Q&A with Brian Blakemore
After 20 years shaping one of the few successful captive buyout operations, the man who said “sod this” to an education is stepping down at Barclays Private Equity.
Tuesday, 29th April 2008
LATEST NEWS
Headway closes €150m secondaries fund
Headway Capital Partners has closed its second private equity secondaries fund above target at €150m.
Friday, 2nd May 2008
Barter steps down at Travers Smith
Phil Sanderson is to take over from Charles Barter as the head of private equity at Travers Smith.
Friday, 2nd May 2008
Bank of Scotland backs IS Pharma
Bank of Scotland Corporate is to provide AIM-listed IS Pharma with a facility worth £8m (€10m) to fund the company’s continued growth and acquisition plans.
Friday, 2nd May 2008
Noble announces final close of second fund with £100m
Noble Fund Managers has announced the close of its second fund, Noble Venture Finance II, with £100m (€126m) of commitments.
Friday, 2nd May 2008
Palamon Capital appoints Gary Pritchard as CFO
Palamon Capital Partners has appointed Gary Pritchard as chief financial officer.
Friday, 2nd May 2008
Seraphim and Oxford Capital invest £2m in Sirigen
Seraphim Capital and Oxford Capital Partners have invested £2m (€2.5m) in Sirigen, which has developed amplification technology for use in the biotech and life sciences sectors.
Friday, 2nd May 2008
Barclays Private Equity backs A Plan Insurance
Barclays Private Equity has backed a management buyout A Plan Insurance, the Oxford-based insurance broker.
Thursday, 1st May 2008
DFJ Esprit-backed Imagine acquires Irish Broadband
DFJ Esprit portfolio company Imagine Communications has acquired Irish Broadband from NTR and Kilsaran Concrete in a €47m deal.
Thursday, 1st May 2008
ECI in £46m I-Level deal
ECI has taken a 60 per cent stake in digital media group IlG digital in a £45.5m (€57m) deal.
Thursday, 1st May 2008
Mercia Technology Seed Fund in £13m second close
The Mercia Technology Seed Fund has announced a second close with £13m (€16m) of commitments after receiving funding from Keele University.
Thursday, 1st May 2008QUOTES OF THE WEEK
I think what's happened is that the concept of risk-adjusted rate of return has been replaced by what I would call risk-ignored rate of return, and people are substituting yield for credit judgement.
Wilbur RossPrivate equity companies have targeted car parks as a cash cow, taking over £1 billion out of the industry in the last few years
Rob Kelsall, GMB, responsible for car park workers
Queen fails to save Northern Rock
18, 18 Oct 2007
May the Esprit be with you
18, 18 Oct 2007
Flat tax haven
18, 18 Oct 2007
The deer-hunter
18, 18 Oct 2007
Q&A with Simon Walker
The new chief executive of the BVCA has big ambitions for the UK’s venture capital and private equity industry in 2008.
James Caan
As the latest member of the panel on the BBC’s Dragons’ Den, serial entrepreneur James Caan is gaining a new perspective on backing businesses.
Mark Fox
As head of communications at the BVCA, Mark Fox has witnessed a period of huge growth in the coverage of private equity – and a summer of unprecedented media attention.
Wol Kolade
The BVCA has launched a review of its practices amid deep member discontent over the body’s handling of the widespread criticism of the...
LATEST ISSUE
Leader
A new name, a fresh approach
Of all the topics covered in this column over the past six years, the overriding issue that demands a definitive answer is “how private should private equity be?”
Top Story
Q&A with Brian Blakemore
After 20 years shaping one of the few successful captive buyout operations, the man who said “sod this” to an education is stepping down at Barclays Private Equity.
Feature
The Private Equity Awards
The seventh Real Deals/BVCA Private Equity Awards recognised the best that the industry had to offer during 2007.
Comment
The converging market
Private equity firms should be applauded for trying to increase their product range – but GPs must not hedge their bets.
News Analysis
Scraping the barrel
The Environmental Technology Fund’s recent £110m (€139m) close of its maiden fund has highlighted the ever-growing interest in clean technology investment opportunities, with the sector fast cementing its position as the third pillar of the venture world.
