Firms & Funds

21 Investimenti, an Italian mid-market private equity firm, has held a €150 million first close for its second fund. A final close on €200 million is expected to occur by year-end.

Apollo Management has secured $512.5 million in capital commitments for a credit liquidity fund, according to a regulatory filing. The listed target is $625 million.

Bank of Scotland Corporate has acquired a 19.9 percent stake in Pi Capital, a U.K.-based investment club for high-net-worth entrepreneurs. No financial terms were disclosed. Pi has co-invested with such private equity firms as Alchemy, Englefield Capital and BC Partners.

The Blackstone Group has set a $20 billion target for its next private equity fund, according to LBO Wire. The firm also reported a $113.2 million Q3 loss, on charges related to its IPO.

The Carlyle Group has closed its first infrastructure fund with $1.15 billion in capital commitments. The fund will invest primarily in transportation and water infrastructure projects in the U.S. and Canada, generally ranging from $100 million to more than $1 billion in enterprise value.

Carousel Capital has closed its third fund with $210 million in capital commitments. The Charlotte, N.C.-based firm acquired small-market profitable companies in the Southeastern U.S.

CDC Group has made a pair of $10 million commitments to private equity funds focused on opportunities in South Africa. The first is to Medu Capital Fund II, while the other is to Horizon Equity III.

Champ Private Equity, the Australian private equity firm that is 50 percent owned by Castle Harlan, will open an office in Singapore. It will be led by Champ managing director Nathanial Childres.

The Global Emerging Markets Group and Fiduciaria Bogota S.A. have agreed to jointly raise and sponsor a $220 million private equity fund. The vehicle will acquire both control and minority positions in small-and-mid-sized companies based in Colombia. Juan Pablo Ospina, former director general of SEAF Columbia, will serve as fund manager and oversee day-to-day operations. GEMG managing directors will also participate.

Gresham, a UK-based mid-market private equity firm, has formed a dedicated energy and environmental team. It will be co-led by existing partners Andy Marsh and Christian Bruning.

HarbourVest Partners, a Boston-based fund-of-funds manager, plans to float a newly-formed closed-end investment vehicle on the Euronext Amsterdam. It plans to raise $400 million for HarbourVest Global Private Equity, which would result in a market cap of approximately $830 million.

Istithmar, a Dubai-based private equity firm, has opened a new office in Shanghai, China. It is the firm’s first office outside of the UAE and will be led by managing directors Gable Gao and Jane Shao.

KRG Capital Partners has closed its fourth fund with $1.96 billion in capital commitments. The Denver-based firm began fundraising in May with a $1.25 billion target, and will continue to acquire profitable middle-market companies that can benefit from a “buy and build” investment strategy.

Natural Gas Partners has secured just over $2 billion in capital commitments for its ninth fund, according to a regulatory filing. The Irving, Texas-based firm lists its target as “indeterminate.”

Onex Corp. announced that it will soon begin raising its third buyout fund with a $4.5 billion target. The firm’s second fund is currently 75 percent committed.

Alex Sink, chief financial officer for the State of Florida, has directed state investment managers to assess whether Florida’s portfolio has gotten too risky with changes in the market.

Technology Crossover Ventures has closed its seventh fund with $3 billion in capital commitments. This is more than double the size of TCV’s sixth fund, which closed in $1.4 billion in November 2005. The Palo Alto, Calif.-based firm will continue to invest in later-stage technology companies.

Warburg Pincus has held a $9 billion first close for its tenth fund, according to a regulatory filing. The New York-based firm is targeting $12 billion with a $15 billion cap, and began fundraising this past March.