European Venture Capital Journal articles from October 2007

European Venture Capital Journal archives from October 2007

Back to the future: Venture is back!(EDITOR'S NOTE)
October 1, 2007... What a difference a year makes. I've often wondered what it would feel like to take a trip into the future and this month I landed. After a year out of a market that was at the time characterised by mega deals, mega exits and mega funds, I have...

Barclays Private Equity brings in 2.4bn [euro].(LONDON)
October 1, 2007... UK buyouts house Barclays Private Equity has raised 2.4bn [euro] from existing investors for its third fund Barclays Private Equity European Fund III. The vehicle received 1.7bn [euro] of investment from 25 blue-chip financial groups across the...

Bank of England to prop up UK banks.(LONDON)
October 1, 2007... The Bank of England has announced it is to inject 10bn [euro] into the financial markets in an effort to bring down the London Interbank Offered Rate (Libor). It's a U-turn for the bank which had just a week earlier said it would not be doing...

Clessidra mulling LSE bid.(MILAN)
October 1, 2007... Milan-headquartered private equity firm Clessidra Capital Partners is reported to be considering a bid for an 8% stake in the London Stock Exchange (LSE) as part of a financial consortium. The US technology stockmarket NASDAQ has its 31% stake...

First CEE deal for Arcapita.(WARSAW/BARCELONA)
October 1, 2007... Arcapita Bank--an international investment firm headquartered in Bahrain has made its first investment into Central and Eastern Europe by forming two joint ventures with Layetana Developments, a leading Spanish residential developer, to...

Big returns for clean energy.(ZURICH)
October 1, 2007... European venture capital investors are on track to realise annualised gross returns above 50% from investment in clean energy companies, according to analysis by New Energy Finance for the European Energy Venture Fair. The study looked at the...

ABN ends PE activity in Spain and Italy.(MILAN/MADRID)
October 1, 2007... ABN AMRO Capital has spun-out from Dutch investment bank ABN AMRO to become AAC Capital Partners, and closed down its operations in Italy and Spain in the process. The new firm, which has received an investment of 2bn [euro] from its...

KKR warned off shipping firm buyout.(ISTANBUL)
October 1, 2007... KKR's takeover of Turkish shipping company UN Ro-Ro has been attacked by the company's chairman, Saffet Ulusoy. In a newspaper interview Ulusoy made it clear he opposes the sale, which would cost the US buyouts giant around 910m [euro], on the...

A good vintage: many private equity firms are sweating about the future of their highly leveraged investments, but there are others, in particular the turnaround and special situation funds, who anticipate making some stellar returns.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The LBO market remains strong when profitability is high, private equity multiples are modest, the real cost of debt is low and the risk appetite still remains to buy the debt. The latter is most definitely missing...

Dublin's Silicon Valley: the Irish venture capital industry's heavy investment in technology makes it much more similar to the US model than that of its European neighbours.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In the decade leading up to 1854 over two million Irish men and women, a quarter of the population of Ireland, emigrated to the United States. This influx of people created a bond between the two countries unlike any...

VC shakeout: Esprit and Quester get new owners as venture market consolidates. Tom Allchorne looks at the changing face of European VC.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A sked if competition is fierce, it's quite common for European VCs to respond in the negative, arguing that they are much more likely to enter a syndicate with a rival firm than battle it out against them. More than...

Apax hopes for an Indian stunner: UK buyout firm makes double its investment over the summer while Western private equity firms continue their assault on the country's assets.(NEWS ANALYSIS)(Company overview)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] UK buyout giant Apax has made its first independent investment in India, paying US$104m for an 11% stake in private healthcare group Apollo Hospitals. The deal comes just under a year after the firm opened an office...

Venture funds seek a home: while venture capital returns in Europe are showing a marginal recovery, investors remain challenged when seeking to deploy capital into venture capital funds due to a shortage of venture firms with both an experienced team and good track record of returns.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
October 1, 2007... Now venture returns are showing signs of improvement, LPs are looking for ways to channel their venture allocations, but many are left feeling frustrated as most venture fund sizes are small and those few accomplished venture funds that have...

