First Capital, a specialised commercial finance company, has provided over USD330 million in new credit lines to small and medium-sized businesses since May 18, 2010 when it almost doubled its equity in a capital raise led by HIG Capital. Lee Wilson, President and CEO of First Capital, says: "We have the capital and the team to get deals done across a diverse set of industries and geographies. USD330 million in new credit lines demonstrates the value of our business model in the market." First Capital provides working capital solutions in the form of asset-based loans and factoring which provide liquidity

Boticca.com, the online accessories retailer that connects customers directly with independent designers all over the world, has closed a GBP1.5 million (USD2.5 million) funding round.   The investment was led by ISAI, a fund comprised of 70 of the most successful Internet entrepreneurs in France, including founders of Vente Privée and Priceminister, and joined by Annoushka Ducas and John Ayton, the founders and former owners of Links of London and current owners of Annoushka Jewellery; prominent Silicon Valley investors, led by Bobby Yazdani, an early investor in Google; and Digital Garage, the Japanese Internet incubator whose investment portfolio also includes

Lyceum Capital-backed Carewatch, the UK’s largest national domiciliary care provider, has strengthened its geographical reach after completing the acquisitions of three franchise businesses: Graham Home Care, Carewatch North and East Riding of Yorkshire and Carewatch Greenwich. The deals are the first add-on acquisitions made by Carewatch during 2011 and take the total to 19 since Lyceum Capital backed the company in October 2008.   To increase its reach in London, Carewatch has acquired its largest franchise operation, Graham Home Care. Established in 1996 by Sally and Ian Graham, Graham Home Care provides support services to around 850 users, delivering over

Verto Partners, LLC, a national performance improvement, restructuring, and corporate turnaround firm, has acquired Wavelength Strategies, LLC, a New York-based transformation services firm focused on life sciences, healthcare, and technology. With the move, Wavelength managing principals Duncan Steels and Greg Calaman join Verto as Managing Directors and will lead the New York office of Verto. Verto Partners, founded by a seasoned team of selected colleagues, represents a unique 360-degree perspective on corporate performance. The firm’s proprietary approach to optimizing corporate performance has been delivered to noteworthy private equity, hedge fund and venture clients, such as TA Associates, Arcapita, Kleiner Perkins,

Patriarch Partners, a private equity firm and holding company that currently manages 74 companies with annual revenues of more than USD8 billion, has completed the acquisition of the Gorham (New Hampshire) paper mill from FP Acquisitions LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Counsel RB Capital, LLC. Patriarch intends to begin the process of refurbishing the paper mill promptly and expects production to resume within four to five weeks. “We are extremely excited to have finalised this transaction and look forward to the journey of rebuilding and revitalising the business,” says Lynn Tilton (pictured), founder and CEO of Patriarch. “Patriarch is

Northern Digital Inc is to be acquired by strategic buyer Roper Industries, Inc (Roper, NYSE:ROP), with the transaction expected to close in the second quarter of 2011. Harris Williams & Co acted as an advisor to the company. The transaction is being led by Turner Bredrup, Todd Morris, Cheairs Porter, Andy Dixon, and Andrew Hewlett of the firm’s Healthcare & Life Sciences (HCLS) Group. “NDI is a wonderful company with a 30-year track record of developing and producing outstanding devices to serve the global image guided surgery and other attractive life science and industrial markets. CIVCO Medical Instruments, a Roper

Hogan Lovells has advised Stephen and Peter Bond and the Management Team on the sale of Bond Aviation Group to Inaer for EUR300 million. The deal closed on Thursday 28 April, 2011. In addition, Hogan Lovells acted on the rollover by the Bonds of some of their monies into the enlarged Inaer Group, backed by KKR and Investindustrial. Private equity partner Tom Whelan (pictured) led the Hogan Lovells London team advising on the sale and the Bonds rollover, assisted by associate Fatema Dawoodbhai and trainees Suzy Penney and Emma Bosworth.  Partners Robin Hallam, Chris McLaughlin and Shelley Mottershead and associates Richard

Appalachian Midstream Partners (AMP), a natural gas gathering and transportation services company operating in the Marcellus Shale, has entered into an agreement has secured an equity commitment of up to USD176m from private equity firm Avista Capital Partners. Appalachian will use this equity commitment to develop and expand AMP’s initial system, Bear Print, which will serve gas production areas in north central Pennsylvania. AMP’s gathering system currently consists of approximately 56 miles of gathering pipeline spanning Clinton, Cameron and McKean Counties, provides access to the Tennessee Gas Pipeline in northern Pennsylvania and has the ability to provide future access to

Palm Beach Capital has made an investment in Arriva Medical. This transaction is the second equity investment by Palm Beach Capital from Palm Beach Capital Fund III, L.P. Financial terms have not not been disclosed. Arriva Medical, based in Coral Springs, Florida, was formed in April 2009 by industry veterans David Wallace and Tim Stocksdale. The company is a national, mail-order distributor of diabetic testing supplies and related medical products, which are used by people with diabetes to self-monitor their blood glucose levels. “The first two investments by our third equity fund are exactly the types of investments that we