November, 2026 – 5:00 pm
