Beringea, manager of the ProVen VCTs, has announced it has provided a GBP2.65 million investment package to software company MatsSoft. This expansion capital funding will come from ProVen VCT and ProVen Growth & Income VCT. MatsSoft is a software company providing powerful and innovative web-based workflow and communications solutions. The software, which is marketed as MATS as well as under other brand names by various resellers, includes a comprehensive management information suite and configuration tools. This allows companies and organisations to drive efficiency gains, cost reductions and service improvements across a whole host of business processes, including; case management, customer

Over USD814bn of leveraged buyout (LBO) debt, spread over 6,055 deals held by private equity portfolio companies globally, is due to mature over the next six years with over USD80bn (across 752 deals) due for refinancing this year alone. A peak of almost USD200bn is expected in 2014, according to a new report by international law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. The issue appears to be almost exclusively a European/US affair. European private equity portfolio companies account for more than half (52% or USD424bn) of LBOs maturing by 2016, ahead of North America (43% or USD352bn). The positions are reversed this year when North

Carey Olsen has advised Close Brothers Group plc on the sale of its trust, fund administration, asset management and banking businesses in Jersey and Guernsey to Kleinwort Benson for GBP29.1 million.   The deal between two of the largest administration groups in the Channel Islands is the largest sale across the islands in recent years. The sale, subject to regulatory approval, is expected to be completed towards the end of July. A Channel Islands cross-practice team of 16 from Carey Olsen advised on the legal and regulatory aspects of the transaction. The transaction was led by corporate partners Graham Hall

Jumpstart Capital Partners, LLC, an investment company based in Los Angeles, California, has launched Jumpstart Equity Partners, a new investment and asset management platform established to capitalise on liquidity constraints in international real estate markets. Institutional and individual investors will gain exclusive access to pre-qualified real estate investment opportunities outside the United States by way of a unique risk-averse strategy that offers investors the advantages of direct investment and benefits of a professionally managed fund. Jumpstart Equity Partners is initially targeting distressed and undervalued real estate-related investments in select markets within Australia and New Zealand. A region that demonstrates economic

Connecticut-based alternative investment and asset management company Five Mile has signed a definitive merger contract and other agreements to acquire the Chicago-based Prime Group Realty Trust. The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2011. In a prepared statement, the parties say Five Mile will acquire the REIT for USD5 in cash per share for the company’s 9% Series B Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Shares of Beneficial Interest (the Series B Preferred Shares). There are currently no common shares of beneficial interest of the company outstanding. Prime Group’s Board of Trustees has approved the merger agreement and plans

European venture capital firm DFJ Esprit has announced the sale of TLC, supplier of Customer Relationship Management, call centre and telemarketing solutions – ts fourth exit so far in 2011.   This success follows the sales of Lovefilm, and The Cloud earlier this year, continuing a series of seven exits over the past twelve months totalling USD1.2 billion in enterprise value. The total of VC backed M&A over the period according to Venturesource is USD2.5bn in enterprise value (excluding Biopharmaceutical exits).   TLC has been sold to Serco plc for GBP55.9m, representing a 5x return on DFJ Esprit’s investment. Paul

Advantage Capital Partners in partnership with Ironwood Capital have provided financing to three promising young companies located in Connecticut. Each of the companies has received a pre-seed investment of USD150,000. The funding provides these pre-seed companies with working and growth capital, offering each company the ability to fast track their development as well as attracting additional private dollars. “Connecticut’s recently enacted jobs bill – intended to promote economic opportunity, enable job creation and retention, and contribute to a robust investment climate – led to our investments in all three of these companies. Each of these new ventures is at a

Becker & Poliakoff represented APR Energy, a provider of major turnkey temporary power generation services, and its management, in a USD250 million strategic investment transaction with private investment funds separately managed by Soros Fund Management LLC and Albright Capital Management LLC. The transaction provides substantial new growth capital, which APR Energy intends to use to significantly increase its fleet of power generators and expand its operating footprint in South America and Africa.   APR Energy specialises in the sale of reliable and efficient electricity through the rapid deployment of Customised Turnkey Power Solutions and is an established leader in the

Yorkville Advisors, LLC (Yorkville), the US-based alternative investment manager, is pleased to announce it has entered into a GBP15 million Standby Equity Distribution Agreement (SEDA) on behalf of one of its funds with Jubilee Platinum plc (AIM:JLP / JSE:JLB), a mining exploration and development company with a focus on platinum group elements  and nickel/copper.   Through recent acquisitions, the company has added platinum group elements (PGE) and ferroalloy smelting and refining to its capability. The deal was advised out of London.   Jubilee Platinum entered into the SEDA to support the execution of its smelting operation and further development of