Luisa Beltran

VOOM raises $5 mln

VOOM said May 22 that it raised $5 million in a series A round led by Arbor Ventures. Investors include F2 Capital, Verizon Ventures, and Kaedan Capital, as well as new partner Plug and Play Ventures. Voom is an on-demand insurance platform for specialized mobility.

Thiel-backed Block.one produces huge return for earliest investors: Bloomberg

Block.one, a Peter Thiel-backed crypto startup, will return as much as 6,567 percent to its earliest investors in less than three years, Bloomberg reported. This translates to $6.6 million for a $100,000 stake, the story said.

Caplan, ex-Wilkie Farr co-chair, pleads guilty to conspiracy: Bloomberg

Gordon Caplan, the former co-chairman of Willkie Farr & Gallagher, faces jail time after pleading guilty to conspiracy, Bloomberg reported. Caplan, who once headed the private-equity practice group at Willkie, admitted he bribed a consultant to help rig his daughter’s college board scores and that he conspired with William Rick Singer, the mastermind behind the scam, the story said.

Karr, McCarthy's chief of staff, to join Silver Lake: Wall Street Journal

Barrett Karr, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s chief of staff, is joining Silver Lake Partners, the Wall Street Journal reported. James Minn, a long-time McCarthy aide, will succeed Karr on an interim basis, the story said. Karr will join Silver Lake as its head of government relations, the WSJ said.

Sale of Anbang hotel portfolio attracts Brookfield, Fortress: Bloomberg

Anbang Insurance Group’s sale of a portfolio of 15 hotels has attracted Brookfield Asset Management Inc and Fortress Investment Group, Bloomberg is reporting. Blackstone Group LP, South Korea’s Mirae Asset Management, and GIC Pte, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, are also among the bidders, the Financial Times said.

Peters named COO of Yukon Partners

Yukon Partners said May 20 that Corey Peters, CFO, was promoted to chief operating officer. Peters will remain as CFO as he concurrently assumes the new role of COO.

Frontier Capital invests in Phone2Action

Frontier Capital said May 22 that it invested in Phone2Action. Financial terms weren’t announced. Phone2Action is a digital advocacy platform that connects citizens to lawmakers.

Solabia Group buys Algatech

Solabia Group, backed by TA Associates, said May 22 that it acquired Algatech Ltd. Financial terms weren’t announced. Algatech is developing, cultivating and commercializing ingredients delivered from microalgae and used by food supplement, food and cosmetic brands worldwide.

Gore's Generation Investment Management Fund III raises $1 bln

Generation Investment Management LLP said May 21 that its third sustainable solutions fund closed on $1 billion. Generational Fund III will make minority investments of $50 million to $150 million in companies with high-growth potential. Generational Investment Management is the firm founded by Al Gore, former vice president of the U.S.

Ascensus to buy Pension Strategies

Ascensus said May 21 that it agreed to buy Pension Strategies Inc. Financial terms weren’t announced. Pension Strategies, of Phoenix, is a third-party administration firm. Ascensus is backed by investors including Genstar Capital, Aquiline Capital Partners, Atlas Merchant Capital LLC and GIC.