Small and medium-sized businesses in Francophone West Africa will receive commercial investment thanks to a EUR8m investment by CDC, the UK’s development finance institution. CDC’s EUR8m commitment is to the Fonds Cauris Croissance II, a private equity fund run by Cauris Management, a West African team based in Togo and Cote d’Ivoire. FCC II will also invest in promising business in other countries such as Senegal, Benin, Mali and Burkina Faso. CDC’s commitment has helped FCC II raise a total of EUR45m from investors, including other development finance institutions and local private investors. The fund aims to raise a total

Marketo, a provider of revenue performance management solutions, has secured additional funding to fuel its growth. Institutional Venture Partners, which has also funded Netflix, Twitter and Zynga, led the USD25m investment with participation from previous investors InterWest Partners, Storm Ventures, and Mayfield Fund. The new funding will be used to further accelerate Marketo’s product, technology, and market development initiatives. “We are thrilled to be partnering with a top-tier venture firm like IVP,” says Phil Fernandez, president and chief executive of Marketo. “We have more customers, more and better products, and faster growth than anyone else in our category. Now, with

Dutchess Capital has recently provided equity line facilities for several more mining and resources companies. They include GBP5m for Baobab Resources, CAD10m for Nordic Oil and Gas and CAD10m for Houston Lake Mining. Earlier this year, Dutchess provided GBP10m in ELF financing for Sunkar Resources and USD35m for AsherXino. For 2010, Dutchess has provided a total of USD79m for mining and resources companies.  Douglas D’Agata, Dutchess Capital research director, says: “For the past several years, aggregate global demand for natural resources has tracked the hyper growth of the world’s emerging economies. The BRIC nations, as well as countless smaller players,

Choice Care Group, Sovereign Capital’s portfolio healthcare company, has acquired Excel Support Services, which provides supported living for people with learning disabilities. Founded in 2005, Excel has grown significantly in the past few years. It operates from two regional offices in Bracknell, Berkshire and Sandwell, West Midlands.   Excel aims to support the adults and young people it cares for to live as independently as possible so they have control over their own lives. With the acquisition of Excel, Choice, which operates 39 residential homes for adults with mental health disorder, learning disabilities and complex needs within Berkshire, Hampshire, Wiltshire and

Yorkville Advisors, the US-based alternative investment manager, has entered into a PLN50m standby equity distribution agreement on behalf of one of its funds with Warsaw Stock Exchange listed Calatrava Capital. Calatrava Capital is a Poland-based investment company specialising in IT services and software, energy and fast moving consumer goods.   Calatrava Capital entered into the agreement as a means of raising additional capital, as and when required, to increase the scale of its current investment projects.   Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, Calatrava Capital has the discretion, for up to 36 months, to withdraw funds of up to

Intel Capital is making 18 new investments totalling approximately USD77m. The investments were announced at the 11th annual Intel Capital CEO Summit, Intel Capital’s gathering of portfolio company chief executives, corporate technology decision makers from Global 1000 companies and thought leaders from around the world. The new Intel Capital investments span 11 countries including Brazil, China, Germany, India, Israel, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Russia, Taiwan, Ukraine and the US.   The investments align with Intel’s focus on fostering innovation in core PC and server market segments including cloud computing, mobility solutions and access to broadband wireless in geographies around the world.

Half of pension funds have recently altered the asset allocation of their investments, with the majority reducing exposure to equities in favour of alternatives, according to Baring Asset Management’s annual poll of UK pension schemes. Of the 50 per cent of pension professionals that had changed recently changed the asset allocation of their fund, 69 per cent had increased their exposure to alternatives and 61 per cent had decreased their exposure to equities.  Respondents claimed that the main reason for making these changes was to reduce the volatility of the fund (61 per cent). The second most common reason for

CIG, a wealth management and business advisory services firm, has launched a healthcare private equity fund, CIG Capital Partners. "The objective of CIG Capital Partners is to achieve above-average returns by investing in healthcare companies that we believe can deliver cost-effective services and products and have the ability to gain market share in their segments," says Yusuf Hai, vice president, business advisory services.  The fund will seek to proactively focus on investment opportunities within the healthcare sector, including services, medical products and information technology. A key component of the investment strategy is to take an active role in each of

Resilience Capital Partners, a private equity firm, has acquired Indiana Limestone.  This transaction is the second acquisition under Resilience’s industrial minerals platform, North Coast Minerals.  Indiana Limestone is a complementary business to Victor Oolitic Stone, which was acquired by Resilience in November 2009.  Like Victor Oolitic, Indiana Limestone has been a supplier of Indiana limestone to the dimensional stone market place for over 100 years. "We are excited about this acquisition and both the near and long term opportunities it generates when combined with Victor Oolitic. Furthermore, the acquisition of Indiana Limestone is consistent with North Coast Minerals’ strategy of