Latest News
Aquiline Capital Partners, a New York-based private equity firm investing in financial services, has made a USD225m investment in CRT Capital Group, an independent institutional broker-dealer based in Stamford, Connecticut.
The investment, which also includes funds from CRT’s management, will expand the firm’s balance sheet with the objective of building a full-service broker-dealer.
Founded in 1989, CRT is a sales, trading and research firm led by institutional brokerage veterans Ben Carpenter and Ron Kripalani.
CRT plans to expand its team and the products and services it currently provides to nearly 1,000 institutional clients. In the near-term, CRT will focus
Market conditions are now providing opportunities for private equity managers and their investors in selective areas of the market, according to research produced by professional services company Towers Watson.
The research asserts that portfolio company operating performance is stabilising, pricing for new deals is becoming more compelling from a buyer’s perspective and financing packages are increasingly available for the right businesses.
"A flurry of deal activity announced in early 2010 is testament to the potential for transactions to be created for the right businesses if managers have the skill and capacity to aggressively seek new deals," says Mark Calnan, global
Galtere, a US registered investment manager, has launched an agribusiness private equity strategy that aims to take advantage of a fundamental shift in global market dynamics and a growing worldwide demand for commodities from institutional investors.
The agribusiness strategy makes direct investments in industrial scale commodity production facilities in Brazil, Uruguay and Australia.
The strategy employs a long-term investment horizon of seven years to increase efficiency, production and profit of its projects, before monetising its investments via trade sale or IPO.
Galtere is aiming to raise USD1bn of assets from institutions, endowments and family offices.
The strategy is lead-managed
Irving Place Capital, a middle-market private equity firm, has signed a purchase agreement to acquire Alpha Packaging, a blow molder of plastic bottles and jars for the nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and personal care markets.
Irving Place Capital is investing in partnership with Alpha’s current management team, led by president and chief executive officer Dave Spence and chief operating officer Dan Creston.
The transaction is expected to close in September of 2010.
Alpha, which is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, manufactures plastic bottles and jars at five manufacturing facilities located throughout the US, as well as a recently-opened plant in the Netherlands.
Ridgemont Equity Partners, a middle market buyout and growth equity firm, has signed a definitive agreement for a majority investment in Unite Private Networks, a provider of high-bandwidth, fibre-based communications networks.
The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Unite Private Networks specialises in providing high-capacity data communications networks and related services to schools, government, carriers, data centres and enterprise business customers. It currently provides service in 12 states, primarily in the Midwest US.
“Our partnership with Ridgemont will help ensure that UPN has continued access to capital for growth and provide broader access to strategic and financial resources.
The fund managed by BNP Paribas Clean Energy Partners has acquired 100 per cent of Gortahile Windfarm, which owns and operates a 20 megawatt wind farm in County Laois, Ireland, from ABO Wind Ireland.
The Gortahile Windfarm began commercial operation at the end of August 2010. It is forecast to produce approximately 70 GWh of electricity per year, enough to meet the annual needs of over 11,200 households.
"This acquisition represents the cornerstone of a larger portfolio that we intend to build in Ireland," says Joost Bergsma, chief executive of the fund. "Ireland is a very attractive renewables market
Black Pearl Capital, an asset management and advisory firm, has closed its first private equity fund with a committed capital of USD50m.
The Black Pearl Capital Partners fund will be the first in a series of private equity funds raised by the firm to take advantage of opportunities in various industry sectors.
Proceeds of the fund will be used to invest globally in growth sectors and distressed situations where it can add value.
The fund expects a two to three year investment period with a five to seven year exit.
Fareed Asadi, chairman of Black Pearl Capital, says: "We are
Royalton Capital Investors, a private equity fund focused on Central and Eastern Europe, has sold 100 per cent of mPunkt Polska to Cyfrowy Polsat, the biggest Polish DTH platform offering pay TV services and mobile telephony and broadband internet access.
Final proceeds were received on 4 August 2010
Since 2002, when Royalton acquired 70 per cent of mPunkt, the company expanded from 38 to 200 points of sale nationwide and became the largest distributor for Polkomtel products as well as a major seller of a full line of other mobile phone products and services.
Nigel P. Williams, managing partner of
Kneip, an independent service provider to the asset management industry, has acquired Co-Link, a specialist in fund reporting technology and services for investment funds.
In recent years, Kneip has invested heavily in its fund reporting services and solutions.
Kneip will integrate the entire Co-Link team.
Bob Kneip, founder and chief executive of Kneip, says: “There is an ever-increasing need for efficient, reliable and consistent fund documents. By joining forces with Co-Link, we offer our clients more expertise, stronger processes and additional solutions. Together we broaden our service offering and our geographic reach to serve the industry and investors.”
Damien Coméliau,
Institutional Venture Partners has closed Institutional Venture Partners XIII, a USD750m later-stage venture capital and growth equity fund.
The fund will continue IVP’s strategy of investing in rapidly-growing technology and digital media companies throughout the US.
IVP XIII is the largest fund raised in IVP’s 30 year history. It brings the firm’s cumulative committed capital to USD3bn.
IVP XIII is the successor to IVP XII, an oversubscribed USD600m fund which closed in 2007.
“Our later-stage investment practice is working well,” says Todd Chaffee, general partner of IVP. “We appreciate the on-going support of our limited partners, and the exceptional investor
Special Reports
Featured
- Insight
Events
12 November, 2026 – 8:00 am
12 November, 2026 – 5:00 pm
