Jo Nash

Mid-market firm Baird Capital Partners Europe has invested £13 million in UK recruitment consultancy Aston Carter.

UK mid-market firm Graphite Capital has raised £475 million for its seventh fund and another £80 million for a co-investment fund, taking its total firepower to £555 million.

European fund of funds CAM Private Equity has created a Swiss subsidiary in Zurich, run by former shaPE Capital chief executive Benedickt Brenninkmeijer.

The quoted private equity investment trust managed by London-based Pantheon Ventures is set to raise up to £100 million through a new share issue. The principal purpose of this fundraising is to give the trust more capacity to do secondary deals.

London-based law firm Travers Smith has promoted Ian Shawyer to private equity partner.

Chinese silicon manufacturer Shunda has raised $82 million in private equity financing – $40 million of which is from emerging markets private equity investor Actis.

The private equity market is a tricky asset class to invest in – so pension funds have been warned. What are some of the risks that pension funds ought to consider?

New York-based hedge fund Highbridge Capital Management has reportedly hired former Goldman Sachs director Scott Kapnick to launch its private equity business. It is the latest example of the increasing convergence between the two asset classes.

European buyout firm HgCapital has bought a French wind farm portfolio for €69 million. The deal is the latest wind farm investment for Hg’s renewable energy team.

The founders of Index Ventures-backed internet site Last.fm have sold the business to US television network CBS for $280 million. The sale has reportedly generated a $56 million profit for Geneva-based Index Ventures.