Managers
Foresight Group (Foresight) has made a GBP2.15 million growth capital investment into Sportlabs Technology Limited, trading as ClubSpark, a specialist software company serving participants, sports providers, National Governing Bodies and International Federations.
Founded in 2012 by CEO Dave Ward and CTO Nathan Flood, ClubSpark provides a comprehensive software platform which provides easy access to sports and events for participants, simple to use tools for sports providers, whilst giving National Governing Bodies and International Federations insight into participation and activity levels.
The software platform allows sports providers to manage all operational activities, including resource booking, membership, CRM, competitions/tournaments, courses, holiday
ARQIS has advised Hamamatsu Photonics Deutschland on the acquisition of a minority interest in Menlo Systems, based in Planegg (Landkreis München).
Hamamatsu Photonics Deutschland and Menlo Systems hope that the investment will provide synergies for the development of new applications and new markets, as their product lines almost do not overlap.
Menlo Systems is a leading developer and worldwide supplier of instruments for precision metrology. The company was founded in 2001 as a spin-off of the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics with the aim of commercialising optical measurement technologies and making them available for industrial and research
European financial services private equity firm AnaCap Financial Partners (AnaCap) has secured a structured investment into a portfolio of SME loans from a leading Italian bank with which AnaCap has a long-standing relationship across a broad range of transactions.
With a face value of EUR4.0 billion, the portfolio comprises a static, highly granular pool of performing loans made to a mix of SME and corporate borrowers concentrated in the more prosperous area of Northern Italy.
AnaCap was able to leverage its direct experience completing a similar investment from the seller in its predecessor Credit Opportunities Fund as well as its extensive broader investment track record in Italy and SME lending
Loans provided by UK-based direct lending specialist Prestige Funds’ Nucleus Commercial Finance, have now exceeded GBP1 billion (USD 1.3 billion). Nucleus is an important partner for Prestige, managing several dedicated loan portfolios to UK SMEs.
In 2018 Nucleus provided GBP282 million (USD366 million) to SME enterprises, representing a record-breaking year for the firm, including a GBP14.5 million (USD 18.8 million) Asset Based Lending (ABL) facility which helped to secure over 800 jobs in the logistics sector.
Q4/2018 was Nucleus’ strongest quarter to date: the company extended GBP16.3 million (USD21.1 million) in loans. A newly launched (November 2018) portal for
International law firm CMS is advising healthcare sector real estate investment trust Primary Health Properties (PHP) on its merger with MedicX Fund Limited.
The agreement is intended to be implemented by way of a scheme of arrangement of MedicX, under which PHP will acquire the entire issued and to be issued share capital of MedicX.
As a result of the merger, the enlarged PHP will acquire a portfolio of 479 properties in the UK and the Republic of Ireland with a combined value of approximately GBP2.3 billion. The strategic combination provides PHP with an enhanced ability to meet
Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Venture Capital Trust (VCT) specialist Calculus Capital has invested GBP2.5 million in fintech company Essentia Analytics, a provider of behavioural data analytics and consulting for professional investors.
The investment by Calculus will be used to further develop Essentia’s services as it scales its client base of investment management institutions around the world.
The firm’s Essentia Insight service – which is used by clients including active fund managers, chief investment officers, asset allocators and wealth managers – provides a continuous data-driven feedback loop, similar to those used by athletes.
To date, Essentia has helped
An entrepreneur who has developed a new recruitment platform which allows companies to interview candidates by video has secured GBP350,000 from the North East Venture Fund, supported by the European Regional Development Fund and managed by Mercia Fund Managers.
Shine Interview, which is based in Sunderland, removes the need for the interviewers and the candidate to be present in the same room at the same time, reducing costs and speeding up the recruitment process. Managers set interview questions online and candidates then record their responses in their own time via their mobile phone. The resulting videos can then be reviewed
Firefly, a suite of school learning tools used in 40 countries, and first developed by co-founders Simon Hay and Joe Mathewson while preparing for their GCSEs, has secured GBP5 million funding from Downing Ventures, alongside BGF and Beringea.
Firefly has the potential to cut school administration by 50 per cent and connect teachers, students and parents to share lesson plans and assign and review homework directly, both in and out of the classroom. In partnership with other best of breed tools, such as content providers, Firefly aims to create one, simple to manage, school ecosystem.
Today Firefly supports more
EQT Infrastructure has acquired Osmose Utilities Services (Osmose) from Kohlberg Investors VII, a fund managed by Kohlberg & Company.
Osmose will maintain its corporate headquarters in Peachtree City, Georgia, under the continued leadership of CEO Ron Childress and the Osmose management team. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Founded in 1934, Osmose is the leading provider of critical inspection, maintenance and restoration services for wood and steel infrastructure in the United States. Osmose leverages its scale, multi-decade operational experience and proprietary data analytics to deliver a unique and essential service that is cost-effective, improves infrastructure reliability and reduces
Prudential Capital Group provided USD12.53 billion of senior debt and junior capital to over 200 middle-market companies and projects globally in 2018.
Prudential Capital Group is the private capital arm of PGIM, the USD1 trillion global investment management business of Prudential Financial, Inc.
“This year marked the continuation of our ongoing expansion both geographically and in specialty areas. We deployed capital across the risk spectrum and met the needs of 91 new clients and 117 existing clients who returned for further funding across a range of industries,” says Allen Weaver (pictured), senior managing director and head of Prudential Capital
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