Latest News
The number of deals completed globally on consultancy mergers and acquisitions was up 1.4 per cent in 2013.
This is 33.8 per cent above the 2009 low and just 11.5 per cent behind 2007’s market peak, according to Equiteq’s Global Consulting Mergers & Acquisitions Market Report 2014.
This is the only publicly available information on the global consulting M&A market.
Deal volume in Europe continued to decrease seven per cent on average since 2011, but the UK bucked the trend with an upturn of six per cent. North America outweighed Europe’s decline with an increase of 11 per
Law firm White & Case predicts a “war chest” of funds will be put to work across the European private equity market with sharp-eyed firms embracing new hybrid US-European finance options.
The findings are revealed in new White & Case research – Defying the odds: the rise of European private equity – published with Mergermarket.
Much of the private equity revival has been led by mid-market firms, while co-investment strategies in which institutions invest directly in deals alongside buyout firms will also rise this year, the report states. White & Case’s EMEA private equity practice also predicts the UK’s
Westlake Chemical Corporation is to acquire German-based Vinnolit Holdings and its subsidiary companies from Advent International, a private equity firm.
Vinnolit is an integrated global leader in specialty polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resins.
The acquisition price of EUR490 million will be financed using existing Westlake cash and credit facilities. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2014, subject to standard closing conditions, including regulatory review.
Vinnolit has six production facilities located in Gendorf, Burghausen, Cologne, Knapsack and Schkopau in Germany and Hillhouse in the UK. These operations have a combined annual capacity of 780
Cranson Capital Securities has closed a convertible debenture financing for Flixel Photos, a new photography software which combines still photographs and captivating aspects of video.
Cranson Capital raised USD460,000 through a number of private accredited investors in a convertible debenture offering for the expansion and development of the business.
Last year, Flixel partnered with Tyra Banks, where the "living photos" were featured on her television show America's Next Top Model.
In February 2014, Flixel launched Cinemagraph Pro, a professional desktop version of its photography software for Mac computers, previously available only for iOS.
Devon Cranson, president of
Middle market private equity firm GI Partners has appointed Travis Pearson as managing director.
Pearson will work broadly across the GI portfolio to drive key operational initiatives and pursue new investment opportunities.
Pearson joins GI after 15 years at Bain & Company, where he served clients in technology, media, telecommunications, consumer and retail, and private equity. Pearson held several leadership roles at Bain, most recently serving as the regional practice leader for technology in the Americas.
"We are delighted to welcome Travis to the firm," says Rick Magnuson, founder and executive managing director of GI Partners. "He previously
Robert K Steel has joined investment advisory and asset management firm Perella Weinberg Partners as chief executive officer, with effect from 7 July 2014.
Joseph Perella will continue in an active role as chairman, while co-founders Terry Meguid and Peter Weinberg will remain in their roles as co-head of asset management and head of advisory, respectively.
Steel’s (pictured) career of almost 40 years in financial services includes both public and private sector experience. Most recently he was New York City’s Deputy Mayor for Economic Development under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, where he spearheaded the administration’s major redevelopment projects.
As
Canvas Venture Fund, an early-stage venture capital firm formed in August 2013 with its USD175 million inaugural fund, has appointed Paul Hsiao as a general partner and founding managing member.
Hsiao is a seasoned entrepreneur, operator and venture investor. He spent the last 10 years at New Enterprise Associates (NEA), a global investment firm with USD14 billion in assets under management, where he was best known for his domain expertise in partnering with entrepreneurs building successful enterprise software and marketplace companies. Some of these investments include Houzz, Gaikai, Boingo, Elance-oDesk, SayMedia, and 42Floors.
Hsiao also brings a diverse set
Private equity firm The CapStreet Group has held the final closing of CapStreet IV.
CapStreet launched fundraising for CapStreet IV on 5 November 2013, with the opening of an electronic data room, held a first close in December 2013 with commitments of USD249.5 million and a second close in February 2014.
On 6 May 2014, CapStreet IV held a final close with total commitments of USD340 million, significantly above its USD250 million initial target.
Similar to the strategy of the firm’s previous fund, CapStreet III, CapStreet IV will continue to make control investments in privately held, lower middle
Asset management firm Vida Capital has named Bill Tice as senior managing director, head of marketing and investor relations.
Tice joins Vida with 15 years of marketing and business development experience, most recently as a managing director at Siguler Guff & Company, an USD11 billion private equity firm based in New York.
At Siguler Guff, Tice had a primary focus on relationship management and fundraising in North America, Europe, and Latin America, with an emphasis on distressed and special situation investment strategies, real estate, and emerging markets.
Jeff Serra, founder and CEO of Vida Capital, says: “Bill is
African Development Partners II (ADP II), a pan-African private equity fund advised by Development Partners International (DPI), is making a USD20 million investment in Université Privée de Marrakech (UPM), one of Morocco’s leading private universities.
ADP II’s investment will serve to support UPM’s growth plans both in Morocco and in Sub-Saharan Africa and help UPM become one of the leading private universities in Francophone Africa.
The investment benefits from the increasing penetration of the private sector which is driving substantial growth in the private education sector
The investment is in line with DPI’s investment philosophy of investing in
Special Reports
Featured
Events
12 November, 2026 – 8:00 am
12 November, 2026 – 5:00 pm
