Private equity firm Francisco Partners (FP) has sold Mincom Pty Ltd. (Mincom) to ABB Ltd (ABB). Terms of the have not been disclosed. Neil Garfinkel, a Partner and co-founder of Francisco Partners, says: “The Mincom team has done a terrific job of building a next generation asset management software platform and of extending the leadership position it has established in asset intensive industries over the past 31 years. ABB’s global reach, strong customer relationships and demonstrated commitment to asset management software and solutions leadership make it a superb fit for Mincom’s customers and employees.” Mincom is a global software and

AXA Private Equity has acquired a minority stake in Ivalua, an e-buying solution software publisher. With this EUR3 million investment, AXA Private Equity aims to accelerate the company’s international growth, particularly in the United States, and to consolidate its Software as a Service (Saas) offer for the SME market. SaaS is a software delivery method that provides access to software and its functions remotely as a Web-based service. Laurent Foata, Head of Innovation and Growth at AXA Private Equity, says: “The combination of the ambition of Ivalua’s international management and its innovative product base define Ivalua as a compelling venture

Aterian Investment Partners, a middle market private capital firm, has selected Navatar Private Equity Cloud to manage their fundraising, deal flow, portfolio and capital calls/distributions. Navatar Private Equity provides out-of-the-box functionality and workflows essential for private equity firms. It runs entirely in salesforce.com’s cloud and is available for a low monthly fee. Its flexible reporting engine can be easily used by non-technical staff to generate reports. "We’re pleased that private equity firms around the world are choosing Navatar’s service," says Ketan Khandkar (pictured), Principal, Navatar Group. "Firms can now start using a fully built solution for their CRM and operations

Runa Capital, a Russian seed-stage Venture Capital firm, has made a third investment; in Metabar (http://www.metabar.ru), a free platform that automates the process of creating browser-based applications. The platform is the first of its kind designed specifically to help increase web traffic and brand loyalty for Russian-based internet sites.   According to Michael Ushakov, CEO at Metabar: "The Russian internet today includes hundreds of sites that attract a million plus visitors. Metabar’s team has extensive experience of this market and the resources needed target these websites. Our platform allows website owners to quickly offer applications that can transform casual visitors

Lightyear Capital, a private equity firm that focuses on financial services, along with co-owner Insight Venture Partners, has entered into a definitive agreement to sell ARGUS Software, Inc to Altus Group Limited (TSE:AIF) forUSD$130 million.   Through its affiliated investment fund, The Lightyear Fund, L.P., Lightyear invested in Realm Business Solutions Inc. in 2006, which was renamed ARGUS Software, Inc. Lightyear identified ARGUS as a company with strong management, significant growth opportunities and an attractive recurring revenue business model as part of its financial technology sourcing activities. Since Lightyear’s investment, ARGUS completed two acquisitions that broadened its product offerings and

Funds advised by Apax Partners (Apax) have entered into definitive agreements to acquire Epicor Software Corporation (NASDAQ: EPIC), a leading provider of enterprise business software solutions for the midmarket and divisions of Global 1000 companies, and Activant Solutions, Inc, a leading technology provider of business management software solutions for mid-market retail and wholesale distribution businesses. The combined transaction is valued at approximately USD2 billion. Apax intends to combine Activant and Epicor to create one of the largest global providers of enterprise applications focused on the manufacturing, distribution, services and retail sectors. Following completion of the merger, the combined company will

Business management and accounting software provider, Access UK (Access), is set to execute a rapid expansion strategy after securing a GBP50 million deal with growth investor Lyceum Capital. Access is a software, solutions and consultancy house that provides a full range of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software and services, with a particular focus on financial management systems (FMS) and human capital management (HCM) solutions.   It serves a 5,000-strong mid-market client base spread across a broad range of sectors and includes BVCA, British Chambers of Commerce, Bank of England, Hill Dickinson and Sue Ryder Care.   Established in 1991, Access