Firms & Funds

Ares Capital and Veronis Suhler Stevenson announced a partnership “to source and provide flexible senior debt financing to companies in select industries with $5 million to $35 million of EBITDA.” Those industries are: information, education, media and marketing services.

Avista Capital Partners has opened an office in London, which will be staffed by three former team members of DLJ Merchant Banking Partners. This is Avista’s first European office. The team members are: Newton Aguiar, Allen Yurko and Kunal Pandit.

Gemini Investors has closed its fifth fund with $60 million in capital commitments, according to a regulatory filing. The Wellesley, Mass.-based firm focuses on middle-market companies in the technology, business services, consumer services, health care, education, manufacturing and distribution sectors. Gemini raised $58 million for its fourth fund in 2005, which followed a $180 million third fund raised in 2000.

IGNIA Fund, a venture capital firm focused on Mexico and the rest of Latin America, has closed its debut vehicle with $102 million in capital commitments.

Linden LLC, a Chicago-based private equity firm focused on health care and life sciences companies, has closed its second fund with $375 million in capital commitments. The firm originally went out with a $300 million and $350 million hard cap, but raised the limit due to oversubscription.

LGT Capital Partners has closed its second global secondaries fund with $1.2 billion in capital commitments. The Swiss firm manages a total of $19 billion in private equity and hedge fund investments.

New Energy Capital is raising up to $100 million for a new fund that will focus on cleantech infrastructure opportunities, according to a regulatory filing. The Hanover, N.H.-based group also has added Curt Whittaker, head of the energy practice group at law firm Rath, Young and Pignatelli, as a part-time director.

New Horizon Capital, a Japanese private equity firm, plans to raise up to ¥50 billion ($560 million) for a second fund for investments in small and medium-sized firms.

Partners Group has closed a new mezzanine debt fund with €553 million in capital commitments.

Quintana Energy Group, an affiliate of Quintana Capital Group, is raising upwards of $650 million for its second fund, according to a regulatory filing. So far it has secured around $271 million in capital commitments, with C.P. Eaton serving as placement agent. The Houston-based firm makes control-oriented equity investments across the oil and natural gas, coal and power industries.