Enhanced classifications.(VCT FUNDS)
October 1, 2007... The Association of Investment Companies (AIC) has introduced a new classification system for Venture Capital Trusts, creating six new sub-sectors which expand on the current 'specialist" and 'generalist' categories. VCTs will also be divided...

Darwin reaches second close.(CLOSE)
October 1, 2007... London-based Darwin Private Equity, which was launched in March by three former executives of CVC and Permira, has reached the second close on the Darwin Private Equity I fund at 122m [pounds sterling]. The fund has commitments from eight...

Alven Capital's first close.(CLOSE)
October 1, 2007... The French venture capital firm, Alven Capital has reached its first close on a third generation fund. The fund has a target size of 100m [euro] but has taken in 80m [euro] in its first six months of fundraising. In addition to its...

Cape Natixis raises 195m [euro] for Italian mid-market: Cape Natixis due will also target selective investment in China.(CLOSE)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Milan-based Cape Natixis is celebrating the first and final close of Cape Natixis Due at 195m [euro], exceeding its original target of 160m [euro]. The fired, which invited only selected investors, was...

Carlyle closes third mega fund raising for Europe: Carlyle builds on a decade of European success.(EUROPEAN BUYOUTS)(Carlyle Group L.P.)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... The Carlyle Group has closed its third dedicated European buyout fund, Carlyle Europe Partners III (CEP III), at 5.35bn [euro]. Building on The Carlyle Group's decade of success in Europe, CEP III will invest in Carlyle's core sectors of...

Central Europe gets 1bn [euro] for buyouts: mid Europa partners reaches first close in just four months.(FIRST CLOSE)
October 1, 2007... Mid Europa Partners, the private equity firm focused on buyouts in Central Europe, has attracted capital commitments in excess of 1bn [euro] for the first close of its third fund, Mid Europa Fund III LP. Fund III was launched in May 2007....

Ventech celebrates 150m [euro] fund raising success: venture firm closes its third fund on target.(VENTURE CLOSE)
October 1, 2007... Ventech has reached a final close of its third venture capital fund, Ventech Capital III, at l50m [euro] as targeted. The fund, sponsored by Natixis Private Equity, attracted several new investors, such as AGF, CDC Entreprises, the Groupe...

Partners raises 400m [euro].(CLOSE)(Partners Group)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Partners Group, the Swiss-based alternative asset manager, has reached final close on Partners Group Global Value 2006. The fund reached its target value of 400 [euro] and is currently 39% invested and will commence distribution activity to...

NVF reaches first close.(CLOSE)(Noble Venture Finance )(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Noble Fund Managers has reached the first close of its second venture finance fund, Noble Venture Finance II. The fund is 13m [pounds sterling] shy of its 100m [pounds sterling] target, making it more than twice the size of its predecessor...

PPM new fund.(LAUNCH)(PPM Capital's acquisition by M and G Group)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... PPM Capital, the private equity arm of Prudential, is in takeover discussions with M&G. M&G's purchase of PPM Capital is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2007. In addition, PPM is expected to announce the! first closing of its...

Kennet's tech sale.(TRADE SALE)
October 1, 2007... Kennet Partners, an international growth equity firm focused on the technology sector, sold its stake in portfolio company Chipidea Micro-electronica to MIPS Technologies. The sale was part of the acquisition of 100% of the shares in Chipidea...

Close Ventures sells Bold Pub Co.(TRADE SALE)
October 1, 2007... Close Ventures has sold Bold Pub Company to Calco Midlands. Close Ventures has invested a total of 6.5m [pounds sterling] since 2004 into the company to acquire pubs to form the estate. The investments created an overall IRR in excess of 20%...

Electra cashes In Allflex.(REFINANCING)
October 1, 2007... Electra Private Equity has refinanced Allflex Holdings II, in a transaction led by Royal Bank of Scotland. Electra will receive cash proceeds of $78.3m together with interests in the new company valued at $114.0m. At current exchange rates, the...

Carlyle sells German human resources group: book building process provides exit route.(TRADE SALE)
October 1, 2007... The $71.4bn global private equity firm The Carlyle Group sold its 66.64% majority shareholding in Personal & Informatik, a human resources software company based in Wiesbaden, Germany. The Carlyle Group has been the major shareholder of...

