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KKR hires Hisashi Hosokawa as senior advisor in Japan
31/07/2006. US buy-out giant Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. has appointed Hisashi Hosokawa as a senior advisor in Japan. 
Sun European Partners sells LDV Holdings to GAZ Group
31/07/2006. Sun European Partners, the European adviser to Sun Capital Partners, a US-based investment firm, has sold LDV Holdings to Russian automotive manufacturer GAZ International.
Actis, Cordiant close Canada Investment Fund for Africa on US$212m
31/07/2006. Emerging markets private equity investor Actis and Cordiant, a Canadian emerging market asset manager, have closed their new fund, Canada Investment Fund for Africa, on US$212m.
Kennet Venture Partners sells Cramer to Amdocs for $375m
28/07/2006. Kennet Venture Partners, a venture capital firm focused on the technology sector, has sold Cramer, a provider of operations support systems solutions, to Amdocs for $375m.
VCM, Golding Capital close second mezzanine fund of funds on 238m
28/07/2006. German fund of funds managers VCM and Golding Capital Partners have closed their second fund of funds, VCM Golding Mezzanine II, on 238m, above its 100-150m target.
Darby and Hana Bank close $610m Korea Emerging Infrastructure Fund
28/07/2006. Emerging markets investment firm Darby Overseas Investments, the private equity arm of Franklin Resources, and Korea's Hana Bank have closed the jointly managed Korea Emerging Infrastructure Fund on KRW580bn (approximately $610m), exceeding its original KRW500bn target.
US Conduit Capital closes Latin America energy fund on $393m
27/07/2006. New York-based private equity firm Conduit Capital Partners has closed its third fund, Latin Power III, on $393m. The fund focuses on Latin America energy investments.
Equifin Capital appoints Renwick Paige as managing director, investor relations
27/07/2006. New York-based private equity firm Equifin Capital Partners has appointed Renwick A Paige as managing director responsible for investor relations and the syndication of co-investments.
UK F&C Trust increases target allocation to private equity
27/07/2006. UK growth investment trust Foreign & Colonial Investment Trust has announced its decision to significantly expand the trust's exposure to private equity.
US First Reserve hires Neil Hartley, Joshua Weiner, Matthew Raben
26/07/2006. US-based private equity firm First Reserve Corporation has appointed Neil J Hartley as director, Joshua R Weiner as assistant vice president and Matthew S Raben as assistant general counsel. Weiner and Raben will be based in First Reserve's headquarters in Greenwich, Connecticut, and Hartley will be with First Reserve International in London.
EIF and TTGV to support tech-related SMEs in Turkey
26/07/2006. The European Investment Fund has signed a collaboration agreement with the Ankara-based Technology Development Foundation of Turkey (TTGV) outlining a framework for a long-term co-operation.
Private equity consortium to acquire HCA in $33bn transaction
25/07/2006. A private equity consortium comprising Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., Bain Capital and Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity, and HCA founder Dr Thomas F Frist, Jr have agreed to acquire US healthcare services company HCA for approximately $33bn. The transaction includes the assumption or repayment of approximately $11.7bn of debt.
Energy Capital Partners to buy NU's competitive generation business for $1.34bn
25/07/2006. US-based private equity firm Energy Capital Partners has agreed to purchase Northeast Utilities' competitive generation assets in Connecticut and Massachusetts for $1.34bn, including the assumption of $320m in debt.
One Equity Partners to acquire NCO Group
25/07/2006. One Equity Partners, a private equity affiliate of JPMorgan Chase & Company, and Michael J Barrist, chairman, president and chief executive officer of NCO Group have agreed to acquire NCO Group, a provider of business process outsourcing services in a $1.26bn transaction.
Euro Choice III completes first closing on 296m
24/07/2006. Swiss-based mid-market buy-out specialist LODH Private Equity has completed the first closing of its new private equity investment fund, Euro Choice III, on 296m. The target of the fund is 350m and the final close is expected in autumn of this year.
