Latest News
Ashley Highfield (pictured), Microsoft’s UK Managing Director & VP for Consumer and Online, has been appointed to GMT Communiation Partners’ Industry Council – a network of key technology, media and telecoms industry experts
Highfield is responsible for Microsoft’s UK consumer services across PC, mobile and internet platforms including Windows, Windows Phone, Xbox Live, MSN, Hotmail and Internet Explorer. He is also responsible for Microsoft’s online advertising business, one of the UK’s leading digital advertising sales teams. Highfield joined Microsoft in December 2008 from Kangaroo, the proposed video-on-demand joint venture from the BBC, ITV and Channel4, where he was CEO.
Previously
IK Investment Partners (IK) has acquired Asian company formations business the Offshore Incorporations group of companies from the Carlyle Group.
The intention is to create a world leading global trust and corporate services provider by merging the corporate service part of the Group, Acceptor and Credence Trust, with IK’s portfolio company Vistra Group (Vistra). Financials for the transaction were not disclosed.
Vistra is a leading provider of fund administration, trust and corporate services in Europe, with a strong financial track record.
The Offshore Incorporations group today comprises three specialist entities: Asia’s leading company formation specialist, OIL; one of the leading
Mid Europa Partners, a private equity firm focused on Central Europe, has signed an agreement to acquire a 49.05% stake in the CEE road freight transport company Waberer’s Holding Zrt. (Waberer’s) through acquisition of shares from Waberer’s founder and CEO, György Wáberer. Subsequent to the acquisition of shares Mid Europa will effect a EUR12 million capital increase.
Following completion of related transactions, Wáberer will continue to own the balance of the shares with an option to increase his ownership to the same level as Mid Europa. Mid Europa’s equity investment will significantly strengthen the capital base of Waberer’s and enable
Global alternative asset manager The Carlyle Group has established a team to conduct buyout and growth capital investments in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The team is co-headed by Managing Directors Marlon Chigwende, former Managing Director & Head of Private Equity Africa for Standard Chartered Bank, and Danie Jordaan, former Executive Committee Member and Partner of Ethos Private Equity.
The team also includes Managing Director Genevieve Sangudi, most recently a Partner and Managing Director of Emerging Capital Partners. Jordaan begins his duties immediately while Chigwende and Sangudi will begin in early May.
Greg Summe, Carlyle Managing Director and Vice Chairman
Gemvara, Inc, the online retailer of customer-designed fine jewellery, today announces the closing of a USD15 million round of Series C funding led by Balderton Capital, one of Europe’s largest venture capital firms, with participation from existing investors Highland Capital Partners and Canaan Partners.
Balderton’s Mark Evans will join Gemvara’s Board of Directors. Gemvara plans to use the capital to further enhance its jewelry shopping experience, expand the breadth of merchandise featured on its platform and continue providing highly personalised customer service.
"We were inspired by Matt Lauzon’s far-reaching vision of future e-commerce, and his team’s deliberate execution to
Huron Capital has sold its interest in Quest Specialty Chemicals, Inc in a transaction that produced 4.1 times its original investment.
In order to give effect to the transaction, Quest was recapitalised by Audax Group, Moelis Capital Partners, and Quest management. Huron’s investment in Quest was the 2nd largest equity investment made through The Huron Fund II, LP, a USD185,000,000 fund which had its final close in May 2005. UBS Investment Bank advised Quest on the transaction and Honigman, Miller, Schwartz and Cohn served as counsel to Quest.
Founded in 2003 by Huron and chemical industry veterans Frederick Quinn
Blackford Capital, a middle-market private equity investment firm, has selected Navatar Private Equity Cloud to manage the firm’s fundraising, deal flow, portfolio and capital calls/distributions.
Navatar Private Equity provides out-of-the-box functionality and workflows essential for private equity firms. It runs entirely in salesforce.com’s cloud and is available for a low monthly fee. Its flexible reporting engine can be easily used by non-technical staff to generate reports.
"Private Equity firms can now start using a fully built solution for their CRM and operations for one small monthly fee – no capital expenditure, no implementation costs, free upgrades and zero maintenance costs,"
A rise in interest rates is not the answer to rising inflation warns Lawrence Galitz of ACF Consultants, after UK Chancellor George Osborne predicted in his ‘Budget for Growth’ that inflation will rise to 5% this year before dropping to 2% in two years time.
Inflation has been creeping up slowly from 3.3% in November last year, to 3.7% in December, 4.0% in January and 4.4% in February.
In December, the rise in inflation was largely due to higher fuel, utility and food costs. In January the Office for National Statistics blamed it on the increase in VAT, with the
Partners Group, the global private markets investment manager, has successfully closed its largest dedicated infrastructure investment program to date, Partners Group Global Infrastructure 2009, at EUR 500 million. Investors include corporate and public pension plans, insurance companies, financial institutions, endowments and high net worth individuals from around the world. Given the attractive investment environment and strong demand from clients, the program closed at its agreed hard cap of EUR 500 million.
Michael Barben, Partner and Head Private Infrastructure, says: “In an environment of increased economic and financial uncertainty, investors are looking for assets with stable cash flows, inflation protection and
HedgeOp Compliance, LLC, a provider of consulting services for private fund advisers and specialised compliance software for a wide array of investment advisers, has expanded its footprint in the US market with the opening of a San Francisco office.
The expansion to the West Coast is part of a strategic initiative by HedgeOp Compliance, which is head quartered in New York with offices in Boston, to serve the private fund adviser community in the region. Part of this initiative will expand HedgeOp’s services to the private equity community. The firm now has offices in the major hubs for alternative advisers
Special Reports
Featured
Events
12 November, 2026 – 8:00 am
12 November, 2026 – 5:00 pm