Mid Europa Partners leads Poland's largest recap ever: Aster raises 415m [euro] in senior, mezzanine and pay-in-kind facilities.(REFINANCING)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Mid Europa Partners, the 2.1bn [euro] private equity firm focused on buyouts in Central Europe, completed the recapitalisation of its portfolio company, Aster, a Polish cable broadband operator. Aster raised 415m [euro] through a...

Baird sells TEAM BS: German arm sells stake in staffing solution specialist specialists.(TRADE SALE)
October 1, 2007... Baird Capital Partners Europe has sold TEAM BS, an Offenbach-based provider of short-term staffing solutions, for (71m [euro] to Randstad Group. Randstad is one of the largest temporary and contract staffing organizations in the world and...

French VCs toast Vox Mobili exit: Iris Capital heads syndicate selling software business to OnMobile.(TELECOMS SALE)(Company overview)
October 1, 2007... Vox Mobili, a French company that specialises in software for mobile devices, has been acquired by Indian telecoms company OnMobile. The deal represents an exit for a host of French VCs which have invested in the firm since it was founded...

New home for Ruskin.(MANAGEMENT)
October 1, 2007... UK small-cap firm Matrix Private Equity Partners has sold Ruskin Homes for an undisclosed sum, generating a 2.6x return and a 25% IRR over the five year investment period. Matrix has sold the business to the incumbent management, which it...

Surfachem fids the right chemistry.(TRADE SALE)(acquisition by 2M Holdings)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Surfachem, a U K distributor of speciality chemicals backed by 3i, has been acquired by 2M Holdings, a holding company targeting the chemicals sector. Surfachem was founded in 1981 by UtdckAlexander and has become one of the remaining...

Kaupthing doubles return.(TRADE SALE)(Costcutter Supermarkets Group acquired by Bibby Line Group Ltd.)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Kaupthing has sold its stake in Costcutter, the UK convenience store, to Bibby Line, the UK transport and shipping group. The sale has made Kaupthing a 2x return with an IRR of 67%. Bibby currently distributes to Costcutter stores through...

Sweet float for Truffle.(IPO)
October 1, 2007... Truffle Capital, a French venture capital firm, has taken GoAdv, an Irish online media company, public on the Altemext Market of Euronext Paris. It was given a market capitalisation of 34m [euro]. "GoAdv has a unique position in Europe,...

A fund too far? Fund-of-funds offerings have been multiplying steadily over the years. But will the current credit squeeze mean lower returns for what is already an over-crowded market?(FUND-OF-FUNDS)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As with other parts of the private equity industry, the fund-of-funds market has been transformed in the last few years. Attracted by the stellar returns of buyout funds, there has been a boom in fund-of-funds...

Anyone for venture? With evidence that the cycle of easy credit for LBOs is over, are fund-of-funds looking more closely at venture capital funds? After all, research has suggested a renewal of investor interest in venture capital in particular in the UK.(FUND-OF-FUNDS)
October 1, 2007... Last year, venture-backed companies in the UK raised 1.4bn [pounds sterling], up 27% on 2005. The increase is attributed to factors such as a growing perception among VC firms that the industry is finally bouncing back after the dot.com crash...

In good health: with strong and steady revenue streams, healthcare businesses are always going to be a good bet for private equity firms. And with UK healthcare spending on the up, there are increasing investment opportunities for private equity firms focusing on this sector.(HEALTHCARE)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Total spending on healthcare in the UK rose to an estimated 120bn [pounds sterling] in 2006, representing 9.4% of gross domestic product (GDP), up from 7.1% in 2001. And between 2000 and 2004 the increase in spending...

Investing with a confident smile: dental body corporates (DBCs) are consolidating a fragmented industry.(HEALTHCARE)
October 1, 2007... While much of the healthcare sector has been snapped up by private equity investors and grown into consolidated businesses, the dental body corporates (DBCs) in the UK are just starting to consolidate the fragmented dental service providers...

