Firms & Funds

Anacap Financial Partners reportedly has raised €575 million ($814 million) for a new fund that would focus on acquisitions of European financial services companies. Limited partners include Goldman Sachs, Allianz and Morgan Stanley Alternative Investment Partners.

Apollo Management is preparing to raise a private equity real estate fund later this year and has hired professionals from Lehman Brothers, Goldman Sachs and Barclays Capital to lead the effort, according to Private Equity Real Estate. The group includes Scott Weiner and Ken Picache, Jason Eisenberg, Tim Fuzesi, and Joe Azrack, and Jon Thompson, the publication reported.

Brookstone Partners, a mid-market private equity firm, has launched an independently-operated investment advisory group called Brookstone Partners Asset Management.

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board said the value of its assets under management shrank 14 percent in fiscal 2009, which ended March 31.

Candover Investments PLC said it expects to stay within its financial covenants in 2009.

Castle Alternative Invest, a Swiss-listed fund of hedge funds, plans to list in London to improve the liquidity of its shares, its investment manager LGT Capital Partners said. The fund, which has assets of more than $500 million and which is on a discount to net asset value of 27 percent, will list its shares in London from June 5.

ICICI Bank plans to raise between $150 million and $200 million for a new fund that would focus on small and mid-sized companies in India.

JZ Capital Partners asked shareholders for more capital to repair its balance sheet, U.K. newspaper The Financial Times reported. The firm seeks $147 million. The firm told the FT that it was raising money to repay preference shares and have some leftover for acquisitions.

The New York State Teachers Retirement System said that it has adopted pay-to-play curbs in a conduct code the state attorney general devised in a settlement with The Carlyle Group.

Pantheon International, a listed U.K. private equity fund-of-funds investment trust, announced that it has entered into various agreements with institutional investors in which a number of the firm’s fund interests will be sold, reducing its unfunded commitments by GBP 154 million ($251 million) to GBP 533 million.

PPF Partners has launched as a private equity firm focused on investments in Central and Eastern Europe. Its initial fund has held a first close on €615 million, including more than €300 million in commitments from Italian insurer Assicurazioni Generali (which will hold a 27.5 percent stake in the firm).

Samena Capital, a U.K.-based manager of a $200 million special situations fund, has agreed to take over Vision Asia Pacific.