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Asset manager ACTIAM has teamed with geodata analytics firm Satelligence to combine satellite images and Artificial Intelligence (AI), to provide up-to-date information on worldwide deforestation, causes and trends.
The cooperation enables ACTIAM to incorporate advanced sustainability information into its investment policies and portfolio management, helping to fight global deforestation.
ACTIAM focuses on three key issues in its investment policy: climate, water and land. The asset manager has set the objective for its investment portfolio to not contribute to deforestation by 2030. ACTIAM has committed itself to the realisation of the Paris Climate Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals. Deforestation
Shape Security, an online fraud prevention platform, has secured USD51 million in a funding round led by C5 Capital, a specialist venture capital firm focused on cyber security, data analytics and cloud computing.
Investing alongside C5 are Silicon Valley and corporate investors Kleiner Perkins, HPE Growth, Norwest Ventures Partners, Focus Ventures, JetBlue Technology Ventures, Top Tier Capital Partners, and EPIC Ventures.
The new capital brings the total amount raised by Shape, founded in 2011, to USD173 million with a pre-money valuation on the business of USD1 billion.
Shape uses AI-powered automation and fraud detection capability to distinguish between human
CEPRES has released its latest Private Capital Market Outlook report showing that US buyout fundraising activity increased in Q2-2019 by more than 10% reaching its highest quarterly volume.
The fundraising activity coincides with the overall increase in US buyout entry EBITDA pricing multiples that have breached 11x in the median case which far exceeds the 9x median in 2007, and as the positive economic cycle continues into beyond the ten year mark, so is US buyout fundraising and investment activity.
European buyout deal pricing is also trending upwards with the 11x median also surpassing the 10x median in 2007. Second
RSK, a UK environmental, engineering and technical services consultancy, has acquired Ecologia Environmental Solutions Ltd. The multidisciplinary site remediation specialist is the sixth acquisition for the rapidly expanding RSK group this financial year.
With headquarters in Sittingbourne, Kent, further UK offices in Stafford and Devon, and an office in Bologna, Italy, Ecologia is a company of 45 people that provides innovative solutions for the investigation, assessment and remediation of contaminated land. Founded in 2000, the company provides services in the area of contaminated land consultancy, site investigation and remediation, and specialised support for environmental claims. It provides solutions to a
Investor appetite remains strong for specific opportunities with the right dynamics in the UK’s casual dining sector – despite the current challenging conditions on the high street, according to Connection Capital, a specialist private client investment business.
The firm recently completed an allocation to a management buyout (MBO) of Rosa’s Thai Café, alongside leading private equity firm TriSpan, a specialist in this sector.
Rosa’s is a profitable 17-strong chain of Thai restaurants, primarily based in London, which is now targeting a roll-out to 45 sites (both restaurants and ‘grab-and-go’ outlets) UK-wide over the next five years. Openings to date
Fresh Direct Produce, a portfolio company of middle market private equity firm HKW, has acquired Islands West Manufacturing (Islands West). Financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.
Founded in 1995 and headquartered in Victoria, British Columbia, Islands West is a family-owned wholesaler of produce, processed fruits, dried spices, and fresh-cut vegetables. Fresh Direct Produce, based in Vancouver, British Columbia, is a distributor of more than 1,000 domestic and imported organic fruit and vegetable items.
“This acquisition meets several key objectives for Fresh Direct Produce, offering our customers a range of complementary new products, a wider and more
The Investment Management Due Diligence Association (IMDDA), an investor-based organisation dedicated to the professionals who perform investment and operational due diligence, has launched a new program giving its members access to background checks provided by Intelligo, a specialist in technology-driven background checks.
This new IMDDA member-only program provides access to Intelligo’s platform, Clarity, which leverages a combination of AI and human intellect to enhance the quality and depth of background checks. Intelligo Clarity reduces report generation time and eliminates paperwork with online SaaS reporting.
“IMDDA is committed to helping members implement best practices throughout the due diligence process,” says Andrew
LiveOak Venture Partners, an early-stage venture capital firm based in Austin, Texas, has appointed David Stewart as Venture Partner.
Stewart will focus on sourcing and evaluating investment opportunities, as well as providing strategic guidance to LiveOak’s portfolio companies. He is the sixth member of the firm’s investment team, working closely with the firm’s three Founding Partners, Principal, and Senior Associate.
Stewart has been an investor and advisor to over 30 software companies, both independently and in conjunction with other firms, most recently Trinity Ventures, and has over a decade of operating experience in Silicon Valley. Prior to working with
Lucid Group, a portfolio company of private equity investor LDC and a specialist in healthcare communications, has acquired healthcare consultancy Healthcare 21.
Lucid Group currently comprises five medical communications specialists, Bluedog, Leading Edge, Lighthouse, Lucid Partners and ViVid. HealthCare21 meanwhile, has been producing healthcare materials and programmes for its clients, reaching and engaging healthcare audiences for over 23 years. The team has experience in scientific strategy, content creation, editorial excellence and digital design – capabilities that Lucid Group will leverage to create impactful client campaigns.
Both Lucid Group and HealthCare21 clients will experience significant benefits from this new relationship with
KKR has acquired a majority stake in Burning Glass Technologies, a real-time labour market data source, from Providence Strategic Growth. Financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed.
The investment is part of KKR’s Global Impact strategy, which is focused on identifying and investing behind companies whose core business models provide commercial solutions that contribute measurable progress toward one or more of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By providing the data to drive lifelong learning and market-aligned training, Burning Glass is delivering measurable progress in achieving two of the United Nations SDGs – Quality Education, and Decent
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