The Aureos Africa Fund has raised a total of USD381.1m at the final close of its fundraising. The fund, managed by Aureos Capital, is believed to be the largest ever to focus on investing in small to mid-sized businesses across Africa.   Aureos Capital, which specialises in investing in mid-sized businesses across the emerging markets, says the Africa Fund has been well received by a broad range of institutional investors attracting institutions from the US and Europe as well as Africa.   Sev Vettivetpillai, chief executive of Aureos Advisers, says: “Considering the weak fundraising environment for private equity over the

Alternative investment fund specialist PILinvests is teaming up with Quantum LifeCare to launch The Park Gate Care Home fund. The fund will initially acquire land with detailed planning consent, then design, construct, operate and ultimately sell a purpose-built care home in Southampton offering specialist dementia care.  The number of over 65s is set to increase by 60 per cent over the next 25 years and it is expected there will be an under-supply of local care homes. The fund has a tax transparent structure offering 100 per cent inheritance tax sheltering benefits, income distributions payable from year two and will

LGV Capital has sold its majority interest in LGC Group to Bridgepoint in a transaction valuing LGC at GBP257m.  Bridgepoint will back LGC’s current management team, led by chief executive David Richardson (pictured). LGC is a provider of chemical and biological analytical services and reference materials. Headquartered in Teddington, West London, LGC employs 1,500 staff across a network of 28 sites in 17 countries. LGC provides its services to a mixed public and private sector customer base through four divisions: LGC Forensics, a forensic science provider; LGC Standards, a laboratory support business; Life & Food Sciences, a provider of BSE

Liquidity is improving both in entering private equity investments and coming out of them, according to a report by Neuberger Berman. Going in liquidity may be characterized by the increased availability of financing for well-capitalized transactions; more equity for transactions; co-investment equity in leveraged buyouts; and the potential for formation of follow-on funds from general partners seeking to embark upon a new vintage year fundraising cycle. Neuberger Berman says that by no means does improved liquidity for adequately financed companies usher back in the era of the financial sponsor-led megacap buyouts, which may remain dormant during 2010 and not see

Private equity firm Riverstone Holdings has acquired Seajacks International for a total cash consideration of USD207m. Great Yarmouth, UK-based Seajacks currently owns and operates two self-propelled jack up vessels that install offshore wind turbines and perform a number of niche operations for the North Sea oil and gas industry.  Riverstone plans to grow Seajacks into a leading European offshore wind service business, with an operational base in the UK. Riverstone will focus initially on expanding the current fleet of vessels to service the rapidly expanding market for turbine installation and maintenance. Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP partners Anthony

Ten companies backed by LDC, the private equity arm of Lloyds Banking Group, have won places on a league table ranking Britain’s 100 private equity-backed mid-market companies with the fastest growing profits over their last two financial years. The companies include fake tan supplier St Tropez (no 77) and InterContinental Brands (no 65), which manufacturers beverages such as Vodkat Schnapps and St Helier Pear Cider. Inflexion Private Equity also fared well, with five of its investments qualifying, including clothing brand Jack Wills (no 22) and National Accident Helpline (no 96). Three other private equity houses have four investments each on

Ursataur Capital Management and BASF Venture Capital have invested USD6m in Quantiam Technologies, which develops coating products for extreme-operating environments and energy-related applications. Quantiam has developed three key coating families for surfaces of complex shapes that are applied to petrochemical furnace coils to reduce carbon formation, to oil and gas extraction and processing industry equipment to extend the useful life of high value parts, and to protect critical equipment in defence applications subject to extreme operating environments. Quantiam’s customers include several of the petrochemical industry’s olefins producers, companies in the oil and gas industry, and the United States Department of