Emerging Manager Roundup: Communitas, Brutus, Civilization and more

By Chris Witkowsky and Paul Centopani

Three big-name executives are in the market raising their debut fund to invest in financial-technology entrepreneurs, sources said. They join a host of emerging managers seeking to secure funding–see round-up below.

Communitas Capital Partners Fund I is targeting $50 million, sources said.

Fund I has raised at least $14.9 million, according to a Form D fundraising document filed in January.

Communitas was formed in 2017 by Doug Atkin, Tom Glocer and Duncan Niederauer.

Atkin is former chief executive of electronic-trading business Instinet Group and of Majestic Research. And he led the Guggenheim Partners venture capital business from 2010 to 2014.

Glocer is former CEO of Thomson Reuters, a role he left in 2011. Prior to 2008, Glocer was CEO of Reuters, which he joined in 1993. He worked at Davis Polk & Wardwell from 1984 to 1993, his biography on Communitas’s website shows.

Niederauer was CEO of the New York Stock Exchange from 2007 to 2014. He worked at Goldman Sachs from 1985 to 2007, where he left as a partner, according to his bio.

Other executives include Richard Shi, partner and chief financial officer, who joined in January, according to his LinkedIn profile. Previously, Shi worked at Tiger Global Management from 2010 to 2017.

And Bryan Koplin, a former Goldman Sachs executive, joined last year as head of business development, his LinkedIn profile said.

Whether Communitas has yet made an investment is unclear. Zachary Tramonti, a spokesman for Communitas, declined comment.

Read on about other budding vehicles funds currently fundraising in the private equity and venture capital marketplaces:

Emerging Manager Funds of Interest

Buyout/Growth Equity

Brutus Capital Fund I, LLC

Nestled in the heart of downtown Washington, Brutus Capital is a nascent shop that aims its human capital toward executing analytics to achieve and sustain maximum value for businesses. Brutus’s debut fund is looking for $5 million in commitments.

http://brutuscapital.com  817-741-8000 Source: Form D

ERP Funds II, LP

ERP, or Energy Related Properties, is a private equity real estate investment firm that exclusively invests in properties where energy plays a significant role. The firm’s sophomore fund has no target listed but has collected $18.5 million thus far.

http://www.erpfunds.com  432-684-7539 Source: Form D

PT Arctic Fund II, LP

PT Capital is a PE firm with exclusive focus on investing opportunities in the emerging market of the Arctic, including Alaska, Iceland, Greenland, Finland, and Canada, especially with indigenous-owned businesses. PT’s second fund plans to raise $250 million.

http://ptcapital.com 907-433-6600 Source: Form D

Yenni Income Opportunities Fund I, L.P.

Yenni Capital aims for control equity positions in profitable, growth oriented U.S. companies with minimal capex requirements in the middle market. Yenni is targeting $300 million for its maiden fund and has collected $7.2 million so far.

http://www.yennicapital.com 212-843-1828 Source: Form D

Venture Capital

Civilization Ventures II, L.P.

Civilization Ventures looks to back disruptive, cutting-edge technologies in health technology and synthetic biology. The firm’s sophomore fundraise has a $25 million end goal.

http://www.civilizationventures.com 650-838-4434 Source: Form D

Future Capital Discovery Fund III, L.P.

Based in Beijing, Future Capital Discovery Fund is an early-stage investment venture capital fund, investing behind internet companies covering customer services, enterprise services, hardware healthcare and education. Fund III is targeting $100 million.

http://www.future-cap.com +852 6618-0608 Source: Form D

SOSV IV LP

SOSV is a multistage venture capital and investment management firm that provides seed, venture and growth stage funding to startup companies making positive change in the technology industry. SOSV’s fourth fund is aiming for $250 million.

https://sosv.com 512-698-9600 Source: Form D, PEHub

TVC Capital IV LP

Working out of San Diego, TVC Capital sponsors software companies that take interest in enterprise video, cloud enablement, fintech, digital health, and SaaS conversion. The firm’s fourth fund seeks $180 million in commitments.

https://tvccapital.com 858-704-3216 Source: Form D, PEHub

Private Equity Market at a Glance