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OUTLOOK
2020 saw unprecedented pandemic-induced turbulence on the political, social and economic arenas not seen for decades. While some of the major private equity groups on the global scene – the likes of KKR, Blackstone and Apollo – managed to draw on dry powder, scoop up distressed assets in the wake of the turmoil, and launch new credit funds amid the financial havoc, there are many firms who have struggled with keeping their portfolio companies afloat while coping with vast demands on management. We also witnessed debut managers experience increasing hurdles.
PODCAST
According to newly released research by equity management platform Capdesk, 77 per cent of startup founders are saying that the Covid crisis has made them more likely to offer employee equity in their company.
Capdesk is headquartered in London and works with European scale-ups including Secret Escapes, Curve, GoHenry, Privitar, Nutmeg and Gousto.
The study found that among employees, founders and CEOs at private equity-backed UK startups and scale-ups, a majority of employees (80 per cent) and business owners (78 per cent) believe companies should be required by law to offer equity share schemes to their workforce.
“After an extremely
MANAGER INSIGHTS
New York-based Grafine Partners, established by former Riverstone Holdings’ executive Elizabeth Weymouth, is hoping to fill what it regards as a key gap in the market, by providing institutional investors with a dedicated direct investment platform; one that places emphasis on patient, creative and sophisticated capital and a way for large investors to look beyond the usual ‘2 & 20’ fee model charged by traditional commingled funds.
Weymouth, who founded Grafine Partners and acts as Managing Partner and Chair of the Investment Committee, has been in the investment world for 25 years, building up two substantial investment platforms; one at
NEWS
British low-alcohol spirits startup CleanCo has raised GBP7 million from existing and new investors including Ursula Burns, board member of Uber and former board member of Diageo, and Stonebridge, a digital-first consumer brand investment firm set up by DTC entrepreneur James Cox.
REPORT
Carlyle’s latest Global Insights Report, “5 Questions for 2021,” examines five pressing questions the company believe are likely to prove to be the most consequential for markets this year…
NEWS
Weezy, a UK-based on-demand supermarket that delivers groceries in 15 minutes on average, has raised USD20 million in Series A funding to expand its grocery delivery service across London and the UK.
The investment round was led by New York-based VC Left Lane Capital, with participation from UK-based DN Capital, as well as existing investors Heartcore Capital and angel investors including Chris Muhr, founder of Groupon.
Left Lane Capital managing partner Harley Miller will join Weezy’s board following the deal. The capital will be used to expand the company’s London-based team by 50 employees over the next four months.
“This
NEWS
Sandberg Capital has closed its second private equity fund – Sandberg Investment Fund II – at EUR109 million. For the first time Sandberg welcomes the European Investment Fund and Tatra banka among its investors.
SPOTLIGHT
At an early age, Dana Haimoff (pictured) was fuelled by ambition, which would go on to serve her well in her career as one of London’s leading female private equity executives. Her desire was simple: to move away from the school her parents sent her to, and enrol in Punahou.
“When my family lived in Lahaina on Maui I went to Sacred Hearts, a Catholic School made up of single-storey buildings with tin roofs,” says Haimoff. “The school didn’t have many facilities. Punahou on Oahu, on the other hand, was an immensely well-resourced school with a rich academic tradition on
RESEARCH
Funding secured by cybersecurity start-ups since the start of lockdown in March increased by more than half compared to the same period in 2019, according to new research released today by Plexal and Beauhurst.
NEWS
OnePlanetCapital has launched a specialist sustainability EIS Fund to invest in sectors including green tech, tech, fintech and broader B2C businesses.
Founded in 2019 by entrepreneurs Matthew Jellicoe and Ed Stevens, together with Tony Flanagan of Wilton Group, the OnePlanetCapital fund will focus on climate change, the environment and consumer sustainability; by looking at environmental impact, social purpose and corporate governance in its investee companies.
The initiative comes as Prince Charles is asking companies to join the Earth charter, which is being set out at his virtual address to the One Planet Summit today.
“In 2019 the UK became the
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