Mistral Equity Partners, a private equity firm focused on the consumer and media sectors, has acquired Worldwise, Inc, a supplier of environmentally friendly pet products and accessories. The company’s products are developed primarily from natural, certified organic, reclaimed or recycled materials, and are sold through major retailers in the mass, grocery, and pet specialty channels. “Worldwise’s highly sophisticated approach to the pet accessory market combines fashion-oriented product design and innovation capabilities with an environmentally responsible branding strategy. These unique attributes, along with the Company’s scalable and reliable supply chain, have established the Company as trusted partner to key retailers,” says Andrew

BELLE Capital is to invest up to USD500,000 in Current Motor Company’s USD1.5 million Series A Preferred financing, scheduled to close in two investment tranches. Other investors joining in the firm’s first investment round included the State of Michigan Pre-Seed Fund, Lauren Flanagan, Executive Chair of the Current Motor Board of Directors, and Bob Lutz who Chairs the Current Motor Advisory Board.   Current Motor develops and manufactures all-electric motorcycles in Ann Arbor, Mich. Current Motor’s e-motorcycles use no gas, produce no emissions and are virtually maintenance free. “We’re pleased to bring our human and financial capital to a promising

Aurora Capital Group, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm with over USD2.0 billion of assets under management, today announced that an affiliate has successfully completed the acquisition of TruGreen LandCare from The ServiceMaster Company. TruGreen LandCare is a leading US provider of landscape maintenance services to commercial, industrial and municipal customers.  It will continue to offer a comprehensive suite of landscaping services through a network of 60 branches in 17 states.  The sale of TruGreen LandCare’s business does not impact ServiceMaster’s TruGreen lawn care unit, which provides residential and commercial lawn, tree and shrub care to 2.5 million residential and

Kronos Incorporated has formally terminated its previously announced agreement to acquire API Healthcare Corporation from Francisco Partners. 
“We remain committed to executing our business plan of leadership by making significant investments in innovative workforce management solutions that are designed to help healthcare organisations deliver superior patient care while controlling labor costs,” says Aron Ain (pictured), chief executive officer of Kronos. “We are more confident than ever that we now have, and will continue to have, the best and most innovative workforce management solutions in the healthcare industry.”  

Sittercity has closed USD22.6 million in series B equity financing led by existing investors Baird Venture Partners (BVP) and New World Ventures (NWV). They were joined by new investors State of Wisconsin Investment Board, Western Technology Investment along with existing investors Point Judith Capital, Apex Venture Partners and I2A. Sittercity, the website that connects families with child care, pet care, eldercare, home care and tutoring solutions, plans to use the new round of funding to further solidify its dominance in the online care industry by focusing on expansion both domestically and abroad. To increase its foothold in the US, Sittercity

Meritech Capital Partners (MCP) has closed Meritech Capital Partners IV, a USD425 million late-stage venture capital fund. The fund will continue MCP’s successful strategy of investing in rapidly-growing technology companies primarily in the United States. This fund brings the firm’s cumulative capital under management to USD2.6 billion and is a successor to MCP III, a USD400 million fund which commenced investing in 2006. “Our later-stage investment practice is working well,” says Paul Madera, Managing Director at Meritech. “We are particularly grateful to our management teams who are growing great companies, and we appreciate the on-going support of our Limited Partners.