AEGON is to sell its UK-based Guardian life and pension business for a total cash consideration of GBP275 million to Cinven, a European private equity group. Guardian, which manages over 300,000 life insurance policies in the United Kingdom, has been closed to acquiring new business since 2001. AEGON Asset Management has entered into a long-term agreement with Cinven and will continue to manage the assets of Guardian which total GBP 7.4 billion. "Consistent with actions over the past three years to dispose of, or run-off, certain businesses deemed non-core, AEGON has concluded that managing the closed business of Guardian companies

JP Morgan Private Equity Limited (JPEL) has entered into a conditional agreement with Private Equity IC Ltd, SPL Private Equity IC Ltd, and SPL Integrated Finance (together, the SPL Funds) to acquire a portfolio of middle-market co-investments in an all-stock acquisition valued at GBP56.5 million or approximately USD91.9 million. The Co-Investment Portfolio consists of a pool of 38 investments with leading fund managers primarily invested in the UK, Germany and France. “This Acquisition is part of JPEL’s strategy of continually repositioning its private equity portfolio. Currently, JPEL’s existing portfolio is weighted towards lower-middle market companies and the addition of the

Actis, the pan-emerging markets private equity investor, has acquired Visa Jordan Card Services Company (VJCS), Jordan’s largest merchant acquirer and effectively national ATM switch, for USD87 million. VJCS dominates Jordan’s debit and credit card acquiring and processing markets. Its leading position means that it owns 80% of the point-of-sale terminals in Jordan and processes all Visa point-of-sale transactions as well as all inter-bank ATM transactions.   The acquisition will be the latest investment for Actis platform Emerging Markets Payments Holdings (EMPH), which aims to be the leading payments business in Africa and the Middle East. In July 2010, Actis invested

Dragonsʼ Den star and serial entrepreneur Peter Jones (pictured) has sold Wireless Logic to ECI Partners (ECI), the UK mid-market private equity firm, and management for GBP38m. Wireless Logic is the UKʼs leading independent Machine to Machine (M2M) communications specialist, with 3,600 customers and nearly 600,000 SIMS under management in the UK and continental Europe. ECI is one of the longest established private equity groups in the UK and has total committed capital of over USD1.1billion. Wireless Logic operates in the fast growing M2M communications market, offering a M2M communication solution for its customers, connecting embedded sensing devices in their

Private equity firm KPS Capital Partners, LP (KPS) has signed a definitive agreement to sell its portfolio company, Attends Healthcare, Inc to Domtar Corporation (NYSE: UFS) (TSX: UFS) for USD315 million in cash. Raquel Palmer (pictured), a Partner of KPS, says: "During our ownership, Attends completed a stunning turnaround and has achieved significant revenue growth year after year.  We are proud to be the catalyst for the transformation of Attends, which has resulted in the Company’s acquisition by a leading strategic buyer.  We congratulate and thank Michael Fagan, Attends’ Chief Executive Officer, and his management team for their strategic vision

HarbourVest Global Private Equity’s estimated economic NAV at 31 July 2011 is USD888.2 million or USD10.74 per share, a 1.6% decrease from 30 June 2011 (USD10.91). This change was driven by decreases in value for privately-held companies as a portion of the portfolio was re-valued to reflect 30 June 2011 results (approximately USD0.07 per share), decreases in the value of publicly-traded holdings to 31 July 2011 (USD0.07 per share), negative foreign currency movement (USD0.01 per share), and ongoing operating expenses (USD0.02 per share).    In July 2011, HVPE funded USD13.4 million of capital calls and received USD11.5 million in distributions,

Private Equity firm NewWorld Capital Group has acquired Cleaire Advanced Emission Controls, LLC, a leading developer and manufacturer of particulate matter and nitrogen oxides abatement products for on-road and off-road heavy-duty diesel-powered vehicles. Joining New World in this investment are Ingleside Investors, North Sky Capital, and Spring Mountain Capital.   Cleaire’s products reduce particulate matter emissions from diesel engines by greater than 85% while meeting strict limits on exhaust nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels.  The Company’s products are verified by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) at Level 3, a Best Available Control Technology abatement standard.   Headquartered in San Leandro,

Graphite Capital, the UK mid-market private equity specialist, has provided equity funding to enable Teaching Personnel to acquire Protocol Education, creating a leading provider of supply teachers and support staff to schools in England and Wales. Both businesses provide short and long term temporary teachers, teaching assistants and nursery staff, primarily to English and Welsh primary and secondary schools, as well as to academies and other specialist schools, including those serving special educational needs.   Graphite backed the GBP45 million management buy-out (MBO) of Teaching Personnel in July 2010. The acquisition of Protocol Education is consistent with Graphite’s strategy to

Gert Tiivas (pictured), CEO of East Capital Explorer since its launch in 2007, is to leave his current position to take up a new role within the East Capital Group. In his new position Tiivas will be responsible for developing East Capital’s Private Equity investment business in the Baltic countries.

 Tiivas says: "I would like to thank the Board, and the shareholders, for the opportunity to work at East Capital Explorer during these exciting years. The Baltic States are now firmly back on a recovery path, with many interesting companies seeking capital for the new growth cycle, and I am