Oliver Smiddy

Apax beaten to Polkomtel by local entrepreneur

Buyout firm Apax Partners appears to have lost out to Polish entrepreneur Zygmunt Solorz-Zak (pictured) in its battle to acquire state-backed phone company Polkomtel.

Wellcome Trust pledges to triple Africa exposure

Medical foundation the Wellcome Trust, helmed by CIO Danny Truell (pictured), has vowed to triple its exposure to Africa over the next five years.

Permira sets modest target for fifth fund

Permira is soon to launch its fifth buyout fund with a target that speaks to a radically changed environment to that of 2006, when it last hit the fundraising trail.

'PE whore' Geldof urges industry to help build Africa

Sir Bob Geldof delivered a keynote address at PEI’s Africa Forum on Wednesday in which he urged the industry to help make Africa 'one of the polar financial centres of the world'.

AXA bags another bank’s private equity portfolio

French group AXA Private Equity, led by Dominique Senequier (pictured), has sealed the acquisition of a $1.7bn portfolio of assets from Citigroup, 14 months after a similar deal with Bank of America.

3i unearths 4x return with tractor sale

3i has quadrupled its money on Swedish agricultural equipment manufacturer Ålö after a lengthy eight-and-a-half-year ownership period.

Oxford academic says industry 'grossly exaggerates' returns

An academic has slammed performance data published by the private equity industry, adding that academic studies consistently show returns are broadly comparable with public equities.

Helios hits hard-cap with biggest African vehicle

Private equity group Helios, co-led by Tope Lawani (pictured), has closed its latest fund on $900m after two years in the market. It is understood to be the biggest fund raised for Africa.

Samena doubles target for second fund

Samena Capital, co-founded by former Abraaj Capital managing director Shirish Saraf (pictured), has launched its second special situations fund with a target double that of its first vehicle in 2008.

FF&P holds first close

Family office-backed FF&P PE has held a first close for its latest private equity “club” fund, with which it hopes to help plug a perceived funding gap for smaller companies in the UK.