FedBid, Inc, which operates the FedBid online marketplace at www.FedBid.com, has secured the first investment made by the Revolution Growth fund, which was launched in December 2011 by Steve Case, Ted Leonsis and Donn Davis. Revolution Growth is now the largest investor in FedBid. Leonsis has been named Chairman of the Board of FedBid, effective today, working closely with FedBid CEO, Ali Saadat, to accelerate FedBid’s growth and reach. FedBid and Revolution Growth also announced that General George Casey, the former Chief of Staff of the US Army, and Mark Walsh, co-founder and CEO of GeniusRocket and former CEO of

Funds managed by Blackstone are forming a partnership with PQ Energy to acquire or to develop power generation facilities throughout Europe. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, PQ Energy is led by a seasoned management and technical team. The team has extensive power project development and operating experience as well as a strong track record of identifying and investing in power generation assets and creating significant long-term value. Blackstone’s funds have partnered with PQ Energy to provide necessary investment capital to the European power sector at a critical time when traditional sources of power supply have fundamentally changed due to the addition

ABS Group of Companies has concluded its acquisition of Safetec Nordic AS, with a signing ceremony attended by senior ABS, ABS Group and Safetec management in Trondheim, Norway, on 5 January, 2012. ABS and ABS Group Chairman, Robert D Somerville, ABS Vice President David Weinstein, ABS Group CEO and President Tony Nassif and ABS Consulting President David Walker, joined Safetec CEO Jan Morten Ertsaas, Safetec Board Chairman Jon Daniel Nesje and Professor Jan Erik Vinnem to sign the agreement bringing Safetec into the ABS Consulting organisation. The acquisition of Safetec will broaden the range of solutions and services provided to

Kelso Place Asset Management, a UK-based special situations investor, has acquired a significant stake in OpenGate Capital’s fashion label Nicole Fahri. Under the terms of the agreement, Kelso Place will use its strong track record in the luxury brand space with brands such as Smythson and Anya Hindmarch, to provide financial, strategic and hands-on, operational support to ensure the further growth of the business. OpenGate has been making operational enhancements to Nicole Fahri since acquiring the brand in March of 2010 from French Connection plc. "With the luxury brand expertise of Kelso Place on board and our phase one operational

Tom Behlau has founded Tarpon Hill Capital, a private equity firm that will exclusively invest in next-stage companies that develop innovative technologies for regulated industries such as Life Sciences, Financial Services, and Healthcare. Tarpon Hill will form partnerships with entrepreneurs at companies that have revenue of at least USD1 million with recurring revenue in their existing customer base. Member companies can leverage Tarpon Hill for business expansion, leveraged acquisitions, management buyouts, and shareholder recapitalisations. Beyond the capital contribution, Tarpon Hill will combine significant experience in operational management, information technology, finance, and legal matters. Tarpon Hill is led by Tom Behlau,

TrueBridge Capital Partners, a boutique alternative asset investment firm, has closed its second venture capital and growth equity fund-of-funds, TrueBridge-Kauffman Fellows Endowment Fund II, at USD342 million, exceeding both its initial target and the size of its first fund. TrueBridge currently manages over USD700 million in assets across its funds-of-funds. Fund II received commitments from limited partners, which include foundations and endowments, private and public pension funds, asset management firms, and high net-worth individuals. TrueBridge is strategically partnered with the Kauffman Fellows Program, an educational non-profit organisation with an 18-year history of identifying and educating the future leaders of the

The Karma Communications Group has acquired the Crayon group, a leading UK-based digital communications agency, to work alongside Karmarama, an independent integrated advertising agency. Karma Communications aims to grow into an international challenger agency group, providing clients with best-in-class creative solutions across every step of the customer journey. The Karma Communications Group came into existence with the announcement in May 2011 of the investment by Phoenix Equity Partners, the UK-based mid market private equity investor, in Karmarama, together with its sister agencies Kream and Kaper.  The group is owned jointly by Phoenix and its senior management team. Crayon was founded

Earthrise Capital Fund has completed an investment in the Series B securities of Charlotte, North Carolina-based Forest2Market, Inc. Earthrise was joined in the Series B financing by Zephyr Investment Management, F2M’s existing lead investor. In conjunction with this transaction, Ann Partlow, Partner of Earthrise Capital, will take a seat on the Company’s board. Forest2Market is a provider of pricing data, supply chain expertise and consulting services to the forest products and biomass energy industries. The Company’s database of real-time prices for lumber, pulpwood, fiber, biomass and other forest products is the most comprehensive available. Forest2Market intends to use the proceeds

Biomass Engineering Limited (BEL), manufacturer of renewable energy biomass plants, has secured a EUR6m growth equity investment from a US-based investor. The investment was made by Excelestar Ventures of Massachusetts, confirming Biomass Engineering’s sector leading biomass cogeneration energy and heat plant technology. “Excelestar believes in BEL’s combined heat and power biomass plant.  It is a robust and modular system that is the product of skilful engineering,” says Tasneem Dohadwala, General Partner of Excelestar Ventures.   BEL is an international leader in design, production and installation of biomass gasification CHP systems.  As a pioneer in the industry, BEL’s technology is backed

Hutton Collins Partners has supported the acquisition of a majority interest in Wellington boot maker Hunter Boot Limited by Searchlight Capital Partners LP. Under the terms of the investment, Hutton Collins will provide GBP32 million of PIK and equity financing. Searchlight’s acquisition, backed by Hutton Collins, will provide valuable support to drive the expansion of Hunter into new markets and related products. The company has expanded its product offering in recent years into areas including leather boots and other footwear, knitted accessories and bags. Hunter’s positioning as a heritage British brand, with a history dating back more than 150 years,