Allocations
DriverUp, the first online marketplace for automotive financing, has launched giving accredited investors an opportunity to directly enter the USD379 billion auto lending industry.
DriverUp is the exclusive brand of Sierra Auto Finance, an auto finance company launched with USD50 million Series A financing, led by Emerald Development Managers and RRE Ventures.
The DriverUp platform uses technology to fundamentally improve how loans are secured and serviced by creating a direct-to-investor option that until now has not existed within the auto-lending industry. Through DriverUp's proprietary software and advanced data analytics, the marketplace enables efficient processing and direct investment in auto loans,
Property Innovation Labs (Pi Labs), Europe's first property-focused accelerator, has announced its inaugural intake of start-up companies and the launch of a crowdfunding campaign.
Pi Labs was created in October 2014 through a strategic partnership between global real estate adviser Cushman & Wakefield and venture capitalists Spire Ventures.
Entrepreneur Faisal Butt, founder of Pi Labs, will lead the three-month bi-annual programme which will provide funding, mentors and office space for the most exciting new wave of ‘proptech’ start-ups at the iconic Second Home, situated in the heart of east London’s ‘Tech City’.
Five start-ups have joined the first accelerator programme
ContaAzul, a provider of SaaS accounting and invoicing solutions to SMBs in Brazil has raised a Series C round of financing led by existing investor venture capital firm Ribbit Capital.
Tiger Global Management also participated along with existing investors 500 Startups, Monashees Capital and Valar Ventures.
ContaAzul will use the funding to develop a new specialised platform catered for Brazilian accounting firms, which will allow customers to achieve greater integration and more productive interactions with their customers. The Company also plans to use the new capital to further develop its accounting and invoicing platform, improving integration between our customers and
Automated investing service Betterment has closed a USD60 million round of growth funding led by private equity firm Francisco Partners.
Previous investors Bessemer Venture Partners, Menlo Ventures, and Northwestern Mutual Capital alos particpated.
“Our growth has continued to accelerate,” says Jon Stein, Betterment Founder and CEO. “More people are becoming Betterment customers every day, and our existing customers continue to invest more with us. This new capital will allow us to grow even faster and increase the development of new products that will continue to reinvent investing around what customers want: a seamless, personalised experience that is aligned with their
PetroCap has held the final closing of PetroCap Partners II at its hard cap of USD350 million, The fund is more than double the size of its predecessor fund, Falcon E&P Opportunities Fund, which closed on USD163 million in 2011.
PetroCap Partners II allows PetroCap to continue its 23-year history of direct oil and gas working interest investments.
“We are pleased to have completed the successful fund raise of PetroCap Partners II,” says Lane Britain, a Managing Director at PetroCap. “We are appreciative of the ongoing support of our past investors and welcome our new investors. We are thankful for
Cathay Capital Private Equity has made a put option to the aufeminin group for the acquisition of Smart AdServer, which would subsequently become independent.
With the support of Cathay Capital, Smart AdServer intends to strongly accelerate its development to become a leading advertising platform. This investment would be made by the Cathay Capital II and the Sino-French Fund for SMEs, two investment vehicles dedicated to accelerating the international growth of midcap companies.
Since 2001, Smart AdServer has developed and marketed an integrated advertising management platform, with strong positioning in Europe and significant market share in North and South America.
NXP Semiconductors and China state-owned investment company JianGuang Asset Management Co are to establish a joint venture (JV) in China that will focus on the semiconductor market.
The JV is intended to combine NXP's advanced technology from its Bipolar Power business line with JAC Capital's strong connections in the Chinese manufacturing network and distribution channels to lower manufacturing costs and boost profit margins of high end electronic products in China. The transaction is subject to the successful conclusion of the definitive agreements as well as the approval by relevant authorities, and is scheduled to close later this year.
The new
EMEA remained an attractive destination for global private equity (PE) firms in 2014, according to S&P Capital IQ, a leading provider of multi-asset class research, data and analytics.
In the most recent issue of its EMEA Private Equity Market Snapshot report, S&P Capital IQ provides an in-depth analysis of the market and comprehensive data giving a top down view of the sector, providing a comparison to the previous year. The report also outlines emerging trends in the financial and technology sectors and in the German Mittelstand.
With 4517 new investments totalling EUR108.4bn in 2014, there was a 15.5% decrease
ALPS has launched the ALPS Interval Fund Platform, a structure built to support retail closed-end funds and interval funds.
The ALPS platform, which combines ALPS’ experience in servicing closed-end funds with DST’s shareholder record-keeping and distribution capabilities in the alternative space, was designed to provide a turnkey solution for alternative investment managers looking to launch '40-Act registered interval funds and other continuously offered closed-end funds.
In addition to a cost-effective suite of services provided by ALPS Fund Services and ALPS Distributors, funds launched on the ALPS Interval Trust Platform have access to services from leading law firms and auditors. The
iCapital Network, an online marketplace providing qualified investors and their advisors with access to private equity fund managers, has added Mercury Capital Advisors and Stanwich Advisors to its roster of fund placement agents.
These additions provide iCapital’s rapidly expanding base of registered members with access to Mercury’s and Stanwich’s networks of general partners and their funds.
iCapital Network serves as a conduit for registered investment advisors, wealth managers, family offices and high net worth qualified purchasers to get access to top private equity managers and their funds. The marketplace is aimed at satisfying the pent-up and growing demand for private
Events
12 November, 2026 – 8:00 am
12 November, 2026 – 5:00 pm
