Evolution One Fund, a ZAR700m clean technology private equity fund, has committed to invest up to ZAR146m (approximately USD20m) into Red Cap’s Kouga wind farm, located in the Kouga local municipality of the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. Red Cap’s Kouga wind farm is a 100 MW wind energy project, prioritised as a first phase build out of a larger pipeline of 300MWs.   Evolution One’s investment will contribute to cleaner energy generation in South Africa and create local jobs. Christopher Clarke, principal and director of Inspired Evolution, says: “We identified Red Cap because of the pedigree of its

TLG Capital has invested in Iroko Financial Products, a UK based fixed income boutique focusing on the sub-Saharan African region. Iroko’s structured transactions have totalled over USD1.3bn since 2005. Among the transactions executed by the company since its inception in 2002 is a landmark USD200m corporate bond for Ghana Telecom, the first corporate bond issuance from Ghana. Current shareholders in Iroko include the Dutch FMO, Liquid Africa and the company’s management team. Companies that operate under the Iroko umbrella include Iroko Securities and Sphynx Capital Markets. Iroko Securities specialises in debt capital markets and treasury management services for clients in

Two thirds (64 per cent) of private equity investors expect to see activity levels increase in the UK media sector over  the next 12 months, according to research from financial and business advisers Grant Thornton UK. The report, Where is the smart money going in media?, which canvasses the views of private equity investors backing UK media companies, reveals a high level of optimism over expectations of overall private equity activity in the UK media sector. Only ten per cent expect PE activity levels to fall over the next 12 months while 23 per cent expect levels to remain the

Alternative asset manager The Carlyle Group has acquired a portfolio of six multi-channel retail businesses from Arcandor subsidiary Primondo Specialty Group, namely Versandhaus Walz, Planet Sports, Bon’A Parte, Elégance, Mirabeau and 50 per cent of Vertbaudet Germany. Financial terms were not disclosed.   Gregor Boehm, managing director and co-head of Carlyle Europe, says: “The group has demonstrated very solid performance during the downturn and we are excited about the continued growth potential. Due to its multi-channel platform and strong niche positions in the highly resilient specialty home shopping sector, the group has strong long-term prospects.  We look forward to working

Walter Energy’s bid of CAD11.50 for Western Coal of Canada values the 23 per cent equity stake in Western Coal held by funds advised by Audley Capital Advisors at some CAD730m. Audley paid a CAD80m entry price approximately five years ago. Audley says the dramatic change in Western Coal’s fortunes is likely to propel the European Opportunities Fund towards the top of the European event driven rankings (Eurohedge), a position it held for the two years to end-December 2007.  Mining will continue to be a key theme for Audley Capital. “We continue to see substantial investment opportunities in mining,” says

The UK Future Technologies Fund has committed GBP15m into Advent Venture Partners’ first life science focused fund, to be called Advent Life Sciences.  This is UK FTF’s third signature with the objective to support technology-based small and medium sized businesses since its launch in February 2010. Advent Life Sciences concentrates on early- to mid-stage UK and European companies that provide technologies or products in a range of sectors within life sciences, including new drug discovery, enabling technologies, med tech and diagnostics. “This investment is exactly why UK FTF was set up – to back venture capital fund managers that have

India Venture Partnership, an early stage venture capital firm, is investing INR100m in Your Kids ‘R’ Our Kids, a day care and education centre. The company has a capacity of serving more than 2,000 children in India across 12 centres today, and a growth strategy to create a network of 65 centres in the next three years serving more than 10,000 children in ten cities across India. The new infusion of funds will fuel YKROK’s pan-India expansion plans.   YKROK centres are in the process of getting certified and awarded with a gold seal by American Training Institute Teaching Strategies.

Advent Venture Partners has held the final close of a USD120m (GBP75m) venture capital fund, to be called Advent Life Sciences. The fund will be managed by general partners Shahzad Malik and Raj Parekh, and is the first life sciences-focused fund raised by the firm.   The fund will invest predominantly in early- and mid-stage life sciences companies in the UK, Europe and the US. Advent Life Sciences will back companies that have a first or best-in-class approach in a range of sectors within life sciences, including new drug discovery, enabling technologies, med tech and diagnostics.   Parekh says: “We