Apax Partners France to acquire France Telecom Mobile Satellite Communications
24/07/2006. Apax Partners France has agreed with France Telecom to acquire 100 per cent of the shares of France Telecom Mobile Satellite Communications for 60m.
US venture capital investing in Q2 reaches highest level since Q4 2001
24/07/2006. US venture capital investing in the second quarter of 2006 reached its highest point in four and a half years. A total of $6.73bn was directed to 619 deals, according to the Quarterly Venture Capital Report released by Ernst & Young and VentureOne.
Cinven appoints Benoξt Valentin as partner
24/07/2006. Pan-European buy-out firm Cinven has appointed Benoξt Valentin as a partner. Following an initial period in Cinven's London office, Valentin is expected to join Cinven's Paris office in 2007.
AMVESCAP to acquire WL Ross & Co.
24/07/2006. London-headquartered investment manager AMVESCAP has agreed to acquire New York-based WL Ross & Co., a financial restructuring group with currently approximately $3.5bn in assets under management. The initial purchase price for the business is $100m. In addition, the agreement calls for five annual earn-out cash payments, each capped at $55m. The total purchase price may, therefore, be up to $375m.
CVC sells DT Group to Wolseley for 1.5bn
24/07/2006. European and Asian-based private equity firm CVC Capital Partners has signed an agreement to sell DT Group, a distributor of building materials in the Nordic region, to Wolseley, a distributor of heating and plumbing products, for 1.498bn.
GI Partners closes second fund on $1.45bn
24/07/2006. Trans-Atlantic private equity firm GI Partners has closed its latest fund, GI Partners Fund II, on $1.45bn.
KKR in negotiations with France Telecom to acquire its PagesJaunes stake for 3.3bn
24/07/2006. US buy-out giant Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. has entered into exclusive negotiations with France Telecom regarding the potential acquisition of its 54 per cent stake in PagesJaunes, a France-based publisher of directories, for a consideration of 22 per share.
Sovereign Capital hires Mark Williams as investment manager
21/07/2006. UK-based private equity buy-and-build specialist Sovereign Capital Partners is expanding its investment team with the recruitment of Mark Williams as investment manager, bringing Sovereign's investment team to 17.
Venture-backed European IPOs in Q2 up on previous quarter
20/07/2006. A total of 31 venture-backed European companies completed IPOs in the second quarter of 2006, 22 more than in the previous quarter and 13 more than in Q2 2005, according to the European Liquidity Report from Dow Jones VentureOne.
ABN AMRO Capital to acquire Amtico
20/07/2006. ABN AMRO Capital, the private equity business of Netherlands-based ABN AMRO, has agreed to acquire Amtico International, a flooring designer and manufacturer, from Electra Private Equity. The transaction values the business at £98.25m.
Mega funds dominate US private equity fundraising in Q2
19/07/2006. In the second quarter of this year 50 US venture capital funds raised a total of $11.21bn, the highest level since the first quarter of 2001, according to Thomson Financial and the National Venture Capital Association. A total of 35 US buy-out and mezzanine funds raised $30.81bn.
Norman Pearlstine joins Carlyle as senior advisor
18/07/2006. Norman Pearlstine, former editor in chief of Time and current senior advisor to Time Warner, has joined The Carlyle Group as a senior advisor to the global telecommunications and media team. Pearlstine will help identify investments, business opportunities and trends, particularly in the media sector, working with Carlyle's global buy-out, venture and growth capital teams. He will also work closely with many of Carlyle's existing portfolio companies.
US Bay Partners hires Richard Gorman
18/07/2006. Richard Gorman has joined Silicon Valley-based early stage venture capital firm Bay Partners as a member of its investment team. Gorman joins the firm as a venture partner with a focus on consumer and business software and open source software, and will be responsible for identifying and leading software investment opportunities.
Carlyle, Providence, GMT to sell Casema to Cinven, Warburg Pincus
18/07/2006. The Carlyle Group, Providence Equity Partners and GMT Communications Partners have agreed to sell Casema, a large cable operator in the Netherlands, to Cinven and Warburg Pincus. As part of the transaction, Warburg Pincus' stake in the Dutch cable operator Multikabel is to be contributed to the new holding company. Following completion, Casema will co-operate with Multikabel in providing cable services to the Dutch market. The total enterprise value of the transaction is 2.85bn.
