Managers
Over EUR1 million has now been invested in P2P platform DoFinance since its launch seven months ago.
“We’ve achieved one of our first major milestones, and DoFinance platform has been recognised by its investors. We’ve moved to this goal strategically and it is proven that with an easy and user-friendly solution it is possible to become an important player in the p2p lending market. DoFinance will continue to develop by actively following all the newest fintech trends, so we can continue to serve our investors and provide an opportunity for everyone to invest,” says Co-founder of DoFinance, Viesturs Kuļikovskis
Pan-European seed investor Seedcamp has held the first close of its fourth fund to invest in the next generation of European talent with GBP41 million in commitments.
The fund is already over 2x larger than Seedcamp’s last (EUR20m raised in 2014) and is backed by 60 leading corporates, venture capitalists and fund of funds from across the world including: Investec, Unilever Ventures, Thomas Cook Money, MassMutual Ventures, ADV, Draper Esprit, Index Ventures, Atomico, Idinvest Partners, Underscore Ventures, Speedinvest and British Business Investments, the commercial arm of the UK-government backed British Business Bank.
The launch of Seedcamp Fund IV also
The London team at Ropes & Gray has made some predictions for the private equity market in 2018, against the backdrop of market uncertainty caused by a range of factors including Brexit.
Phil Sanderson (pictured), private equity partner at Ropes & Gray, says: “M&A in the UK will remain resilient – doing deals will be a distraction from the protracted Brexit goggle-box.
“Funds are still being raised into an already saturated market. The market needs more good opportunities and sellers will still be in charge as a result. What is more, sellers will be able to sell a more credible
American Industrial Partners (AIP) is to acquires Rand Logistics, a provider of bulk freight shipping services throughout the Great Lakes Region.
AIP is a New York-based private equity firm with over USD4.0 billion of assets under management that focuses on buying, improving and growing industrial businesses in the US and Canada.
Under the terms of the agreement entered into between Lightship Capital, an affiliate of AIP, and the Company, AIP has agreed to convert all of the Company’s second lien debt into 100 per cent of the new common equity of the reorganised Company (subject to dilution by shares
Leeds Equity Partners, a New York-based private equity firm focused exclusively on investing in the Knowledge Industries, has completed its investment in Fusion Education Group (Fusion).
Fusion operates 43 schools in eight states and Washington, DC through a personalised education model and today educates more than 4,000 students in grades six through 12. Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.
The first Fusion Academy opened in 1989 in Solana Beach, California with a groundbreaking personalised educational model. Classes at Fusion are delivered by one teacher to one student through mastery-based learning, which enables each session to be attuned
IK Investment Partners’ IK Small Cap I Fund together with Management is to acquire Studienkreis (Studienkreis), a provider of tutoring services for primary and secondary school students in Germany, from Aurelius.
Since its inception in 1974, Studienkreis has developed into one of the leading providers of tutoring services on the German market. The Company operates a dense network of over 1,000 learning centres, offering small group tutoring to circa 60,000 primary and secondary school students across Germany, covering all common subjects as well as special preparatory courses for pre graduation exams. The Company has further developed a true online offering, comprising
Prestige has secured three new mandates from institutional investors outside the UK for its private lending credit funds. The mandates are the latest to be received from non-UK institutions that are allocating to the UK-based private lending specialist.
The investors are: a Swiss-based industrial corporate pension fund; a South Korean-based financial group; and a Spanish-based university endowment.
Despite last year’s Brexit referendum, Prestige continues to see a high level of institutional interest, including in some of the sterling based share classes of its credit funds. In addition, several dedicated share classes have been created for larger investors such as
SK Capital, a private investment firm focused on the specialty materials, chemicals and pharmaceuticals sectors, has completed its previously announced acquisition of Perrigo Company’s active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) business, which has been renamed from Perrigo API to Wavelength Pharmaceuticals (Wavelength).
Wavelength is a leading developer and manufacturer of generic APIs and finished dose forms (FDF) with primary operations located in Israel and supporting functions in the US and India. The Business supports a global, blue-chip customer base with a broad array of products that leverage its specialised manufacturing capabilities (including cytotoxic, steroid and high potency) and core competency in complex
German bank Donner & Reuschel has launched a new investment fund which is aiming to take advantage of the long-term growth trend in global sports and invest in media rights, private equity and real estate.
Few other business sectors have grown as fast in recent years as professional sports. In football, for example, both the value of the European professional clubs and the prices for broadcasting rights have increased by around 9 per cent pa since the turn of the millennium. Investors can now participate in this billion-euro business for the first time.
The newly launched sports fund invests
Cornwall Insight, a provider of research, analysis, consultancy and training services for the energy and water sectors has secured a minority investment from BGF, alongside a term loan facility from Barclays, to accelerate its growth plans.
Led by CEO Gareth Miller, the Norwich-headquartered company will use the funding for expansion into new, strategic sectors and geographies, and to drive further organic growth. The business has experienced a double digit increase in revenue in the past year, and employs more than 50 people.
With services across the energy market – including the retail, wholesale, network and water sectors- Cornwall Insight
Events
12 November, 2026 – 8:00 am
12 November, 2026 – 5:00 pm