A new dawn: Ari Jauho, chief executive of OKO Private Equity, formerly Proventure, talks to EVCJ about being part of a larger organization and where the team goes from here.(LP PROFILE)(Interview)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] February this year saw Finnish OKO Bank subsidiary OKO Asset Management acquire independent fund-of-funds Proventure. The group has a new name OKO Private Equity Funds Limited, but the team remains intact, with the...

Archangel: Alexander Haislip talks to angel investor Morten Lund, the first investor in Skype and shows how getting back to basics can save the venture capital business from fading into irrelevance.(VENTURE PROFILE)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Morten Lund thinks most VCs are gutless. He dismisses most of them as living off the fees they charge their limited partners and he believes that most won't risk their own wealth in the hopes of seeing a big return...

Strike it lucky: Robert Stokes takes a look at what the state of the debt market means for those investors who are wondering where to put their money.(LP ANALYSIS)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The mental image of investors, asset managers and GPs crowded together on a high branch trying to get a clear view of what is on the debt market horizon is a strikingly apt one. "Everyone's up in trees trying to...

Lessons learnt: the protracted takeover battle for Spanish energy group Endesa had many twists and turns in its story and highlighted some serious flaws in Spain's takeover code. Ian Fraser explains the new code should bring a greater level of transparency in the future.(LEGAL AND REGULATORY)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The battle culminated in Germany's E.on being out-manoeuvred by a combination of Italy's Enel and Spain's Acciona. For the Government of Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero this was a pyrrhic victory. It achieved its goal...

Apax chairman moves to Riverstone.(MANAGEMENT)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Lord Browne of Madingley, the non-executive chairman of Apax Partners, has stepped down to take up the position of managing director and managing partner of Riverstone Europe as the US private equity firm looks to...

Close Bros management reshuffle.(PEOPLE)(Richard Grainger resigned from Close Brothers Group PLC)(appointment of Stephen Aulsebrook )(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Richard Grainger (left) has stepped down as CEO of UK corporate finance firm Close Brothers after five years to be replaced by Stephen Aulsebrook, currently head of European special situations. Grainger, who...

Scannapieco named as EIB vice-president.(PEOPLE)
October 1, 2007... Dario Scannapieco, director general of the privatisation and finance department, is to succeed Gerlando Genuardi as Italian vice president of the European Investment Bank (EIB). He will oversee financing operations in Italy, Greece, Cyprus,...

Advent installs head of new Kiev office.(PEOPLE)(Advent International PLC appointed Tamas Nagy and Natalie Polischuk )(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Advent International has named Tamas Nagy as head of the firm's new office in Kiev, joined by Natalie Polischuk as principal. Nagy has been with Advent since 2003, focusing on investments and exits in Hungary,...

Paternoster adds duo.(PEOPLE)(appointment of David Briscombe and Patrick Schoeb)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Paternoster, the pensions insurance company, has added two members to its team, David Briscombe and Patrick Schoeb. Briscombe has been appointed to the position of director of finance and actuarial (India). He comes from ING (India) where...

Pantheon names New York head.(PEOPLE)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] UK fund-of-funds manager Pantheon has added Rudy Scarpa to its secondary investment team as a partner. He will head the New York office, which is set to open in the autumn, joining the firm's existing US office in...

Kreos recruits Simon Hirtzel as COO.(PEOPLE)
October 1, 2007... Kreos Capital, a London-headquartered venture debt provider, has appointed Simon Hirtzel as Chief Operating Officer. As the COO of Kreos, Hirtzel will take a critical role in the execution of the company's growth plans as it continues to invest...

KPMG Germany names new pensions head.(PEOPLE)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] KPMG has recruited Graham Pearce as a partner to lead a newly created pensions advisory team within the transaction services practice. He will be based in Germany Prior to joining KPMG, Pearce was at Mercer for...

Library House unveils new CEO.(PEOPLE)
October 1, 2007... Library House, the UK venture capital research house, has named John Owen as CEO. A City veteran of over 25 years, Owen has held senior management positions at ING, Capco, Bankers Trust, IBM and UBS. In a statement, Library House said: "Much of...

Kennet promotes Frank.(PEOPLE)
October 1, 2007... UK technology investor Kennet Partners has promoted Evan Frank to the position of director. Frank has been with the firm since 2005 when he joined the London office as an associate. At Kennet he has focused on European deal origination and...