American Private Equity Partners II closes on $146m
18/07/2006. Fort Worth, Texas-based American Beacon Advisors has closed its latest fund of funds, American Private Equity Partners II, on $145.7m. Commitments came from 61 institutional investors.
Terra Firma exits UK waste disposal business in £1.4bn deal
18/07/2006. Terra Firma's portfolio company WRG Holdings has agreed the sale of its waste disposal business (other than its waste-to-energy business) to Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas, a Spanish construction and service group, for £1.4bn.
Gresham 4 closes on hard cap of £340m
17/07/2006. UK-based mid-market private equity firm Gresham has closed Gresham 4 on £340m, the hard cap of the fund. The fund was oversubscribed at the hard cap, Gresham said in a statement.
UK Quester hires Rudy Burger, establishes San Francisco office
17/07/2006. UK venture capital firm Quester has appointed technology expert Rudy Burger as director of US business development. Burger will open an office for Quester in San Francisco.
Swiss Partners Group closes Partners Group Global Mezzanine 2005 on 282m
17/07/2006. Zug, Switzerland-headquartered alternative asset manager Partners Group has closed Partners Group Global Mezzanine 2005 on 282m, above its original target size of 250m.
Texas Pacific Group, Leonard Green & Partners to acquire PETCO Animal Supplies
17/07/2006. Fort Worth, Texas-based Texas Pacific Group and Los Angeles-based Leonard Green & Partners have agreed to acquire PETCO Animal Supplies - a specialty retailer of premium pet food, supplies and services - for $29.00 per share in cash. The total value of the transaction, including assumed debt, is approximately $1.8bn.
Carlyle raises $1.8bn for Asia buy-out fund
17/07/2006. US private equity giant The Carlyle Group has raised $1.8bn for Carlyle Asia Partners II, its second Asia buy-out fund. The amount raised nearly doubled its original target.
European Capital appoints Morey, Masters, Guna and Stoyanov
14/07/2006. European Capital Financial Services has appointed Alex Morey as director and Julian Masters as investment director in its UK buy-out team. In addition, joining the team as associates are Athesan Guna and Ivan Stoyanov.
Fundraising up 43 per cent in H1 2006 from H1 2005
14/07/2006. US private equity firms raised $96.4bn in 147 funds in the first half of 2006, representing an increase of 43 per cent from this point last year when 138 funds had raised $67.5bn, according to Dow Jones Private Equity Analyst.
3i to sell Interflora to FTD for £66m
13/07/2006. 3i has agreed to sell Interflora, a UK provider of floral services, to FTD Group, a US provider of floral services and products and a direct marketer of flowers and specialty gifts, for a consideration of £65.7m.
EMP appoints James Seymour as managing director
13/07/2006. Emerging markets private equity fund advisor EMP Global has appointed James D Seymour, a fund of funds manager with a long history in emerging markets, as a managing director.
Life Sciences Partners III closes on 150m
13/07/2006. Life Sciences Partners III has closed on 150m, above its original 120m target. The new fund will focus on investments in the Benelux and German-speaking countries. It aims to invest in 20 companies in the human life sciences - across all development stages - with a focus on human therapeutics.
French Chequers closes Chequers Capital XV on 600m
13/07/2006. Paris-based private equity firm Chequers Capital, formerly Charterhouse, has closed its latest fund, Chequers Capital XV, on 600m, the hard cap of the fund.
Private equity firms invest $2.1bn in India in second quarter
13/07/2006. Buy-out and venture capital firms invested about $2.085bn across 76 deals during the quarter ended June 2006, according to a study by Venture Intelligence.
US private equity firm Behrman sells Tandem Health Care in $620m transaction
13/07/2006. New York and San Francisco-based private equity firm Behrman Capital has sold Tandem Health Care, a Maitland, Florida-based provider of long-term healthcare services, to a consortium of JER Partners and Formation Capital in a $620m transaction.
