Latest News
The State Street Global Exchange Private Equity Index (GXPEI) ended 2016 with a moderate quarterly performance, posting an overall gain of 2.58 per cent in the fourth quarter, a slight decrease from the 3.8 per cent return in Q3 2016. Buyout funds posted a strong annual return of 12.52 per cent but Venture Capital continued to face headwinds.
Based on directly sourced limited partnership data, the PEI represents more than USD2.5 trillion in private equity investments and over 2,600 unique private equity partnerships, as of 31 December, 2016.
“Public markets continue to show signs of strength with valuations at
Mid-market private equity firm MidOcean Partners has agreed to sell Agilex Fragrances (Agilex), a leading provider of innovative, high quality fragrance products and related creative and technical services, to Firmenich.
Agilex designs creative fragrances and innovative technical solutions for a broad range of market categories including air care, personal care, home care, fine fragrances and other products.
MidOcean has extensive experience in the flavours and fragrances industry and was attracted to Agilex’s leading position in the fragmented fragrances sector when it initiated its investment in Agilex in December 2012. Consistent with MidOcean’s investment approach of pairing world class executives
Cooper Parry Corporate Finance has promoted Ben Rookes to partner. Rookes joined the firm as a graduate 15 years ago and has risen through the ranks from associate to partner, becoming a fundamental member of the team.
During his career, Rookes has been involved in a number of significant deals including BGF’s recent investment in Johnsons Aggregates and Recycling.
Cooper Parry Corporate Finance has also appointed Tom Summers as a senior manager. He joined the firm from RSM.
Summers’ experience includes company sales, management buy-outs and private equity transactions, including a number of sales to overseas trade buyers.
Harris Williams & Co has advised Zitcom HoldCo ApS (Zitcom Group), a portfolio company of HgCapital, to The Intelligent Group, a portfolio company of Waterland Private Equity Investments B.V. (Waterland).
Harris Williams & Co is serving as the exclusive financial advisor to Zitcom Group, a Danish hosting and cloud solutions provider. The pending transaction is being led by Thierry Monjauze, Jonathan Organ and Sylvain Noblet of Harris Williams & Co’s Technology, Media & Telecom (TMT) Group and Krishna Patel of the firm’s London office.
“The team at Zitcom Group has built an impressive business which has delivered rapid growth,
Bank Leumi has made three key hires to its growing legal team in recent months. Christopher Gawley was appointed First Vice President in May, while Gerri Alfino and Sol Bernstein recently joined the bank as Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, and First Vice President, respectively.
Gawley will provide legal counsel to Leumi Investment Services (LISI), Leumi’s brokerage subsidiary, across areas including sales and trading, marketing, research, compliance and new product review. He will also work with Leumi’s private banking and special loans divisions. Gawley was previously counsel and Head of Litigation for Leumi. Alfino manages Leumi’s legal department, partnering
Artificial intelligence company Element AI has raised USD102 million in a Series A funding round led by Data Collective (DCVA) with participation from Fidelity Investments Canada, Hanwha Investment, Intel Capital, Microsoft Ventures, National Bank of Canada, Development Bank of Canada (BDC), NVIDIA, Real Ventures, and several of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds.
Element AI will use the funding to accelerate its capabilities and invest in large‐scale AI projects internationally, solidifying its position as the largest global AI company in Canada and creating 250 jobs in the Canadian high tech sector by January 2018.
China’s Tencent Holdings Ltd is
Cytox, a specialist in genetic testing for Alzheimer’s Disease, has raised GBP2.6m to fund the commercial launch and international roll out of its novel service.
The funding round was led by the GM&C Life Sciences Fund, managed by Catapult Ventures, alongside existing and new investors, including Perivoli Innovations, The Rainbow Seed Fund, The University of Oxford and private investors.
Dementia and late-onset Alzheimer’s Disease has become the silent epidemic of the 21st century, with over 46 million people currently living with dementia. These numbers are expected to double by 2030 and treble by 2050. Unfortunately, there are currently no
Hamilton Lane has held the final closing of Hamilton Lane Strategic Opportunities Fund 2017 with approximately USD435 million in commitments from a wide range of global investors, far exceeding the initial target of USD250 million.
Structured as an annual series with a single-year investment period, the Fund is focused on making credit-oriented investments with consistent cash yield. The 2017 Fund is comprised of a diverse set of institutions, including Taft-Hartley pension funds, insurance companies, endowments/foundations and high net worth individuals, including a number of existing as well as new investors from Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North and South
G.Network, the next-generation communications service provider exclusively focused on Central London, has received investment totalling GBP4.675 million from Albion Capital.
Based in Mayfair, London, G.Network provides affordable ultra-fast broadband connectivity to businesses across Central London, bridging the gap between constrained copper-based broadband and expensive leased lines which have long lead times.
A fast, reliable broadband connection is an increasingly critical requirement for Central London’s circa 100,000 SMEs, who are driving a rapidly rising demand for data, recorded at 30 per cent growth annually. However, London’s broadband falls significantly behind equivalent cities, with average speeds ranked 26th out of 33
Law firm Howard Kennedy has strengthened its Corporate team with the appointment of new partner Jonathan Polin.
Polin joined the firm on 12 June from Dentons, where he was a partner in its London office focusing on large, complex and international M&A deals. He trained at Berwin Leighton and was previously a partner with Salans from 2002 until it combined with SNR Denton to create Dentons in 2013.
He brings to the firm a long and strong track record in complex and international M&A and disposals of both private and public companies, listings on AIM and the London Stock
Special Reports
Featured
Events
12 November, 2026 – 8:00 am
12 November, 2026 – 5:00 pm
