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China's largest fresh fruit shopping site, Fruitday.com, has completed a new round of financing led by ClearVue Partners, a private equity fund targeting fast growing and promising Chinese consumer companies.
SIG Asia Investments also participated in this round of financing.
"We met many PE firms and ClearVue was different. They were strategic, professional and had a deep understanding of our business and the consumer market in China — we are thrilled to receive investment from ClearVue Partners," says Wang Wei, founder and CEO of Fruitday.com. "We believe that there is strong and increasing consumer demand in China for the freshest,
Alternative investment marketplace FNEX has teamed up with PENSCO Trust Company to enable PENSCO clients and their advisors to access FNEX.com through their PENSCO accounts.
Through this partnership, investors and financial advisors who custody with PENSCO will be able to source, review and invest in a variety of alternative investments.
Launched in September 2013, FNEX.com is a web-based platform that provides accredited investors, investment advisors, family offices and institutions access to private investment opportunities offered by investment banks and funds across the US. The distribution platform lists offerings and provides investors with the necessary tools to educate themselves on
New data on the European venture capital (VC) sector points to a healthy environment for both investment and return opportunities in European high-growth technology star-up businesses.
Speaking at Ariadne Capital’s 12th Entrepreneur Country (EC) Forum, Matthias Ummenhofer, head of VC at the European Investment Fund (EIF), shared EIF's 2013 data announcing over EUR4bn of commitments across 248 European VC funds and business angels over the course of last year, up from EUR3.4bn in 2012.
The majority of the capital invested in 2013 by 103 VC funds and angels, 52 per cent, went into information and communication technology firms while
UK fitness network PayasUgym has secured GBP1.6m in a funding round led by Albion Ventures and MMC Ventures, bringing total investment to date to GBP3.5m.
With 12 million ex-gym members in the UK (double the amount of gym members) PayasUgym offers a solution for those looking to get back into the gym, as well as first timers, by offering flexible, discounted gym passes nationwide.
The funding will be used to strengthen PayasUgym’s position in the UK and to launch new products and services – including enabling customers to compare and directly book fitness classes all over the UK.
MENA region commerce platform Souq.com has secured USD75m (AED275.5m) in an additional round of funding from existing investor Naspers Limited.
This round of funding brings the total amount raised by Souq.com to USD150m (AED551m) – the largest amount raised by any internet-based business in the region.
Souq.com has grown more than 10 fold in the past two years. Souq.com registers 23 million visits per month on its website, and 6.2 million registered users. It offers the widest selection of products in over 15 categories, from electronic gadgets to baby nappies, in a combined retail and marketplace model.
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An affiliate of Proprium Capital Partners is to make a significant minority investment of growth capital in Edinburgh-based property developer and investor Chris Stewart Group (CSG).
Terms of the investment have not been disclosed.
Founded in 1996, CSG executes city-centre redevelopment projects including its award-winning Advocate's Close development off Edinburgh's Royal Mile. CSG's long term objective is to invest in high quality prime locations, drawing on its relationships and experience.
The first deal concluded by the new partnership involves the purchase of Baxter's Place, a historic Georgian terrace building in Edinburgh's city centre, which is designated for 240-bed upmarket hotel development.
"The
The European leveraged finance market is set to undergo a shift this year, as private equity sponsors veer back towards loans to finance leveraged buyouts, says S&P Capital IQ Leveraged Commentary and Data (LCD).
European high-yield bond issuance has surged in recent years as sponsors have tapped into the liquid, cheap, and covenant-lite financing offered by bonds, to refinance loans and to support mergers and acquisitions (M&A).
However, there are early signs that the popularity of financing M&A via high-yield bonds is waning, while loans are regaining ground.
In 2013, 59 per cent of M&A financings (mainly leveraged
Aviva has sold its Turkish general insurance business, Aviva Sigorta AŞ, to a private equity consortium led by EMF Capital Partners.
This agreement is part of Aviva’s strategy to narrow the group's focus on businesses where it has a leadership position and can generate attractive returns.
Aviva’s life and pensions business in Turkey, AvivaSA, is unaffected by this transaction.
The sale is subject to relevant regulatory approval and is expected to complete in the first half of 2014.
JTC Group has been chosen to administer a new listed specialist investment company, Nimrod Sea Assets Limited, a Guernsey domiciled company which will invest in vehicles which acquire, charter and sell marine assets associated with the offshore oil and gas industry.
JTC Group is currently providing administration services to over 30 per cent of the companies listed on the Specialist Fund Market of the London Stock Exchange.
Robin Douglas, acting finance & operations manager of Nimrod Capital LLP, says: “JTC Group has an excellent reputation, vast experience and expertise in administering innovative investment companies. That, along with the strength
Funds advised by CVC Capital Partners have acquired Synsam Nordic A/S, an optical retailer in the Nordic region, from Alipes and former store owners.
Synsam’s history stretches back to 1968 when independent opticians in Sweden joined forces under a common brand name.
Alipes identified significant development opportunities within the fragmented Nordic optical market and during the years 2007 to 2009 performed, together with former store owners, over 200 individual acquisitions of Synsam and Profil Optik stores in Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
Synsam is the largest optical retail chain in the Nordic region with more than 420 own stores
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