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Le Col, a British producer of technical performance cycling apparel, has raised GBP2.35 million from Puma Private Equity to fuel further growth, with the opportunity to increase investment to GBP3.5 million.
Le Col, founded by ex-professional cyclist Yanto Barker in 2011, has its DNA in the pro peloton and its products have been bringing performance kit to consumers with a quality once reserved solely for professionals. The British company is based in London but manufactures all its kit in its own factory in Treviso, Italy – an area renowned for expertise in high-performance sporting apparel and the latest technical materials.
EdtechX Holdings has made its debut on the Nasdaq, becoming the world’s first education and education technology SPAC (Special Purpose Acquisition Company).
EdtechX Holdings, headquartered in London, intends to build an industry-leading platform of next generation education and training businesses through the targeted acquisition, consolidation and development of companies that are growing, profitable and early adopters of technology. In the first 18 months, EdtechX Holdings intends to initially focus its acquisition strategy on businesses typically ranging in value from USD100-USD600 million (and up to USD1 billion).
EdtechX Holdings is led by CEO Benjamin Vedrenne-Cloquet and Chairman Charles McIntyre. Benjamin
Venture capital firm Truffle Capital’s newly-created startup company Nanosive SAS, has signed an exclusive global licence agreement with Yale University, giving Nanosive worldwide and exclusive rights to develop and exploit a technological platform for a wide range of applications in dermo-cosmetics, in particular sun protection, the prevention of cancer and ageing of the skin.
Truffle Capital, which focuses on creating and financing start-ups with disruptive technologies in life sciences and information technology, invested in Nanosive through its new Truffle BioMedTech Fund which has already collected USD102 million and its Truffle Innove FRR France fund.
The licenced technology is based
Severstal Ventures, which was set up by steel and mining company PAO Severstal to support venture projects developing new production technologies and materials, has invested in Chrysalix RBV GP Ltd. (Chrysalix RoboValley).
Chrysalix RoboValley was set up to invest in intelligent systems and automation platforms, including areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, machine learning, Internet of things (IoT), as well as the development of new materials and special technologies that will enable the digital transformation of large industrial companies. According to Chrysalix RoboValley, the fund’s main investments will be in projects developed in Europe, North America and Asia.
The days of the generic offshore hedge fund feel like a distant memory. Regulation and other factors, both in the US and Europe, have led to a proliferation of new fund products to cater to the changing needs and desires of institutional investors. Recent regulations have encouraged alternative fund managers to explore diversification in their investment types.
The first clear wave of activity occurred five or six years ago when investment advisors, both in the hedge fund and private equity space, began launching registered alternative mutual funds and interval funds, in an effort to attract new investors. While in Europe,
Q3 2018 saw 3,894 venture capital-backed deals announced worth a total of USD69 billion, according to data released by Preqin. This brings total year-to-date deal making to USD195 billion, meaning that the first three quarters of 2018 have already surpassed 2017’s full-year record of USD189 billion in venture capital deals.
Private equity deals meanwhile saw something of a slow-down with 1,205 private equity-backed buyout deals announced in Q3, worth a combined USD93 billion. Preqin expects these figures to rise by up to 5 per cent as more information becomes available, but nonetheless the quarter seems unlikely to match the USD129
Spanish ice cube manufacturer Procubitos Europe, which is owned by GED and Grupo Hervaz, has acquired a 60 per cent stake in Italian company Polo Nord.
Located in the province of Verona, between Milan and Venice, Polo Nord will meet the demand of the group both in Italy and its neighbouring countries, such as Switzerland or Austria, with the ice produced in its factory. The company is currently capable of producing 25 tons/day of Vogt ice and has the most advanced technology in the ice manufacturing market. As part of an ambitious development strategy, the group also has important investment
Blackstone has agreed to acquire Clarus, a global life sciences investment firm that has raised USD2.6 billion since its founding.
Clarus, with offices in the life sciences hubs of Boston and San Francisco, is focused on funding growth-stage investments, often in partnership with major biopharmaceutical companies through R&D collaborations. These investments bring to market promising new medicines that improve patients’ lives.
Clarus is led by a team of seasoned experts who have invested in more than 50 companies in the biopharmaceutical, medical device and diagnostic sectors – as well as across multiple disease areas, primarily in the oncology space.
Greencoat UK Wind (UKW) is to acquire Belltown Power’s 75 per cent stake in Tom nan Clach wind farm for a headline consideration of GBP126 million, including a share of project finance debt.
Tom nan Clach is located in Nairnshire, Scotland, and is currently in the final stages of construction. The transaction is scheduled to complete in July 2019, 30 days after the commencement of commercial operations.
Tom nan Clach was originally developed by Infinergy and is being constructed by Belltown Power. The project will benefit from a 15 year Contract for Difference (CFD) of GBP91.14 (2018 real, CPI
MidOcean Partners, a premier middle market private equity firm focused on the business services and consumer sectors, has held the final close of its latest fund, MidOcean Partners V.
Fund V was oversubscribed and closed at its hard cap with USD1.2 billion of limited partner commitments, exceeding its USD1.0 billion target.
Consistent with MidOcean’s prior funds, Fund V is targeting investments in attractive middle market companies in the consumer and business services sectors. A core tenet of MidOcean’s investment strategy has been to leverage the talent and operating expertise of its Executive Board, which is comprised of senior executives
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