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International law firm RPC has appointed corporate lawyer Connor Cahalane as a partner.
Cahalane joins a rapidly expanding Commercial practice which has added six new partners in the last eight months, having recently hired Tom Purton as well as internally promoted Henry Priestley, Chris Brierley, Ben Roberts and Andrew Carpenter to partner last year.
Cahalane will be joining RPC’s top-ranked corporate team, which is part of the firm’s Commercial practice, and is recognised as one of the leading and most comprehensive Commercial practices in the City, spanning the firm’s sector focus on retail, technology, media and insurance. Connor’s hire
Reckitt Benckiser’s (RB) venture division has led a GBP4 million funding round in India-based Bombay Shaving Company (BSC).
With a mission to make high-quality health, hygiene and nutrition accessible to all, RB’s venture arm is partnering with early-stage start-ups who share its ‘fight for access’.
Launched in 2016, BSC has a portfolio of over 100 products across shaving, bath and body, skin, and beard care. RB’s investment will support the company’s plans to scale its operations and provide BSC with access to RB’s global scale, expertise and mentorship, helping to grow the start-up as the leaders in men’s wellness.
Arjun
Palatine, a mid-market private equity firm, has appointed Tim Crowley as Director of Investor Relations.
He will work alongside Gary Tipper, Palatine’s Managing Partner, and the business’ senior management team to support current investors and develop relationships with new Limited Partners.
Crowley’s remit will include both of Palatine’s current funds: the Buy-Out Fund which invests between GBP10 million to GBP30 million in high-growth mid-market companies with strong management teams; and the Impact Fund, which invests up to GBP10 million in innovative, profitable businesses that can create a clear positive impact on society or the environment.
With more than
European private equity firm Montagu Private Equity (Montagu) is to acquire a majority position in ITRS Group (ITRS), a global provider of real-time monitoring and analytics software from TA Associates (TA), who will remain a minority holder alongside Montagu and Management.
Completion is expected next month, subject to customary closing requirements. The terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.
ITRS’ software portfolio supports the “always on” enterprise, ensuring operational resilience for businesses operating in environments where technology failure means business failure. Headquartered in London, the company has established itself as an innovative and trusted partner, and today has over
Levine Leichtman Capital Partners (LLCP) has expanded its US Investment Originations Team with the hiring of Debbie Habib as a Director.
Habib will be based in LLCP’s New York office and is responsible for the origination of new investment opportunities and investment due diligence with a focus on the Northeastern US.
Michael Weinberg, Managing Partner of LLCP, says: “We are excited to continue the growth of our US. Investment Originations Team with the addition of Debbie Habib. Debbie will be a critical part of our continued success, as she brings significant investment experience and a large network of referral
Lauxera Capital Partners, a newly created, international healthcare investment firm, announces that it has raised approximately EUR100 million for the first closing of Lauxera Growth I, its debut European HealthTech growth/buyout vehicle.
Despite Covid-19-related travel restrictions, the fund met this key fundraising milestone less than six months after launch. International institutional investors, strategics, and renowned family offices participated including Covea, Téthys, Compagnie Nationale à Portefeuille, Financière Dassault, Candriam (New York Life), and Bpifrance which invested off of its balance sheet and via its Growth Fund of Funds (on behalf of private insurers and the Caisse des Dépôts).
Lauxera Growth I
UK private equity deal activity bounced back in the second half of 2020, although a profound slump in transactions in Q2 as lockdown gripped the M&A market meant that total annual deal volumes hit their lowest levels in more than seven years.
KPMG’s latest study of UK transactions involving private equity investors indicates that a total of 889 deals completed over the course of 2020, with a combined value of GBP87.2 billion. This was the fewest number of private equity transactions seen in the UK since before 2014, and a fall of 26 per cent on the previous year, which
Investcorp, a global provider and manager of alternative investment products, has appointed Andrea Davis as the firm’s first Head of Corporate Strategy.
In her new role, Davis will be charged with helping to oversee Investcorp’s execution on its organic and inorganic growth initiatives across geographies and asset classes on behalf of serving its global clients. Andrea will report directly to Mohammed Alardhi, Executive Chairman in this new role. She will continue to be based in London and maintain her existing position as Head of Portfolio Operations and Chief Operating Officer of Investcorp’s European Private Equity business.
Mohammed Alardhi, Executive
Ignite Growth (Ignite), a UK-based investor focused on supporting the growth of ambitious, fast growing companies, has acquired Newcastle Tool & Gauge Ltd (NTG), as the first stage in a buy and build growth strategy.
Financial terms of the transaction, which is Ignite’s second buy and build platform investment, have not been disclosed.
Founded in 1979, NTG is a precision engineering business based in Gateshead. It manufactures low volume, high value parts for use in Severe Duty Engineering Applications, where its products operate in high temperature, high pressure or high stress environments.
Prior to Ignite’s investment, NTG had three shareholders,
ELSA, a mobile app that uses artificial intelligence and speech recognition technology to help language learners improve their English speaking skills and pronunciation, has cUSDosed Series B round of USD15 million in new capital.
This round was co-led by VI (Vietnam Investments) Group and SIG. Previous investors Gradient Ventures, Google’s AI-focused venture fund, SOSV, and Monk’s Hill Ventures also participated in this round. New investors are Endeavor Catalyst and Globant Ventures, which will assist ELSA’s expansion efforts in Latin America.
With over 13 million users worldwide, ELSA (English Language Speech Assistant) is the world’s best English speaking and pronunciation app.
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