Middle East & North Africa

VC firms invest $12m in telecoms group

XConnect Global Networks, a service provider to the telecommunications industry, has received $12 million of funding from a venture capital consortium led by Accel Partners and Venrock Associates.

Former PCG heavyweights found rival firm

Monte Brem, the former president of gatekeeper Pacific Corporate Group, has founded a competing firm in California with two other ex-PCG executives.

Origo recruits South African MD

Beijing-based private equity group Origo Sino-India has hired John Blake as managing director of mergers and acquisitions.

CDC profits from emerging markets

The UK government fund of funds manager in developing markets has posted strong results for 2006 while sounding a note of caution as a wall of money heads for new markets.

Battery grows Silicon Valley team

Battery Ventures has hired away two tech industry professionals, VeriSign’s Matt Niehaus and Google’s Satya Patel.

Qatar National and Oxford Capital launch venture firm

Qatar National Bank has teamed up with Oxford Capital Partners to found Qatar Capital Partners, which will back technology companies in Qatar.

Sainsbury’s faces fresh takeover interest

Three Delta, a Qatar-based investment group, has bought a 15 percent stake in UK retailer Sainsbury’s, increasing the pressure on the board to realise greater value from its real estate assets.

European Venture Partners re-brands, closes third fund

European Venture Partners, a provider of venture debt products, has changed its name to Kreos Capital and has closed its third fund on €200m.

4D raises $181m for hydrocarbons

Paris-based 4D Global Energy Advisors has closed another fund exclusively focussed on small to medium sized companies in the hydrocarbons sector.

Ontario Teachers expands to London

Teachers’ Private Capital, the private equity arm of the Canadian pension, has launched its first foothold outside of Toronto with a London office led by Andrew Claerhout.