Monument adds to London office.(PEOPLE)(Monument Group appointed Janet Brooks to its London office)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Monument Group, the US private equity placement agent, has added ECI's Janet Brooks to its London team as the firm looks to expand its European coverage. At mid-market private equity house ECI Partners, where she...

Sovereign strengthens investment team.(PEOPLE)(Sovereign Capital appointed Tim Whittard )(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sovereign Capital, the UK private equity buy-and-build specialist, has recruited Tim Whittard to its investment team. He joins Sovereign from Gresham where he was an investment director. While at Gresham he completed...

EI adds one and promotes another.(EASTERN EUROPE)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Polish buyouts house Enterprise Investors has appointed Monika Nachya as a partner and promoted Cristian Nacu, head of the firm's Romanian office, to partner. Nachya's responsibilities will include fundraising...

Emerging private equity market fund raising boom: fund raising levels reach over $21bn.(DATA ROOM)
October 1, 2007... Fund raising in the emerging private equity markets of Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa reached record levels in the first half of 2007 with 107 private equity funds raising US$21.5bn in capital commitments in the first...

Good returns in 2006: SCM research highlights strong performance in 2006.(DATA ROOM)
October 1, 2007... While many are panicking about the state of the debt markets and what this will mean for private equity returns, research from SCM Strategic Capital Management confirms the private equity industry remains strong and capable of weathering any...

LBO syndications arranged September.(BUYOUTS)
October 1, 2007... COMPANIES IN THIS SECTION LBC TANK TERMINALS SCHENCK PROCESS ELENOR SATELLITE SERVICES LBC Tank Terminals TARGET NATION: FRANCE DATE ANNOUNCED: 19/04/07 DEAL TYPE: SECONDARY BUYOUT ACQUIRER: CHALLENGER...

Refinancing.(BUYOUTS)
October 1, 2007... COMPANIES IN THIS SECTION DONCASTERS ODECO GROUP TOGNUM VTG Doncasters TARGET NATION: UK DATE ANNOUNCED: 22/06/07 SPONSOR: DUBAI INTERNATIONAL CAPITAL MANDATED ARRANGERS: CREDIT SUISSE AND RBS ...

Private equity-backed takeovers subject to EU competition law.(BUYOUTS)
October 1, 2007... COMPANIES IN THIS SECTION AA/SAGA BRAKE BROS FLAKT WOODS GROUP HT TROPLAST STORK TELENOR SATELLITE SERVICES ACCORD BVDEP HEJENION (SOFLOG-TELIS) SCANDLINES SWETS AA/Saga PRIVATE...

Seeking buyers.(Public notice)
October 1, 2007... SEEKING BUYERS Seeking buyers includes listings of all European companies that have announced plans since August 18, 2007 until September 19, 2007 to sell divisions, stakes or their entire company. It also includes purported sales...

Announced deals.(Public notice)
October 1, 2007... ANNOUNCED DEAL Announced deals includes listing of private equity and venture capital transactions involving European targets announced between August 18, 2007 to September 14, 2007. The listings are ordered by target nation, and...

Dolly not yet turned to Lolly: As public markets remain tricky for biotech companies M&A activity in the sector has surged. But will this hyper-activity prevent Europe from producing the European equivalent of Genzyme or Amgen? James Gubbins, a partner at Morrison & Foerster comments.(COMMENT)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A recent article in the London Times newspaper lead with the headline "Hello Dolly, but things aren't looking swell". It is true that the European biotech sector continues to face some serious challenges in accessing...

Good reporting: most LPs are large institutions with prescriptive reporting needs. But do these have to be met by outsourcing? Andrew Rosenbaum finds out.(INDUSTRY)
October 1, 2007... The importance of good reporting from fund administrators has grown markedly in recent months, as the private equity industry itself has grown. "Private equity fund administration is now a global business with a very high profile. The changes...

Fair value in reporting: estimating exchange price is complex and fraught.(INDUSTRY)
October 1, 2007... The issue of fair value determination has become a fraught one in private equity, and one in which fund administrators are necessarily involved. There is a running debate both within the community of auditors and without in the private equity...

