Allocations
Coutts, the Private Banking arm of NatWest, together with BGF, are working on plans to launch The UK Enterprise Fund to bring additional funding and support to entrepreneurs across the UK.
The partnership will build on Coutts and BGF’s existing platforms, drawing on the significant scale and financial firepower of the two companies. It will identify and address equity gaps across the whole of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, with specific initiatives and programmes for female-led businesses and aimed at increasing the diversity of management teams.
The launch of the partnership coincides with the one-year anniversary of the Alison Rose Review of Female
Global private equity firm OpenGate Capital’s portfolio company Duraco Specialty Tapes (Duraco), a manufacturer of pressure-sensitive tapes, has acquired Infinity Tapes, a manufacturer of customised adhesive products, from a private seller. Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.
Infinity Tapes, headquartered in Lawrence, Massachusetts, is a manufacturer of double coated tapes, silicon coated liners and tamper evident products in the transit packaging and industrial end markets. Infinity Tapes has a workforce of approximately 45 employees and will continue to be led by President Craig Allard as a division of Duraco.
The addition of Infinity Tapes expands Duraco’s product offering in
Bregal Sagemount, a growth-focused private equity firm, has completed the final closing for Bregal Sagemount Fund III (Fund III) at the Fund’s hard cap of USD1.5 billion, exceeding its USD1.35 billion target.Fund III will continue the investment strategy Bregal Sagemount has pursued since its inception in 2012 and focus on providing flexible capital and strategic assistance to market-leading companies in high-growth sectors across a wide variety of transaction situations.
Gene Yoon, Founder and Managing Partner of Bregal Sagemount, says: “We are grateful for the support and trust from our existing investors and are pleased to welcome a select number of
Keystone Capital’s portfolio company, MERGE, has completed the acquisition of the Sandbox Group (Sandbox), an independent, full-service, strategic and digital agency based in Chicago. The combination forms one of the largest independent agencies in North America with more than 600 employees in seven locations across the United States and Canada.
Keystone initially acquired MERGE, a premium creative technology agency, in December 2018. The Company’s capabilities include business & digital strategy, marketing execution, analytics, experience design, technology development, and media services. MERGE delivers customer engagement solutions across market sectors with specific expertise in healthcare and financial services. MERGE is headquartered in Chicago
Graycliff Partners has sold NAL Group, a provider of last mile logistics and on-premise installation services, to CRST International, Inc. NAL Group primarily serves large ecommerce and omnichannel retailers, providing a full suite of final mile delivery, installation and assembly, and complementary support services across North America.
Graycliff first invested in NAL Group in October 2016. Graycliff teamed with management to identify and execute growth initiatives and in 2018 led the company through a transformative acquisition. Graycliff worked with the team to successfully integrate the businesses and drive customer, service offering and geographic expansion. The merger created a combined company capable
Actis, an investor of private capital into global emerging markets, is establishing a USD250 million pan-African data centre platform.The buy and build platform will comprise of independently owned, carrier neutral, data centres across key African markets. The first of these investments has now completed, with Actis taking a controlling stake in Nigeria’s leading, independent, co-location business, Rack Centre.
Nigeria is Africa’s largest data centre market outside South Africa and provides a launchpad for the platform’s further expansion.
Rack Centre owns and operates a certified Tier III data centre in Lagos. It has the largest installed capacity in West
ESO has provided a EUR20.0 million Senior Secured Loan to WERU Group, a portfolio company of funds advised by HIG Capital. The loan proceeds will be used to refinance existing facilities as well as support WERU Group’s further growth plans.
“We are very happy in supporting a true German market leader backed by a high-quality sponsor. We are also very pleased in leveraging our capabilities in completing the first transaction out of our European Lending Fund I providing SMEs with Senior Secured Capital Solutions,” says Christian Fritsch, Partner at ESO.
Klaas Reineke, Managing Director at HIG Capital, says: “The
Fourshore Partners (Fourshore) has acquired North State Acceptance (NSA), a specialty finance company that purchases and services retail instalment sales contracts from automobile dealerships.NSA is a leading provider of indirect subprime auto financing and direct consumer loans, enabling emerging credit consumers in Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions to purchase automobiles or obtain financing through a network of dedicated independent auto dealers and 12 branch locations. Led by long-term industry veterans, North State utilises an effective business model leveraging branch locations to ensure rigorous underwriting, efficient servicing and collections, and attractive asset and financial performance through multiple economic cycles.
“We are excited
HIG Growth Partners (HIG), the dedicated growth capital investment affiliate of HIG Capital, has completed the sale of its portfolio company, Scuf Gaming (SCUF) to Corsair Components, Inc. SCUF is a designer, manufacturer, and e-commerce platform for sales of advanced feature, customised gaming controllers and accessories for use on PlayStation, Xbox and PC.
Headquartered outside Atlanta, Georgia, SCUF created the high-performance, customized console controller category by challenging and redefining the way gamers use their hands. Inventing many features to increase hand-use, improve controller ergonomics and enhance performance, SCUF is about improving the user experience. Since its founding in 2011, SCUF has
Prospect Hill Growth Partners, a private equity firm focused on operational value creation in middle-market growth companies, has acquired a majority interest in Fitness Ventures. Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, Fitness Ventures is one of the fastest growing franchisees in the Crunch Fitness system. Founded in 2016, the Company currently owns and operates Crunch Fitness locations throughout eight states in the US with several more in development. Founder Brian Hibbard will retain a substantial investment in the business and continue to lead the company as its Chief Executive Officer. Terms of the investment have not been disclosed.
“The team from Prospect Hill
Events
12 November, 2026 – 8:00 am
12 November, 2026 – 5:00 pm
