Managers
Financial service firms and technology providers around the world will spend more than USD1 billion in 2016 in the race to bring blockchain to capital markets, according to a new report from Greenwich Associates.
Financial service firms believe that blockchain (also referred to as distributed ledger technology (DLT)) has the potential to transform global capital markets. Blockchain technology is revolutionary because it allows, for the first time, a digital asset to be securely transferred from one party to another in near real time, without the need for a third-party intermediary.
In its latest in a series of DLT focused
Alignable, the network for local business owners, has added an additional USD1.5 million in a strategic investment from Recruit Strategic Partners, the Silicon Valley based venture capital firm.
This brings Alignable’s total raise to USD13.5 million with the most recent prior round being USD8 million in September 2015 led by Mayfield Fund and existing investors Saturn Partners, NextView Ventures and Lead Edge Capital.
Recruit Strategic Partners is a 100 percent subsidiary of Recruit Holdings from Japan and has invested in innovative startups, including 99designs, Bench, Docusign, Kabbage and Shipbob, amongst others. The investment from Recruit Strategic Partners will be used
Brexit will have an effect on both the European and UK private equity and real estate landscapes, but it is only a number of issues facing managers, says David Bailey, Director of Marketing and Communications at private equity fund administrator Augentius.
Bailey points out that the European industry is in flux more generally, with ESMA due to report shortly on the extension of “passporting” to a number of third party countries, which itself could transform the way in which non-EU managers are able to access European investors.
“Two other things should be borne in mind,” says Bailey. “Firstly, with
Irish Funds, the representative body for the cross-border investment funds industry in Ireland, kicked off its annual funds conference on Thursday, celebrating 25 years of the Association.
Having already put Ireland on the map as a global centre of excellence for funds, the conference’s programme was designed to look at the opportunities which the industry should be embracing in the next 25 years. Hundreds of global CEOs and industry executives are being joined in Dublin today by European policy makers and regulators to explore and debate the key issues of the industry.
This year’s conference was opened by the
Financial institutions are facing a multitude of issues folowing the UK's vote to leave the EU, says law firm Eversheds, with passporting/mutual fund recognition likely to be a major concern for banks, investment managers and insuranace companies.
According to Eversheds, institutions which currently rely on “passports” under the Single Market Directives, such as the Capital Requirements Directive, Market in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID), UCITS Directive, Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (AIFMD) and Solvency II Directive, may have to restructure their businesses.
Currently an institution, which the Prudential Regulation Authority or Financial Conduct Authority have authorised in the UK, has the
One of the funds managed by SHS Gesellschaft für Beteiligungsmanagement has invested in the Austrian company Tyromotion.
The company is one of the world's leading manufacturers and distributors of robot-assisted and computer-assisted therapy units for the rehabilitation sector and has its headquarters in Graz. SHS is investing in the company with its fourth fund and can also rely on venture capital provided by the Austrian State Development Bank aws as part of its venture capital initiative.
Tyromotion develops and sells integrated solutions for the rehabilitation primarily of stroke patients based on modern robotics and sensor technologies. Smart networking of individual
Funds managed by Equistone Partners Europe (Equistone) have acquired a majority stake in the Sihl Group (Sihl) alongside its current management, from Italian business Diatec Holding.
The company is a manufacturer of coated papers, films, and fabrics.
The Sihl Group has specialised in the coating of paper, films, and fabrics for over 100 years, nowadays primarily for digital printing, and has roots reaching back over 500 years. Its customers include companies from a diverse range of sectors, such as architecture, printing and publishing, industrials, advertising and design, photography, and transport and logistics, as well as private individuals. With factories
Palatine-backed Verdant Leisure has bought two premium leisure parks in County Durham for an undisclosed sum from Park Leisure Holiday Homes.
The acquisition of Kingfisher and Heather View holiday parks in the Wear Valley brings the boutique leisure park operator’s portfolio to six sites across southern Scotland and North East England.
The acquisition supports the board’s growth strategy to create a regional group with significant scale and is the firm’s first purchase since Palatine Private Equity backed a secondary buyout of Verdant Leisure from RJD Partners in April this year.
Set in 23 acres on the banks
Pearl Capital Business Funding, a provider of direct financing to small and midsize businesses, has closed on a USD20 million financing from Arena Investors, a New York-based global investment firm.
"With the support of our outstanding financial partners we can continue to expand our mission of supplying funding to any small business with the desire for capital and ability to thrive," says Solomon Lax, Chief Executive Officer, Pearl Capital Business Funding. "We understand that despite personal credit issues, many small business owners have triumphed in building successful businesses. Locked out of the traditional bank financing channels, those small business owners
Biopharmaceutical company IFM Therapeutics has closed a USD27 million Series A financing led by Atlas Venture and Abingworth, with participation from Novartis.
In conjunction with the funding Jean-François Formela and Vincent Miles, Partners at Atlas and Abingworth respectively, have joined IFM’s CEO, Gary D. Glick, on the board of directors, with Dr. Formela serving as chair of the board.
IFM Therapeutics raises USD27M Series A to develop novel immune modulators for cancer and inflammatory diseases
IFM Therapeutics, incubated as a part of the Atlas Venture seed program, is developing modulators of novel targets that either enhance innate immune responses for
Events
12 November, 2026 – 8:00 am
12 November, 2026 – 5:00 pm
