Latest News
Innovation, depth of talent and stability were the watchwords at the Carey Olsen sponsored Guernsey Funds Forum 2017, which took place on 11 May in London.
A call for product innovation was a key theme at the forum, which attracted over 450 attendees.
Partner Annette Alexander (pictured), who was in attendance, says: “Guernsey is an innovative jurisdiction and we need to continue to innovate in order to attract new business and satisfy client needs. The new Guernsey Private Investment Fund (PIF) regime significantly reduces the cost and time for fund launch. Carey Olsen was closely involved in the
European venture capital firm Sofinnova Partners has appointed Graziano Seghezzi as managing partner.
He joins Antoine Papiernik, Denis Lucquin and Monique Saulnier in the company’s managing partnership.
Graziano’s appointment boosts Sofinnova Partners’ international leadership.
Seghezzi began his career in venture capital in 2001 at Sofinnova Partners where he was in charge of identifying and assessing investment opportunities. Throughout his career, he has focused on company creation through the establishment of start ups, spin-offs, and accelerators.
He was the seed investor of Omthera Pharmaceuticals, listed on Nasdaq and then sold to Astra Zeneca, of Glycovaxyn sold to
Valorem Energy, an independent oil and natural gas company headquartered in Oklahoma, has received an initial USD300 million equity commitment from the Kayne Private Energy Income Fund and members of the management team.
Valorem is a private exploration and production company formed to deploy over USD1 billion of capital to acquire and operate large, producing onshore US oil and gas assets, with an emphasis on the Rockies and Mid-Continent.
Valorem is led by CEO Justin Cope and COO Heath Mireles, former executives with Continental Resources.
Cope most recently led Continental’s Mid-Continent operations as Vice president of southern
Eaton Partners has served as the placement agent for MCH Private Equity’s fourth middle market private equity fund – MCH Iberian Capital Fund IV – which has held a final close at its hard cap of EUR350 million.
MCH Private Equity, founded in 1998 by José María Muñoz and Jaime Hernández Soto, invests in diverse economic sectors including specialised machinery and industries, services, consumer products and distribution among others.
The oversubscribed fund experienced significant demand with support from a diverse range of institutional investors. Eaton Partners, a Stifel Company, served as adviser and exclusive fund placement agent.
Ducera Partners, an independent investment bank, has formed a private capital group and hired Douglas F Conrod to lead the practice.
Ducera’s private capital group will provide bespoke financing solutions to companies undergoing transformational changes in their business, or pursuing strategic corporate finance and investment transactions.
“The emergence of alternative capital sources, has created substantial opportunities for companies to access the financing needed to effectuate their growth and transactional objectives. The formation of a dedicated private capital group, led by Doug allows Ducera to grow with, and assist our clients,” says Michael Kramer, CEO of Ducera Partners.
Blackstone and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia are planning to launch an investment vehicle dedicated to infrastructure with an anchor USD20 billion contribution by PIF.
Blackstone anticipates that the programme will have USD40 billion in total equity commitments in a permanent capital vehicle, including USD20 billion to be raised from other investors.
Overall, through the equity in this vehicle and additional debt financing, Blackstone expects to invest in more than USD100 billion of infrastructure projects, principally in the US.
Across its investment strategies, infrastructure investing has been one of Blackstone’s most active areas. The firm has
The Liquidity Conundrum – As we start 2017, it is clear that institutional investors and asset managers alike are faced with a very real challenge in terms of managing, maintaining and continually assessing portfolio liquidity. With an ever-increasing search for yield, investors must consider the implications of less liquid investments, their ability to raise cash if needed, and how to manage excess cash..
There are several factors bringing this subject into sharp focus, from continued low/negative interest rates around the globe, to new regulations such as the central clearing of derivatives and the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision’s Basel III accord.
UK peer-to-peer lending platform Assetz Capital has now lent over a quarter of a billion pounds since its launch in 2013.
The alternative finance platform helps small and medium-sized British businesses and house builders acquire funding.
It is now providing secured loans totalling GBP25 million per month and has lent more than GBP55 million in 2017 to date.
Stuart Law, CEO and co-founder of Assetz Capital says: “Assetz Capital’s growth remains strong and shows no signs of slowing down. It’s testament to the fantastic team and our cautious yet flexible approach that means we’re celebrating our quarter
The value of funds being administered in Jersey rose to a record level at the end of 2016, the latest figures published by the jurisdiction’s financial regulator show.
In the final quarter of 2016, the total value of funds being serviced through Jersey rose by 15 per cent over the year to stand at GBP260 billion (USD335 billion), the highest value ever recorded.
This growth was driven by the alternative asset classes, which increased annually by the same proportion to GBP189.2 billion (USD243.8 billion), representing almost three quarters (73 per cent) of Jersey’s total funds activity.
Within
Deal sizes are returning to their pre-2008 levels owing to the “dry powder” accumulated by private equity firms, according to Joseph Cohen, a panellist at the 2017 Guernsey Funds Forum in London.
Cohen says this is resulting in a greater number of club deals in the buyout arena as private equity firms team up to complete their deals.
“It’s estimated that there’s about GBP500 billion of capital waiting for deals currently,” says Cohen, founding partner of Trilantic Capital Partners.
With annual fundraising levels also returning to their pre-2008 levels, coupled with a slower deployment rate, Cohen says
Special Reports
Featured
Events
12 November, 2026 – 8:00 am
12 November, 2026 – 5:00 pm
