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Varagon Capital Partners, a direct lender to middle market companies, is to form a new strategic partnership with Aflac Global Investments (Aflac) and is extending its existing strategic partnership with American International Group (AIG).Upon closing of the new partnership, Aflac will make a new multi-year investment commitment of up to USD3.0 billion to Varagon to invest in middle market loans. Aflac will also acquire a significant non-controlling minority interest in Varagon, creating a mutually-beneficial partnership and demonstrating a commitment to a long-term relationship.
Aflac will acquire the interests in Varagon currently held by certain former and current partners and
Wellington Partners, a European venture capital firm investing in early- and growth-stage life science companies, has appointed Dr Karl Naegler as a Managing Partner, effective 1 January, 2020. Naegler has a strong track record of investments in early and later stage life science companies as well as deep sector knowledge and an extensive global network from over 18 years of industry experience.
Previously, he was a Partner at Gimv, a publicly listed private equity and venture capital investment firm, where he had been responsible for life science investments within Gimv’s Health & Care team, since 2011. He was instrumental in creating
Edinburgh-based biotech startup MiAlgae has received an investment of GBP1 million to focus on the commercialisation of its revolutionary microalgae product, targeting the rapidly growing global aquaculture and pet food industries.The biotech business uses co-products from the whisky distillation process to produce microalgae, which is high in omega 3 and other nutrients. The algae can be used to sustainably feed fish and create animal food. MiAlgae estimates that one tonne of its algae saves up to 30 tonnes of wild fish.
MiAlgae will use the investment to double the size of its business premises, commission a demonstrator plant in East
Optimum Strategic Communications (Optimum), an international strategic healthcare communications firm, has appointed Shabnam Bashir to help build and strengthen its integrated public relations and investor relations offering to clients across the global healthcare industry.Shabnam brings 10 years of experience advising UK and international companies ranging from start-ups to large public organisations across a range of sectors advising on strategy, crises management, IPO and M&A transactions.
Shabnam joins from Citigate Dewe Rogerson (part of Huntsworth Health), where she applied her broad-based experience to support the Life sciences and Healthcare team.
Mary Clark, Managing Director, Optimum Strategic Communications, says: “We
Foresight Group (Foresight) and Williams Advanced Engineering (Williams) have launched a share offer for Foresight Williams Technology Shares, a new share class within Foresight Solar & Technology VCT. The Offer, which opened on 20 December 2019, has a target fundraise in aggregate of GBP20 million and is open to investors for tax years 2019/20 and 2020/2021.
The Foresight Williams Technology Share class represents an exciting investment opportunity made possible by the unique collaboration between Foresight and Williams Advanced Engineering (Williams) which saw the successful launch of the Foresight Williams Technology EIS Fund in 2016. It has thus far raised approximately GBP40
Independent fund and corporate services provider, the Aztec Group, has been selected to provide depositary services to Stafford Capital Partners, an international real assets and private markets investment and advisory group.Serving more than 80 institutional investors across the globe, including the UK, continental Europe, the USA and Australia, Stafford Capital Partners has over USD5.3 billion of assets under management. The firm’s investments span the agriculture and food, credit, infrastructure, private equity, sustainability, timberland and venture capital sectors.
The partnership will see the Aztec Group act as a depositary to 13 investment vehicles and over USD1.9 billion in assets, providing a
Global professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) continues its growth in France with the creation of a Valuation and Modelling business line (Valuation Services).With the launch of this new business line, A&M France now has 85 employees as of 1 January, 2020, a number which has grown from a team of 30 in October 2018. A&M France offers seven areas of expertise to companies and private equity players:
• Transaction Advisory Group
• Private Equity Services
• Corporate Transformation Services
• Financial Industry Advisory Services
• Disputes & Investigations
• Restructuring & Turnaround
• Valuation Services
Over the
Novo Seeds’ portfolio company, NorthSea Therapeutics a Dutch biotech company developing novel and innovative strategies for the treatment of NASH (Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis) and other metabolic, inflammatory and fibrotic diseases, has successfully closed a USD40 million (EUR36 million) Series B financing round.The proceeds of this fundraising will be used by NST to drive the development of its pipeline of SEFA (Structural Engineered Fatty Acids) programs. The Company will develop two additional SEFAs within its clinical pipeline in addition to completing the Phase 2b with its lead candidate Icosabutate.
In addition to Novo Seeds, existing investors, Forbion, New Science Ventures (NSV)
Floreat has appointed Phil Griffiths as Managing Director within Floreat Aviation Capital Limited, its specialist aircraft leasing investment arm. Griffiths brings extensive experience in the aviation sector, having closed over USD10 billion in aircraft finance and leasing transactions since 2003. He joins from DAE Capital, where he headed the company’s corporate finance and capital markets team. Prior to this he held various senior roles at AWAS, PK AirFinance, Rolls-Royce Capital and Airbus.
Floreat, which specialises in investments in public and private equity, real estate and private debt, is an active investor in commercial aircraft-backed assets. The firm has been investing
Great Point Media (Great Point), a London-based media and investment group, has appointed Jamie Lowe as Head of Institutional Distribution. Lowe will oversee the structuring and launch of Great Point’s global institutional project finance fund which will look to invest in large-scale media projects and finance film and television programming globally. Lowe joined Great Point from The Ingenious Group where he was a board director and Head of Institutional distribution.
Lowe’s appointment comes after Great Point secured its first institutional investment in December 2019 with a USD100 million commitment from US-based institutional fund manager MC Credit Partners.
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