In the VC space, new research from definanzas.com reveals that online marketplaces are continuing to benefit from a shift in buying habits brought about the global pandemic. Global venture capital investments in the space reached a record USD28 billion in Q1 2021, more than three-times the total invested in the same period in 2020.

We also have news of two USD1 billion-plus private equity funds, the GI Partners’ USD3.9 billion Private Equity Fund VI, which will target investments in North American companies in four key sectors – healthcare, IT infrastructure, services, and software – plus the Crown Secondaries Special Opportunities II, which has closed at USD1.57 billion. The oversubscribed fund’s close comes hot on the heels of Crown Global Secondaries V which hit its hard cap of USD4.5 billion last week.