Blackstone closes $15.6bn mega fund
12/07/2006. US buy-out giant The Blackstone Group has closed its new global private equity fund, Blackstone Capital Partners V, on $15.6bn, creating the largest private equity fund to date.
CM Capital Venture Trust 4 holds first closing on $120m
12/07/2006. Australian-based venture capital firm CM Capital Investments has announced a first closing of the CM Capital Venture Trust 4 on $120m.
Palamon European Equity II closes on 670m
12/07/2006. London-based mid-market private equity firm Palamon Capital Partners has announced the final closing of its second fund, Palamon European Equity II, with commitments totalling 670m.
Aureos Capital announces ownership changes
12/07/2006. CDC Group and Norfund have sold to Frontier Investments, the investment holding vehicle for Aureos Group employees, 26.5 per cent of the ordinary share capital of Aureos Capital Limited, a private equity investor in small and medium-sized enterprises in the emerging markets.
Danske PEP III closes on hard cap of 600m
11/07/2006. Danske Private Equity, manager of the Danske Private Equity Partners family of funds of funds and part of the Danske Bank Group, has closed Danske Private Equity Partners III on 600m, the hard cap of the fund. The fund's original target was 550m. The first closing, on 311m, was announced in November 2005. Danske PEP III was launched in spring 2005.
NEA closes new venture fund on $2.5bn
11/07/2006. New Enterprise Associates has closed NEA 12 on $2.5bn. Funding for NEA 12 was committed primarily from NEA's existing limited partners, consisting largely of a blue chip group of corporations, endowments, pension funds, fund of funds and individuals.
Value of UK buy-out deals in Q2 breaks £10bn mark for the first time
11/07/2006. In the second quarter of 2006 the value of UK buy-out deals broke the £10bn mark for the first time. The number of transactions concluded between April and June increased to 46 with a total value of £10.08bn, according to KPMG's Private Equity Group, which tracks UK buy-outs with value over £10m.
Lion Capital agrees to acquire European retailer La Senza
10/07/2006. London-based Lion Capital has agreed to acquire La Senza, a UK and European specialty retailer of women's lingerie and nightwear. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Gresham backs management buy-out of shower tray manufacturer Just Trays
10/07/2006. UK mid-market private equity specialist Gresham Private Equity has backed the management buy-out of Just Trays, a UK manufacturer of shower trays. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
Pan-European AnaCap builds up resources
10/07/2006. Pan-European private equity firm AnaCap Financial Partners, a specialist private equity fund focused on financial services throughout Europe, has added four investment professionals to its team. The new members come from backgrounds including private equity, investment banking and strategic financial consulting.
Volution sold in UK secondaries action
07/07/2006. ABN AMRO Capital, the private equity business of ABN AMRO, has agreed to acquire Volution Holdings from Montagu Private Equity.
Eurazeo creates new fund, moves rapidly to first close
07/07/2006. Eurazeo Co-investment Partners, a 500m co-investment fund, formed by France-based Eurazeo.
Stephens Group fills out their team
07/07/2006. The Stephens Group, Witt Stephens, Jr. and Elizabeth Stephens Campbell's newly formed private-equity firm, has added seven new members to their private equity investment team.
A new Page for Riverside
07/07/2006. US middle market player The Riverside Company, has added Beth Page to its deal sourcing and origination team. Page will be responsible for opening the firm's new office in Los Angeles, replacing Rob Austin who recently departed the firm to pursue an MBA at the Kellogg School of Management.
Life sciences close for Bailard
07/07/2006. US-based Bailard, Inc. announces the first and final close of its Emerging Life Sciences Fund I with $40m in committed capital.
Carlyle raises Japanese mega-fund
07/07/2006. Carlyle Group raises JPY 215.6bn (US$1.9bn) for their second Japan buy-out fund - the largest ever Japan-focused private equity buy-out fund.
Castle Harlan acquires Baker & Taylor in $455m deal
06/07/2006. Castle Harlan, the New York-based private equity firm, has completed the acquisition of Baker & Taylor, a global distributor of books and entertainment products to libraries and retailers.