Northern Trust: a specialist partner for your business.(SPONSORED PROFILE)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Northern Trust provides a highly specialised and controlled environment for the administration of global private equity funds. The company's dedicated teams and specialist technology give its world leading private...

Trained for success: Paul Guilbert, global head of private equity fund administration for Northern Trust, outlines the challenges of creating a professional private equity fund administration team.(SPONSORED ARTICLE)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As private equity fund raising and investment continue to break new records across Europe and beyond, the outsourcing industry is playing a predominant role in supporting this unprecedented growth. However, unlike...

Outsourcing challenges: from technology to staffing, Ian Fraser explores the issues facing administrators today.(ADMINISTRATION)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The playwright George Bernard Shaw once remarked that "England and America are two nations divided by a common language." In the microcosm of the private equity world, Shavian wit and wisdom also applies, though more...

American invasion: new entrants into the private equity administration market are creating a more competitive market.(ADMINISTRATION)(Company overview)
October 1, 2007... The world of private equity outsourcing has traditionally been a bit of cottage industry. However it is currently going through a major revolution as US-based players that have traditionally focused on other areas of the asset-servicing market...

Schroders private equity services.(SPONSORED PROFILE)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Schroders Private Equity Services (SPES) has only one job--to provide our clients the best private equity management and administration services available. SPES is one of the few groups that has genuine substantive...

Due diligence: GPs conducting due diligence on fund administration services need to assess five key issues in their potential service providers: focus, structure, people, flexibility and communication. Peter Everson of Schroders Private Equity Services elaborates.(SPONSORED ARTICLE)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Robust reporting is the product of an effective administration function, whether you are the general partner requiring confirmation of key data or limited partner receiving periodic reports. Despite a report being...

First timer: Zeus Private Equity outsources back office as it raises its maiden fund.(CASE STUDY)(Company overview)
October 1, 2007... Fund administration is one of the most important issues that new private equity funds face. Zeus Private Equity (ZPE) was founded in September 2005 by Ed Fazakerley, Gary Tipper and Tony Dickin, all former Aberdeen Murray Johnstone Private...

Ipes.(SPONSORED PROFILE)(Company overview)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ipes is the largest dedicated professional outsourcing business in the Channel Islands providing fund administration and offshore management services solely for private equity and venture capital funds and their...

Onshore veisus offshore: Connie Helyar, executive chairman and founding member of Ipes, explores the changing face of offshore fund administration.(SPONSORED ARTICLE)
October 1, 2007... Why Do Funds Go Offshore? Historically, outsourcing the back office was driven by the needs of funds to go offshore. Firstly it is important to identify what is meant exactly by 'offshore'. In practical terms, offshore means a relatively...

Aberdeen brings it all home: Ian Fraser takes a look at how things are done at Aberdeen Asset Managers Private Equity.(CASE STUDY)
October 1, 2007... Just occasionally, a private equity player has such a negative experience of outsourcing its back office that it decides to bring all its administration back in-house. This is what happened at Aberdeen Asset Managers Private Equity, which...

Mourant: global coverage, tailored service.(SPONSORED PROFILE)
October 1, 2007... When it comes to administering private equity funds, Mourant offers the right support with a strong track record in non-retail private equity, real estate, hedge, mezzanine and venture capital funds. From offices in Cayman, Guernsey, Hong...

Selecting a fund adminisitrator: the success of the private equity industry has seen numerous new funds enter the market accompanied by existing players launching larger vehicles. Matthew Wood, manager at Mourant, presents a guide on how to choose an administrative partner during these busy times.(SPONSORED ARTICLE)
October 1, 2007... Recent years have seen private equity funds becoming more mainstream as a larger number of investors are choosing to allocate more of their portfolio to the asset class. The resulting inflow of funds has led to new fund promoters entering the...

The LP view: Tom Allchorne explores the concerns private equity investors have over the standard of fund reporting and where improvements can be made.(COMMENT)
October 1, 2007... Much has been made of the shift in the balance of power over the last two to three years as investors have been failing over themselves to get into buyout funds. The appetite for European private equity has elevated the GP at the expense of the...