Latest News
Venture capital firms invested USD475m over 92 deals in India during the 12 months ending December 2009, according to a study by Venture Intelligence in partnership with the Global-India Venture Capital Association.
The amount invested during 2009 was lower compared to 2008 which had witnessed USD836m being invested across 153 deals.
VC firms began to increase their pace of investments in Q4 2009, making 42 investments worth USD265m – significantly higher than that during the same period in 2008 (23 investments worth USD102m) as well as Q3 2009 (19 deals worth USD74m).
“The strong recovery in investment activity in
Accelr8 Technology has started a private sale of equity to qualified investors following its annual shareholders’ meeting on 16 December 2009.
Since early October 2009, the company has opened discussions with a number of prospective industry collaborators.
The company’s ability to do so became possible upon the completion of a technical development agreement with another company, announced on 25 September 2009.
In October 2009, Accelr8 received notice of allowance on its patent application for the BACcel rapid diagnostics system (instrument and materials). This notice follows the prior issuance of US patent 7,341,841 covering the BACcel system’s core methods for culture-free
Investors have rediscovered their risk appetite and are putting cash reserves to work across the equity markets, according to the BofA Merrill Lynch survey of fund managers for January.
For the first time since January 2006 the survey shows investors are taking above average risk, relative to their benchmark.
A net two per cent is taking “higher than normal” risk, compared with a net seven per cent taking “below normal risk” in December. These figures follow several months of investors displaying optimism about the economy but maintaining a more cautious risk and investment profile.
Average cash balances have fallen
Cohen Asset Management has secured several new loans which have addressed nearly all of its 2009 and 2010 debt maturities.
Throughout 2009, the private equity real estate investment firm accomplished this by retiring, refinancing or signing new lending commitments secured by several of its real estate assets.
"We are pleased to announce that we’ve addressed virtually all of our 2009 and 2010 debt maturities prior to the New Year. With substantial cash on hand each entity was able to use its capital to reduce its borrowings and considerably improve its capital structure over the near term. This achievement is indicative
UK mid-market private equity firm Phoenix Equity Partners has reached agreement for the sale of Acorn Care and Education to Teachers’ Private Capital, the private investment department of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.
The consideration on the transaction is not being disclosed.
Acorn provides education and care for vulnerable children and young people in England. It operates ten schools for children with special educational needs and an independent fostering agency under the Fostering Solutions brand, which recruits, trains and supports foster carers, to whom local authorities refer and place children.
Phoenix invested in Acorn in March 2005, alongside
Hiroshi Yoh, CIO at Tokio Marine Asset Management (London), the Japanese and Asian equities specialist, reveals his outlook for Asia ex-Japan equities in 2010.
Our prediction that the global economy would begin its recovery during H2 2009 has proved to be accurate – China’s economy bottomed during the first quarter of 2009, followed by the manufacturing centres of Taiwan and Korea and financial centres of Hong Kong and Singapore during the second quarter while the US registered positive quarterly GDP growth in the third quarter.
After contracting an estimated 1% in 2009, the global GDP is now expected to
European mid-market specialist BLM Partners has appointed Jeffrey Iverson as general counsel and a principal.
In addition to his responsibility for all legal and compliance matters, Iverson will work closely with the founding partners to continue to develop BLM’s investment offering and deliver its strategy.
Iverson joins BLM from Nomura International, where he was an executive director in the M&A advisory and merchant banking legal department. In that role, he advised on the integration of certain businesses acquired from Lehman Brothers as well as providing legal and regulatory advice to the European and Middle East M&A and merchant banking groups.
Mid Europa Partners, a private equity firm focused on buyouts in Central Europe, has promoted Nikolaus Bethlen and Stefan Tzvetkov to director level.
Pawel Padusinski (pictured) and Cezary Pietrasik have been promoted to the associate director level, and Tomasz Blicharski and Vladislav Ratajac to senior associate.
Thierry Baudon, Mid Europa’s managing partner, says: “I am delighted to announce the 2010 promotions within the Mid Europa team. The new level of responsibility accorded to the team members recognises their considerable contributions to the Partnership to date and we look forward to their continued commitment to the growth and success of Mid
Citadel Capital, Africa’s largest private equity firm, plans to invest a further USD200m to USD400m over the coming two years in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
The announcement was made by Ahmed Heikal, Citadel Capital’s chairman and founder, and comes in the wake of the firm’s investments in Sudan.
To date, Citadel Capital’s Sudanese investments cover sectors including transportation and logistics, financial services, cement, mining, agriculture, and oil and gas.
“By the end of 2010, we will have invested more than USD900m in that nation,” Heikal says.
“Citadel Capital is uniquely positioned to apply the industry development model we honed
KupiVIP.ru, a Russian online shopping club, has raised USD20m in funding led by venture capital firm Accel Partners.
Accel Partners was joined by existing investors Mangrove Capital Partners, Arlan, Direct Group and business angel, Oliver Jung.
Sonali De Rycker (pictured) from Accel Partners will join KupiVIP.ru’s board as part of Accel’s investment.
KupiVIP.ru is Russia’s largest online flash sales business and had more than one million members joining in 2009. The company sells discounted fashion goods from over 500 active brands on its online property.
KupiVIP.ru launched in 2008 with an initial USD11m investment.
Founder and chief executive
Special Reports
Featured
Events
12 November, 2026 – 8:00 am
12 November, 2026 – 5:00 pm
