Jo Nash

Private equity still attractive to FTSE CEOs

Many FTSE 100 chief executives are considering a move into private equity, either as operating partners, advisers or individual investors, despite misgivings about the industry’s short-termism and excessive leverage.

Innogest raises biggest ever Italy-focused seed fund(2)

Italian venture capital firm Innogest has overcome investor scepticism to close the biggest Italy-focused seed and early stage fund to date.

Graphite makes 4.2x return on Go Plant exit

UK mid-market firm Graphite Capital has sold Go Plant, a vehicle hire business, to Easternrange. The sale has generated a return of 4.2 times Graphite’s original investment.

Linklaters poaches Freshfields partner

Leading law firm Linklaters has hired Brian Gray from rival law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, as it looks to strengthen its offering to private equity clients.

Lyceum exits nurseries business(2)

Mid-market private equity firm Lyceum Capital has completed a successful exit from UK nurseries business Asquith, after boosting earnings by 200 percent and increasing the workforce by more than half.

London VCs invest $8m in Daylife

New York-based news aggregation site Daylife has raised $8 million from two UK venture capital firms, in the latest example of US start-ups taking funding from VCs based in London rather than Silicon Valley.

Carlyle floats Transics on Euronext(2)

Global buyout firm The Carlyle Group has floated Transics, a European IT business, on Euronext Brussels. The flotation, which raised €46 million, is the first major exit for the firm’s €222m Europe Technology Partners fund.

Carlyle floats Transics on Euronext

Global buyout firm The Carlyle Group has floated Transics, a European IT business, on Euronext Brussels. The flotation, which raised €46 million, is the first major exit for the firm’s €222m Europe Technology Partners fund.

Esprit enlarges investment team

European venture capital firm Esprit Capital Partners has hired Cédric Latessa as investment manager as it looks to bolster its investment team.

Duke Street clinches CI Traders take-private

Duke Street Capital and a consortium of other buyout firms has had its £260 million bid for UK retailer CI Traders accepted – soon after the company rejected a bid from Alchemy Partners.