Private equity firm GMT Communications Partners’ portfolio company MeetingZone has completed its third bolt-on acquisition in 18 months. MeetingZone, the independent global audio/web conferencing and collaboration services provider, has acquired Atia Communications, the UK based provider of Unified Communications (UC) services and a Microsoft Lync 2010 accredited specialist.   The acquisition enables MeetingZone to build on its portfolio of products and services to address the rapidly growing UC market with Atia’s Microsoft Lync solutions, in addition to its current range of Cisco WebEx services.   UC combines voice, video, instant messaging, mobile voice and data and other multimedia services in

Electra Private Equity has reported an uplift in its diluted net asset value per share of 33p as a result of the successful IPO of UK motor insurer esure, its third largest investment at 30 September 2012.   In 2010, Electra invested GBP30m (via the Tosca Penta Investments LP fund) in the management buyout of esure from Lloyds Banking Group, led by Peter Wood, founder and executive chairman of esure. GBP15.3m of Electra’s original investment had been repaid prior to the IPO.   As a result of esure’s IPO, Electra is due to receive further cash proceeds of GBP51.5m. In

Argon Medical Devices, a portfolio company of private equity firm RoundTable Healthcare Partners, is to acquire the Interventional Products Business of Angiotech Pharmaceuticals.     The Interventional Products Business manufactures and markets disposable and re-usable biopsy products for the diagnosis of cancer, drainage catheter products, and vascular interventional products. The transaction is expected to be completed prior to the end of April 2013 subject to customary closing conditions.     The acquisition of the Interventional Products Business bolsters Argon’s existing portfolio of interventional vascular products, adds additional biopsy product lines, and further leverages the company’s sales force within core call

Neuralstem has secured USD8m in debt financing with Hercules Technology Growth Capital to fund the company’s capital budget through late 2014.   "This debt financing extends our cash runway well into late 2014 at a critical time in our clinical product development cycle. We have multiple NSI-566 cell therapy clinical trials planned this year, building on our successful ALS Phase I trial, including the upcoming phase II ALS in the US; both chronic and acute spinal cord injury in the US and South Korea, respectively; ALS in Mexico, and stroke in China, in addition to completing the NSI-189/Phase Ib trial

European private equity fundraising remains subdued, with volumes raised over the last four years (2009-2012) being only 40 per cent of those raised in the four year period prior to that (2005-2008), according to research carried out by Acanthus Advisers.   However, for funds with well differentiated strategies and solid track records, the market remains very much open, with some notable fund raising successes.   Acanthus Advisers’ European Mid-Market Fundraising Review 2013 provides detailed data on European fundraising statistics, year by year, country by country, as well as commentary on the various structural challenges that private equity faces.   According

AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) has received an irrevocable offer from an investor group for its entire stake in AXA Investment Managers Private Equity SA (AXA Private Equity). The proposed transaction would be structured with a view to protecting AXA Private Equity’s investment expertise and performance-driven culture, and to ensuring that its clients continue to benefit from the service and performance they have had over the past several years.   The transaction would enable AXA to monetize its interest in AXA Private Equity, a business developed by the group since 1996, and would provide a strong foundation for the next