Private Equity
Wind farm developer First Wind Holdings has put its IPO on hold after cutting it’s price range by 24%, Reuters reported. Boston-based First Wind, which is funded by private equity firm Madison Dearborn and hedge fund operator D.E. Shaw, originally aimed to raise $300 million from the offering. The company faced skepticism from investors due to a heavy debt load, Reuters reported.
4 min read · 29 October 2010
Robeco aims to raise $500 million for investments in timber and forestry, Reuters reported. The Dutch asset manager will launch its new fund next year, and will invest in timber-focused private equity fund and in companies in the forestry market.
1 min read · 29 October 2010
The Carlyle Group will acquire Syniverse Technologies, a provider of mobile roaming and messaging products, in a $2.6 billion deal that takes the company private. Carlyle will pay $31 per share, in cash, for all outstanding common shares of Syniverse – a 35% premium over the average closing price during the 30 days ended October 26.
7 min read · 28 October 2010
Venture-backed ZeniMax Media has acquired Tango Gameworks, the video game development shop run by designer Shinji Mikami. Mikami, who is best known as the creator of the Resident Evil series of video games, will join Rockville, Md.-based ZeniMax as a result of the deal. Financial terms of the acquisition were not released. ZeniMax is backed by more than $400 million from Providence Equity Partners.
3 min read · 28 October 2010
Mountain View, Calif.-based professional networking site LinkedIn added Stan Meresman as the seventh member of its board of directors. LinkedIn is backed by multiple venture investors, including Sequoia Capital, Greylock Partners, and Bessemer Venture Partners.
2 min read · 28 October 2010
Angelo, Gordon & Co. has acquired Oak Street Funding, an insurance lender based in Indianapolis. Financial terms were not released. New York-based Angelo, Gordon has about $23 billion under management, and manages private equity funds in addition to other investment vehicles.
3 min read · 28 October 2010
Publicly traded private equity firm Blackstone Group saw it’s profits rise to $339 million in the third quarter of 2010, a 23% jump from the same period last year. Blackstone’s investments include Hilton Hotels and casino operator Harrah’s Entertainment.
3 min read · 28 October 2010
Ross Levinsohn, the co-founder of digital media investment firm Fuse Capital and a former president of News Corp's Fox Interactive Media, will join Yahoo next month as executive vice president of the Americas. In the new role, Levinsohn will be lead the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company's media group and advertising sales. He will report to CEO Carol Bartz.
2 min read · 28 October 2010
AZ Electronic Materials, which produces chemicals used in Apple iPads, aims to raise $700 million in a London IPO, Reuters reported. The company, which is owned by private equity shops The Carlyle Group and Vestar Capital Partners had previously set the IPO target at $400 million.
2 min read · 28 October 2010
The co-managers of the $150 million BlackBerry Partners Fund have merged their teams and plan to focus exclusively on investments in mobile technology. The Toronto-based fund has made 12 investments since it launched in 2008, and is backed by limited partners Thomson Reuters, Research In Motion and RBC.
2 min read · 28 October 2010
