Fund News In Brief

The private equity arm of French insurance giant AXA has raised €1.75 billion ($2.3 billion) for investments in European infrastructure. The AXA Infrastructure Fund III, the group’s largest to date, closed with €1.45 billion while investors committed a further €300 million for investments outside the fund.

CapMan has established its fourth private equity real estate fund in the Nordic countries. The investment capacity of CapMan Nordic Real Estate is approximately €125 million ($162.8 million) following the first closing.

Oakfield Capital Partners, a UK-based buyout firm specializing in investing in small and mid-sized British businesses, is to launch a new £20 million ($30.3 million) fund that will allow its investors to qualify for tax relief under the government-backed Enterprise Investment Scheme. OCP’s UK Special Situations Fund will invest in six to eight SME businesses that need both finance and management support to realize their full potential.

Perella Weinberg Partners announced it will launch PWP Growth Equity, a lower middle market fund. David Ferguson and Chip Baird, both Western Presidio veterans, will join the firm as partners and will be based in New York.

Partners Group has closed its latest fund, Partners Group Global Value 2011, with €680 million ($886.3 million) in commitments, the firm announced. The fund will fund private investments including private equity transactions, secondary purchases, fund commitments and mezzanine financings, the firm said. The program is the third and largest in Partners Group’s Global Value series, following 2006 and 2008 vintage programs, which closed on more than €400 million and more than €530 million respectively.

Permira Advisers Ltd has cut its fundraising targets by nearly a quarter, amid a tough environment for private equity in the aftermath of the financial crisis, Reuters reported, citing the Financial Times. The company has informed investors it now plans to raise €4 billion to €5 billion, down from the €6.5 billion ($8.47 billion) it was initially aiming to raise, Reuters reported.