U.K.’s BlueGem II adds commitments from U.S. investors

The firm reported a date of first sale of Nov. 22, 2013 for BlueGem II LP, with a total amount sold of $61.5 million, which does not include $220 million of interests sold to non-U.S. investors, according to an amended Form D filing.

A previous Form D filing on Jan 9, 2014 that disclosed $7.7 million from U.S. investors and $177.6 million from non-U.S. investors shows the firm added nearly $100 million in commitments in the past year for BlueGem II.

BlueGem executives did not return a call to the firm’s London office.

Among its high profile deals, BlueGem bought London’s historic Liberty department store in 2010. In 2012, BlueGem paid an undisclosed sum to buy Enotria Group, the leading wholesale trade wine specialist in the U.K.

Other portfolio companies include Management Consulting Group PLC, The Private Clinic Ltd, which is a chain of cosmetic treatment clinics; also Fintyre S.p.A., a tire distribution specialist in Italy and mobile commerce specialist Neomobile S.p.A, according to a press release and the firm’s website.

Marco Capello and Marco Anatriello, co-founders of BlueGem Capital, launched the firm in 2006 after working at Merrill Lynch. Capello was managing director of Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity after working at Credit Suisse and Wasserstein Perella. Anatriello was a member of the Merrill Lynch investment banking team in Milan and London.

The firm’s first fund raised about 200 euros, or $236 million based on recent exchange rates, according to reports.