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.
Singtel has agreed to buy a 98 percent stake in Trustwave in a deal valued at $810 million. FTV Capital invested in Trustwave, a Chicago-based enterprise cybersecurity company, in 2004.
4 min read · 08 April 2015
The Blackstone Group said Wednesday it has transferred its Hong Kong based M&A advisory business to Comprador Limited. Anthony J. Steains, who headed Blackstone Advisory Partners Asia, is leading Comprador, which will be based in Hong Kong. Steains is Chairman and CEO of Comprador.
3 min read · 08 April 2015
Mark Pearson has launched Fuel.Ventures, a technology VC fund. Paul Rous, a corporate financier and serial entrepreneur, is co-founder. Fuel.Ventures EIS Fund 1 will target super-early seed, seed and A-stage investments in the European e-commerce sector. Pearson is the founder of Markco Media, which was sold last year to Monitise for 55 million pounds (US$82.2 mln).
3 min read · 08 April 2015
BlackRock Inc. is providing funding to Alignment Artist Capital, a new financial firm formed by Howard Lipson and James Diener. Financial terms weren’t announced. Alignment aims to provide financing options to established artists with investments ranging from $5 million to $20 million per deal. Diener is the former CEO/President of Octone Records. Lipson, a former Blackstone Group partner, was an MD of The Pilot Group.
8 min read · 08 April 2015
Spire Capital Partners said Tuesday it closed its third fund with about $333 million in commitments. Fund III will invest in sectors such as business services, information services, media, education/education technology and communications services. Spire’s last fund raised $319 million in 2007.
3 min read · 08 April 2015
ALPS Holdingssaid Tuesday it agreed to buy Red Rocks Capital LLC. The $65 million purchase price includes a combination of up-front cash consideration and performance-related contingent consideration. Golden, Colorado-based Red Rocks has been sub-adviser to the ALPS|Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund from its inception in 2007. Deutsche Bank Securities advised Red Rocks.
4 min read · 08 April 2015
Donald Pliner said Tuesday he is leaving the company he founded, Donald J Pliner Company, where he is creative director. Castanea Partners owns a majority of Donald J Pliner Company, a brand of luxury shoe products.
3 min read · 08 April 2015
AssetAvenue said Tuesday it raised $11 million Series A Funding led by DCM Ventures. Additional investors in the technology, venture capital and real estate industries participated, including NetEase and Matrix Partners. Los Angeles-based AssetAvenue is an online platform for commercial real estate loans.
4 min read · 08 April 2015
TransUnion said Wednesday that Leo Mullin was elected chairman of its board of directors. Mullin, the retired Chairman and CEO of Delta Air Lines, joined TransUnion’s board in 2012. He currently serves as a senior advisor, on a part-time basis, to Goldman Sachs Capital Partners, the private equity unit at Goldman Sachs.
2 min read · 08 April 2015
Shore Capital Partners has invested in Chicagoland Smile Group. Financial terms weren’t announced. Chicagoland Smile Group provides general dentistry services including fillings and crowns, dentures, bridges, dental implants, teeth whitening, veneers, tooth extractions, root canals, and X-rays. Shore Capital, a Chicago private equity firm, said it has formed Great Lakes Dental Partners LLC to provide administrative services and support to Chicagoland Smile.
3 min read · 07 April 2015
