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By George Ralph (pictured), RFA Financial Cloud and Technology Services – The global financial crisis and subsequent recession happened almost a decade ago, but their legacy goes on and on, with more stringent regulations and bigger fines every year.
The financial services sector has to comply, whilst also trying to build IT systems that are capable of gathering, organising and interrogating massive amounts of data, to create reports for the regulators and the investors. It doesn’t stop there. Cloud services can add complexity and house data all over the world, and the increasing use of social and other communication tools
Gide is acting as lead counsel to Renault on its recently announced partnership with Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Limited (CBA), which will enable Renault to enter the growing light commercial vehicle (LCV) market in China.
Under a binding framework cooperation agreement signed by the two companies on 5 July 2017 (FCA), Renault will acquire from CBA a 49 per cent stake in Shenyang Brilliance JinBei Automobile Co, Ltd, a top player in the LCV industry in China. The resulting joint venture company will manufacture and sell LCVs using Renault’s product and technological know-how.
Gide is advising Renault on the
NewStar Financial has agreed to acquire Fifth Street CLO Management (FSCM), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fifth Street Holdings, for approximately USD16 million, net of USD13 million of assumed indebtedness and will be subject to adjustment up or down based on certain working capital items as of the closing of the transaction.
The acquisition will add approximately USD726 million to NewStar’s assets under management, increasing total pro forma AUM to approximately USD7.3 billion. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2017, subject to certain investor consents and other closing conditions set forth in the purchase agreement between Fifth
UK peer-to-peer finance platform Assetz Capital is to further develop its nationwide broker network, supported by its rapidly growing Regional Relationship Director team.
Since its inception in 2014, brokers have played a vital role in referring many small and medium sized businesses to Assetz Capital for lending on its peer-to-peer platform. To date, more than 350 successfully funded projects have come through brokers, and the company predicts that this will grow to approaching 1,000 by the end of 2018.
Assetz Capital is looking to increase its active broker network significantly in the next two years, and has revealed its strategy
By George Ralph (pictured), RFA Financial Cloud and Technology Services – In RightScale’s 2017 State of the Cloud Report, of 1002 respondents from companies of all sizes, primarily located in the US, UK and Europe, 95 per cent of respondents were using the cloud in some way during 2017. Of these, 89 per cent are using public clouds (22 per cent exclusively), 72 per cent are using private clouds (only 5 per cent exclusively) and 67 per cent are using a hybrid of the two.
Private cloud use is down from 77 per cent last year, and public cloud use
Locum’s Nest, a mobile first platform founded by doctors to address the way staffing shortages are dealt with in the NHS, has completed a GBP1.1m funding round led by Albion Capital, and Oman-based IDO Investments.
The investment will be used to expand Locum’s Nest nationally and add additional functionality to the service.
Locum’s Nest revolutionises the way locum doctors are managed by NHS trusts. The cost of agency locum doctors is one of the most controversial and draining holes in the NHS budget with expensive locum agencies reaping the rewards from a cash and staff-strapped NHS. The platform, founded
AT&T has committed to investing up to USD200 million in a venture capital fund as part of its ongoing effort to develop solutions to the toughest technology challenges.
AT&T will work with Coral’s Communications Industry Platform (CIP) team to identify and invest in start-up companies focused on connected services and platforms.
“This investment is part of our push to address the needs of global service providers,” says Andre Fuetsch, chief technology officer and president of AT&T Labs. “We look forward to collaborating with Coral and other CIP members to find – and even create – startup companies to build
Funds managed by Blackstone Real Estate Partners and Blackstone Tactical Opportunities are to acquire International Market Centers (IMC), an owner and operator of premier showroom space for the furnishings, home decor and gift industries, from Bain Capital Private Equity, and funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management.
Fireside Investments is also expected to partner with Blackstone in the acquisition. Financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.
International Market Centers operates 12.2 million square feet of exhibition space in High Point, NC and Las Vegas, NV.
“This marks an exciting time for International Market Centers,” says Robert Maricich,
Middle market private equity firm Dubin Clark & Company has held the closing of DCCP Fund II. The Fund was oversubscribed and exceeded its USD100 million target of total capital commitments.
Dubin Clark, with more than USD270 million under management, seeks to make control equity investments in US lower middle-market companies in the business services, niche manufacturing, and specialty rental sectors.
Dubin Clark will continue to leverage its reputation for successful partnerships with family-owned businesses, utilising its Principals’ expertise and network of operational advisors to professionalize and grow lower middle-market businesses. DCCP II successfully raised capital with a cross-section
ItalMatch Chemicals, a Global Specialty Chemical Group, with leadership in the production and marketing of performance additives for lubricants, industrial water & process treatment, oil & gas, and plastics, has acquired the French company Magpie Polymers, a startup that has developed an advanced and patented technology for selective filtration to recover precious metals.
This latest-generation technology captures metals, such as palladium, platinum, silver and gold, that would otherwise be lost.
The investment in such a highly innovative technology allows ItalMatch Chemicals to further consolidate its focus on industrial water & process treatment, thus expanding and refining the current production
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