Firms & Funds

Charterhouse Capital Partners has held a €3.6 billion first close for its ninth European buyout fund, according to LBO Wire. The overall target is €6 billion. Limited partners include the Massachusetts Pension Reserves Investment Management Board and the Washington State Investment Board.

Elysian Capital is targeting £200 million for its debut fund, with a first close expected by year-end. The U.K.-based mid-market buyout firm’s partners include Doughty Hanson co-founder Ken Terry.

Flexpoint Ford (f.k.a. Flexpoint Partners), a Chicago-based private equity firm focused on the financial services and healthcare sectors, has closed its second fund with a total of $1.28 billion. The first $800 million is for the firm’s general fund, while the other $480 million is for an overage fund.

Goldman Sachs has closed its first ever senior debt fund with $10.5 billion in commitments.

Gordon Brothers Group has formed GB Investment Management Group, an umbrella group to manage all of the firm’s funds and legacy investments.

HealthpointCapital is raising up to $700 million for its third fund, according to a regulatory filing. It has already secured more than $430 million in capital commitments. The New York-based firm focuses on private equity opportunities in the musculoskeletal sector — specifically orthopedics and dental. It closed its second fund in early 2007 with $420 million.

Istithmar World Capital, the investment arm of Dubai World, is opening an office in New York. It is the firm’s first office in the Americas, and will be headed by Felix Herlihy and John Amato.

JPMorgan Securities has downgraded the stock of American Capital Ltd. from “neutral” to “underweight.”

The Kansas Public Employees Retirement System has approved a $25 million commitment to TowerBrook Investors III, a private equity fund managed by TowerBrook Capital Partners.

Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors is nearing a final close on its fifth energy-focused private equity fund, peHUB reports. The effort has a $1.6 billion target, and is loosely slated to finish up on Nov. 20.

Key Capital Corp. has raised nearly $60 million for a secondary fund that will acquire direct interests in small private equity transactions, according to a regulatory filing.

Merrill Lynch has raised $2.65 billion for an Asian real estate opportunity fund.

Quantum Energy Partners has secured $2 billion in LP commitments for its fifth fund, peHUB reports. It will use rolling closes until reaching its $2.75 billion target.

RLJ Equity Partners, a private equity firm headed by BET founder Robert Johnson, has secured three-quarters of its $300 million target, according to LBO Wire. Limited partners include General Electric.