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The Blueshirt Group, a financial communications and IPO advisory firm, has expanded its internet practice with the addition of veteran internet, education and business services analyst James Samford as managing director.
Most recently, Samford was a senior equity research analyst at Citigroup Global Markets covering the business and education services sector. Prior to that, he was a member of the firm’s number one Institutional Investor and Greenwich ranked internet research team.
Before joining Citi, Samford was part of Merrill Lynch’s internet team.
Prior to Wall Street, Samford worked in management consulting at KPMG and in corporate development
FS Investment Corporation (FSIC) and FS Investment Corporation II (FSIC II), together with private equity firm Altamont Capital Partners, have committed to a USD294m proprietary loan financing for Billabong International Limited.
Billabong is an international manufacturer and distributor of surfwear and extreme sports apparel.
The financing commitment provided by FSIC, FSIC II and Altamont consists of a USD294m bridge loan with an interest rate of 12 per cent per year, a maturity date of 31 December 2013, and meaningful call protections. The financing arrangement also includes an option to acquire a 15 per cent equity stake in Billabong.
Transom Capital Group has sold Baltic Latvian Universal Electronics (dba Blue Microphones) to The Riverside Company.
Blue Microphones represents the first exit from Transom Capital Fund I.
Founded in 1995, Blue is a rapidly growing developer and marketer of premium quality microphones for professionals and consumers. The company is the leader in the fast-growing digital USB and iOS microphone market as a result of its technologically innovative, design-forward microphones and brand credibility earned by serving demanding professional recording artists and engineers.
"Blue is very special to us as it was the first investment, and now the
TwinFocus Capital Partners has established TwinFocus Equity Partners, a private equity advisory unit specialising in co-investment opportunities.
Orlando Mendoza, formerly of Harvard Management Company, joins the TwinFocus team as managing director working from the company’s Boston office. Mendoza will oversee a disciplined co-investments programme and spearhead a private equity initiative involving extensive tracking, monitoring, and relationship management.
"I was drawn to the company’s sterling reputation, passion, and innovative approach," Mendoza says. "TwinFocus brings together a team of talented professionals committed to delivering high performing investments and unparalleled bespoke solutions."
Mendoza was previously a vice president for
SL Capital Partners, a private equity firm with over EUR6.5bn (USD8.5bn) raised, has had its application to become an authorised Alternative Investment Fund Manager (AIFM) approved by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
The transposition of the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (AIFMD) into national law in each EEA member state was due on 22 July 2013. The AIMFD introduces a single regulatory framework for the marketing and management of “alternative funds” within the EEA. The new regulations will impose a wide range of conduct and prudential requirements on the investment managers of those funds.
Ian Harris, chief operating
The fundamentals for strong merger and acquisition activity remain in place despite a slowdown in US M&A activity in the first half of 2013, according to PwC US.
Buyers remain extremely active in identifying, evaluating and competing to acquire assets in the market.
Dealmakers are placing a premium on deal certainty, speed and agility to ensure successful deal outcomes that deliver long term value, according to PwC’s US mid-year M&A outlook.
In the first half of 2013, there were a total of 4,587 total transactions, representing USD528bn in disclosed deal value, according to data compiled by Thomson
Post Oak Energy Capital and funds managed by Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM) have made a USD100m capital commitment to PetroEdge Energy III.
PetroEdge’s management team will be co-investing alongside Post Oak and GSAM.
PetroEdge is a newly formed oil and gas company headquartered in Houston, Texas. The company’s management team includes Larry Richard, president and chief executive; Larry Buchanan, executive vice president of operations; Jack Ward, EVP of exploration and production; and Mark Malinski, chief financial officer. Since 2004, PetroEdge’s management has built and sold two oil and gas companies.
PetroEdge has acquired an acreage position
Milwaukee-based private equity fund Generation Growth Capital has held the final close of its second fund, Generation Growth Capital Fund II, which significantly exceeded total capital commitments raised for Fund I.
In addition, the company has closed companion fund Generation Growth Capital Wisconsin Fund II Wisconsin.
“We are quite pleased that 100 per cent of our Fund I institutional investors, who still invest in private equity, made a new financial commitment to Fund II. Many of our investors had meaningful increases over their Fund I commitment amounts,” says Cory L Nettles (pictured), founder and managing director of Generation
A total of 312 Israeli high-tech companies attracted USD967m from local and foreign investors in H1 2013, slightly above the USD962m raised by 270 companies in H1/2012, but almost eight per cent down from USD1.05bn invested in 286 companies in H1/2011.
One hundred and eighty-four VC-backed deals attracted USD763m or 79 per cent of the total raised in H1/2013. This amount is 20 per cent higher than the USD638m raised in VC-backed deals in H1/2012.
The average company financing round was USD3.1m, while the average financing round for VC-backed deals was USD4.2m.
In Q2/2013, 143 companies raised USD493m,
Global investors have been somewhat sceptical about the touted structural reforms in Japan and the ability of Abenomics to achieve its aims, says John Vail (pictured), chief global strategist at Nikko Asset Management…
At Nikko AM, we have been confident that this time it is indeed different for Japan and have commented widely on the topic. Now, with the result of the Japanese election providing prime minister Shinzo Abe with additional firepower to deliver on his goals, we believe Japan’s economy and the Japanese stock market will be major beneficiaries.
The outcome of Japan’s election (July 21, 2013), which has
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