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Private equity investment platform Seedrs has announced a record-breaking year with the highest levels of investment on the platform to date.
The Woodford-backed platform saw nearly a 60 per cent increase in investment activity from last year, recording GBP195 million invested into pitches on the platform in 2018.
2018 saw 186 successful pitches from businesses who raised on Seedrs from 12 different countries, 28 of which were fundraises of over GBP1 million. Highlights included fast-growing international money transfer platform Transfergo, which raised EUR11.3 million from 1,047 investors, German portfolio company Sono Motors, one of Seedrs’ biggest European success stories, returned
Sovereign Capital Partners, a UK private equity buy & build investor, has backed the management buy-out of Utility Bidder, an energy broker offering energy procurement services to UK SME customers.
This is the second MBO Sovereign has backed in recent months and follows that of Asset Control, the financial data management business. Sovereign has partnered with the management team of Utility Bidder to further develop the business through a strategy of organic and acquisitive growth.
Founded in 2009, and headquartered in Corby, England, the business employs over 100 staff and has a growing sales office in Manchester. The company
Zip World, an award-winning outdoor adventure business which features the world’s fastest zipline, has secured a significant minority investment from mid-market private equity investor LDC, supported by the company’s existing banking partner, HSBC. The deal values the business at GBP45 million.
The business runs adventure experiences across three scenic locations in the iconic Snowdonia mountain range in North Wales. It offers multiple activities including ziplines, an alpine rollercoaster, treetop adventure courses and subterranean playgrounds equipped with high-rope walks and nets.
Its site in Penrhyn Quarry is home to the world’s fastest zipwire Velocity 2, on which riders can travel
SVB Financial Group (SVB), the parent company of Silicon Valley Bank, has completed the acquisition of Leerink Holdings LLC, a Boston-based parent company of healthcare and life science investment bank Leerink Partners.
Leerink will operate under the name SVB Leerink as a wholly-owned subsidiary of SVB Financial Group, led by Jeff Leerink, CEO of SVB Leerink; James Boylan, President and Head of Investment Banking; and Joe Gentile, Chief Administrative Officer. With the acquisition of Leerink, SVB complements its commercial banking and lending products with a full range of investment banking services focussed on healthcare and life science companies.
SVB
Private equity firm TA Associates has completed a strategic growth investment in Behavioral Health Works (BHW), a behavioural health services provider specialising in therapy and ancillary services for children with autism spectrum disorder and related disorders.
Financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.
Established in 2009, BHW works with families, schools and other professionals to offer comprehensive therapy services based on the principles of Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA). Care is delivered by therapists at home, in schools and in regional centres. The company provides care across 11 states, serving approximately 1,800 clients.
“We believe BHW has
Cowen Inc has completed its acquisition of Quarton International AG and affiliated Quarton entities, a global financial advisory company serving the middle market.
The closing of this transaction creates a global, cross-border investment banking platform, with significantly expanded reach in the middle market and a full-service offering of public and private financing solutions across the capital structure.
“Quarton’s substantial middle-market advisory business in Europe and the US, in combination with Cowen’s merger advisory and capital markets franchises, meaningfully scales our advisory business in a manner that will truly benefit our clients,” says Jeffrey M Solomon, Chief Executive Officer of
Blank Rome has appointed Terrence A Everett as a Partner in the Firm’s Corporate, M&A, and Securities group in the Los Angeles office.
Everett, a seasoned transactional lawyer, focuses his practice on a range of corporate and finance transactions, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and securities, and real estate dealings. Everett joins Blank Rome from Carlsmith Ball LLP.
“We are delighted that Terrence is joining our Firm,” says Grant S Palmer, Blank Rome’s Managing Partner and CEO. “Terrence brings to Blank Rome significant strength in corporate matters across several thriving industries. He will make a fantastic addition to the Corporate
UK buyout investor, WestBridge, has promoted Tim Whittard to director and Edward Minton to Investment Manager.
Valerie Kendall, WestBridge founding partner, says: “Tim has made a significant contribution since joining WestBridge in September 2017.
“Similarly, Edward is well-deserving of his promotion which comes just nine months after he joined us.
“WestBridge had a great year in 2018. Tim and Edward played a key role in this, leading the MBO of AJM Mobility in September 2018.
“We are undertaking due diligence on a few exciting opportunities as we go into 2019 and it’s fantastic to have created a
Vine Alternative Investments Group (Vine) an investment management firm focused on investing in the media and entertainment sector, targeting non-correlated investment opportunities, has completed fundraising for its fourth fund, Vine Media Opportunities – Fund IV with USD608 million of committed capital.
Fund IV exceeded its initial USD600 million target with a diversified investor group including European, Canadian and US public pension plans, endowments, insurance companies, and family office investors.
“We are pleased to announce the final closing of our fourth fund at a level that exceeded our initial target, with an experienced group of sophisticated investors who recognise the opportunity
NTR has attracted commitments of EUR229 million for the NTR Renewable Energy Income Fund II, of which EUR145 million has been secured for the fund’s first close.
The fund is targeting EUR500 million and will invest in both pre-construction and operational onshore wind and solar projects across a number of European markets, together with energy storage that is associated with the wind and solar projects owned by the fund.
Legal & General Capital joins as a cornerstone investor in an NTR fund for the second time.
John Bromley, Head of Clean Energy Strategy at Legal & General Capital, says:
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