I've been a business reporter for a while. I've covered Wall Street, venture capital and now private equity. I'm always looking for a scoop or something to talk about. I'm the eternal optimist and am still waiting for the Chicago Cubs to win the World Series. Yes, I believe.
Blackstone said Oct. 4 that it agreed to buy Clarus. Financial terms weren’t announced. Clarus with offices in Boston and San Francisco, is a life sciences investment firm that has raised $2.6 billion since its founding. The deal will launch Blackstone Life Sciences, a platform that will invest across the life-cycle of companies and products within the key life sciences sectors. Nick Galakatos, PhD, who co-founded Clarus in 2005 and is a managing director, will become head of Blackstone Life Sciences.
4 min read · 04 October 2018
2 min read · 03 October 2018
GoDaddy Inc said Oct. 3 that its founder Bob Parsons is resigning from its board effective Oct. 5. Parsons is devoting his full-time efforts to businesses he created under Yam WorldWide Umbrella. KKR and Silver Lake acquired GoDaddy in 2011 in a deal valued at $2.25 billion. GoDaddy, a website registration and hosting service, went public in 2015.
3 min read · 03 October 2018
Hopper said Oct. 3 that it raised $100 million in a Series D round led by OMERS Ventures. Existing investors Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), Accomplice, Brightspark Ventures, Investissement Québec, BDC Capital IT Venture Fund, and new investor Citi Ventures participated in the round. Hopper is a travel booking app.
4 min read · 03 October 2018
Pestell Group, a portfolio company of Wind Point Partners, has acquired BPV Environmental. Financial terms weren’t announced. BPV, of Byron Center, Michigan, makes alternative, paper-based animal litter, small animal bedding, and lawn and garden products. Antares Capital, BMO Sponsor Finance and PennantPark led the debt financing for the transaction. Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal counsel to Pestell.
3 min read · 03 October 2018
Cinven is looking to raise as much as 8 billion euros ($9.3 billion) for its seventh buyout fund, Bloomberg reported. The fundraising could start as soon as this year, the story said.
1 min read · 03 October 2018
Sinclair Broadcast Group is considering partnering with private equity to help it buy all of the 22 regional sports networks that Walt Disney Co is selling as part of its $71 billion Fox deal, Bloomberg is reporting. Christopher Ripley, Sinclair’s chief executive officer, made the comments at an investor conference hosted by Deutsche Bank. Disney owns ESPN and plans to sell the channels as part of its agreement to buy the assets of 21st Century Fox.
1 min read · 03 October 2018
KKR said Oct. 2 that has closed its $8.5 billion buy of BMC Software. Sellers include Bain Capital Private Equity and Golden Gate Capital together with GIC, Insight Venture Partners, and Elliott Management.
3 min read · 03 October 2018
Charlesbank Capital Partners LLC said Oct. 2 that Hiren Mankodi has joined the firm as a managing director, while Camille DeLaite joins as an operating partner, talent. Mankodi was previously a partner at Pamplona Capital. DeLaite most recently was with Green Peak Partners, where she was a partner leading human capital and talent efforts.
2 min read · 03 October 2018
Blackstone is seeking $3.3 billion to buy minority stakes in alternative-asset managers, Bloomberg reported. Blackstone will begin formally raising the fund, which will focus on private equity, real estate and infrastructure, imminently, the story said.
1 min read · 03 October 2018
