News and Analysis

The committee set-up to tackle the problem of small and medium-sized UK enterprises failing to secure public sector contracts has called on businesses, public purchasers and industry groups to submit evidence of their experiences of doing business across both central government and local authorities. A webpage has been set-up by the Office of Government Commerce […]

Paris headquartered Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners (ERIP) has raised €150m for BioDiscovery 3, its latest venture capital fund aimed at European life science businesses. The new vehicle will make between 15 and 20 investments in therapeutic drug companies and a combination of medical technology and molecular diagnostic companies, investing up to €15m per deal. […]

Octopus Investments, the UK based alternative investment specialist, is seeking to raise up to £25m for Octopus Titan VCT 3, to follow up on the success of the Octopus Titan twin VCT which has successfully raised over £30m since its launch in November 2007. The fund’s strategy will focus on smaller unquoted UK companies. The […]

Dutch mid-market firm Waterland Private Equity Investments has closed its fourth fund on its hard cap of €800m just three months after launch and twice the size of its previous offering. Waterland Private Equity Fund IV (WPEF IV) will target medium sized companies with revenues between €10m and €150m operating in Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and […]

UK VC MTI has returned its investment in ApaTech, a UK specialist in bone graft technology, in a deal which sees company raise US$45m in a development capital round led by 3i and US investor HealthCor. MTI still retains a significant stake in the business, which it backed in April 2004, leading a £4.55m series […]

Canadian pension funds are looking beyond North America and focusing on Europe, Asia and other emerging markets

The Board of the $34 billion Pennsylvania State Employees’ Retirement System earlier this month approved $150 million in new commitments to distressed debt, technology and secondary funds. All investments will be funded from cash as part of the pension fund’s long-term investment plan. A €25 million ($40 million) slug will go to Avenue Europe Special […]

The $155 billion New York State Common Retirement Fund is in the final stages of its search for a manager of its private equity emerging manager program, according to Thomas DiNapoli, the state comptroller and sole trustee of the fund. “We are weeks away from making a choice, and the interviews are moving along. We […]

Adams Street Partners to scale up its co-investment activity with its second dedicated pool of capital Funds of funds manager and investment adviser Adams Street Partners plans to scale up its co-investment activity with its second dedicated pool of capital. The Chicago-based firm held a first close on $200 million at the end of the […]