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Spanish insurance group MAPFRE has taken a significant step forward in its growing commitment to alternative investments with the launch of a private equity fund of funds that is open to co-investments from other institutions.
MAPRE AM, the group’s asset management arm, has teamed up with Abante Asesores – the financial advisory firm in which the insurer acquired a 10 per cent stake in September 2019 – and long-established private markets fund of funds group Altamar Capital Partners for the new launch.
The insurance group is committing equity totalling EUR250 million to the new MAPRE Private Equity FCR fund of funds,
Eagle Merchant Partners (EMP), an Atlanta-based private equity firm specialising in consumer, franchise and industrial opportunities, has acquired an equity stake in Code Ninjas, a coding franchise system for kids.The investment comes fresh off the heels of the firm’s successful exit of Chicken Salad Chick, which it acquired in 2015 and helped realise a seven-fold increase in system sales, and United PF Partners, the largest franchisee in the Planet Fitness system. Code Ninjas is EMP’s fourth franchise investment.
“Eagle Merchant Partners pursues rapidly growing franchise businesses that can successfully leverage a capital infusion to get to the next level,” says
Inflexion has agreed to acquire Rosemont Pharmaceuticals, the UK’s leading liquid pharmaceuticals business. The business will be carved out from US listed company, Perrigo. Rosemont’s portfolio of over 130 oral liquid medicines includes over 70 licensed products which are sold into the UK as well as the US, Continental Europe and the Middle East. The business benefits from strong R&D and innovation, and has built a track record of successful new product launches. With substantial experience in successfully executing carve-outs, Inflexion will draw upon its healthcare expertise to establish Rosemont as a standalone business and invest further in innovation and new
Caring Brands International (CBI), a portfolio company of Levine Leichtman Capital Partners (LLCP), has completed the acquisition of its Bluebird Care Master Franchise in the Republic of Ireland. Through the acquisition, CBI adds direct franchising rights in the Republic of Ireland, which it serves through its Bluebird Care brand, and 26 franchise locations to its portfolio of over 550 locations across the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. The franchisees in the Republic of Ireland will now have direct access to the wide-ranging support and services of Bluebird Care, one of the United Kingdom’s largest homecare providers, and CBI.
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Alternative investment manager Ares Management Corporation (Ares) has held the final closing of its Ares Special Opportunities Fund, which was significantly oversubscribed with over USD3.5 billion of commitments relative to its USD2.0 billion target.When Scott Graves joined the firm in January of 2017, the Ares Private Equity Group embarked on developing its Special Opportunities strategy as an expansion of its flexible capital investment activities. These efforts included building out an experienced team of 17 professionals, including Partners Craig Snyder and Aaron Rosen, with a goal of leveraging the competitive advantages of the Ares Platform. The team pursues a differentiated strategy
C-P Flexible Packaging, a manufacturer of flexible packaging including rollstock, premade pouches, resealable packaging and shrink sleeves — has acquired Genpak Flexible from The Jim Pattison Group. Genpak Flexible is a North American supplier of compostable packaging and offers a wide range of unique, patented flexible packaging solutions. C-P Flexible Packaging is a longstanding portfolio company of First Atlantic Capital, a New York based private equity firm.
With facilities in Aurora, Ontario and Lakeville, Minnesota, Genpak Flexible holds industry-leading expertise in customised die-cut rollstock and pouches, as well as paper-based laminations. This strategic investment complements C-P Flexible Packaging’s best-in-class converting and
The rapid acceleration of ESG as a major focus for private equity investors around the world is highlighted by the results of a new survey released this week by corporate and fund solutions provider Intertrust.
London-based VGC Partners is launching its GBP1 million Technology Seed Fund IV, headed by Parminder Basran, which looks to invest in early stage, tech companies which are addressing corporate innovation challenges.
The UK is home to a growing number of developers, solution providers, agencies and manufacturers that are building their business around voice technology. The funding will enable them to hire new designers and engineers, along with marketing their products. In addition, these start-ups will also be eligible to participate in Amazon’s Alexa Incubator Programme.
Under this scheme, Amazon offers technical and business mentorship to voice start-ups, including those receiving
Epidarex Capital (Epidarex), a transatlantic life science venture firm, has closed Epidarex Capital III UK LP at GBP102.1 million.
The Fund will build new life science companies based on world-class research and innovation from emerging hubs across the UK, including spinouts from highly regarded universities. Typical initial investments will range from GBP2 million to GBP5 million.
The new Fund has been cornerstoned by the British Business Bank via a GBP50 million commitment from its Enterprise Capital Funds (ECF) programme for early stage venture capital. The programme combines private and public money to enable equity investments in high-growth businesses, and since
Earth Capital has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Sany Group (Sany), a global heavy equipment manufacturer, to progress and deliver advanced green technology manufacturing projects in China.
The agreement is via the Chinese pillar of Earth Capital’s Global Technology Transfer Platform, Nansha Green Technology Innovation Service Co Ltd (NGTI), which is a joint venture between Nansha Financial Holding (NFH), Earth Capital Ltd and the iGreenBank. NGTI aims to promote international technology transfer and provide green finance to support world-class green technology innovation, all via a national innovation base in the Guangdong Province, China.
Under the partnership, NGTI and
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