Alan G Schwartz joins First Reserve
06/07/2006. First Reserve Corporation, a US-based private equity firm that specialises in the energy industry, has hired Alan G Schwartz as managing director.
HgCapital sells Castlebeck for £255m
06/07/2006. HgCapital, the European sector-focused private equity investor, has sold Castlebeck to Castle Holdings Limited, a Jersey-registered company associated with Barchester Healthcare group, the private healthcare provider.
US venture-backed IPOs tick up for Q2 2006
06/07/2006. There was an increase in US venture-backed companies completing IPOs during the second quarter of 2006, with 16 achieving public market exits raising a total of $1.25bn, according to new VentureOne statistics. This was the most capital raised via IPO for venture-backed companies since the third quarter of 2004.
Intel Capital backs Clearwire in $900m financing
06/07/2006. Clearwire Corporation, the high-speed wireless broadband services provider founded by Craig McCaw, has announced a series of transactions with the venture capital investment arm of Intel Corporation, Motorola and Motorola Ventures to accelerate the development and deployment of their portable and mobile WiMAX networks.
Duquesne goes for $1.59bn
06/07/2006. Macquarie-led consortium to acquire US-based Duquesne Light Holdings for $1.59bn.
Fry joins BioMedical Innovations
06/07/2006. BioMedical Innovations Management, a venture capital investment management firm focused on the European and Israeli Medical Technology sector, adds Dr Stephen M Fry as managing partner.
RHM exit for Doughty Hanson
06/07/2006. Doughty Hanson & Co and their co-investors have fully exited their stake in RHM after pricing a secondary placing of approximately 93m ordinary shares in the firm.
BC Partners acquires Mιdica in 750m deal
05/07/2006. European funds advised by BC Partners, alongside AXA Private Equity and the buy-out's management, have signed an agreement to acquire 100 per cent of the equity in French assisted accommodation firm Mιdica.
Permira announces first closing of latest fund on 10bn
04/07/2006. Permira has announced the first closing of a new fund, Permira IV, at 10bn. Further commitments from a number of structured products are expected to take the fund to its agreed cap of approximately 11bn ($14bn).
Final close on 800m for Babson Capital's mezz fund
04/07/2006. Babson Capital Europe, a leveraged loan manager in Europe, has held the final closing of its first dedicated European mezzanine fund, Almack Mezzanine I LP.
Gilde raises 85m for second healthcare fund
04/07/2006. Gilde Healthcare Partners, the European life sciences venture capital group, has announced the first closing of Gilde Healthcare II, its second life science venture fund. Current commitments to GHC II amount to 85m ($107m).
Bain and Blackstone in $6bn Michaels Stores recap
03/07/2006. Michaels Stores announces recapitalisation agreement with Bain Capital and The Blackstone Group for $6bn, or $44 per share.
French private equity group acquires Deutsch Connectors in $1.04bn deal
03/07/2006. Deutsch Connectors, a producer of connectors for the aerospace, defense, heavy vehicle and oil production sectors, has been acquired by WENDEL Investissement for $1.04bn.
Blackstone picks up Travelport
03/07/2006. Cendant agrees to sell its travel distribution services subsidiary Travelport to The Blackstone Group for $4.3bn in cash.
TDR Capital closes latest fund on 1.75bn
03/07/2006. European mid-market buy-out firm TDR Capital has announced the closing of its new fund, TDR Capital II on 1.75bn.
Onex Partners to acquire Aon Warranty Group for CDN $800m
03/07/2006. Onex has stated that they have agreed to acquire Aon Warranty Group, a provider of extended warranty contracts, for approximately CDN $800m (US$710m).
Encore Medical goes private in $870m deal
03/07/2006. US Encore Medical has entered into an agreement with Blackstone Capital Partners to go private in a deal worth $870m.
Vincent Dupuy joins Duke Street Capital France
03/07/2006. Mid-market private equity firm Duke Street Capital has appointed Vincent Dupuy as an investment manager for their French arm. Vincent will join DSC France later this month.
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