Matilda Battersby

David Burns and Richard Daw have joined the UK firm’s management committee.

Cogent has hired former Ernst & Young transaction manager Briac Houtteville as an associate and promoted Bernhard Engelien to managing director.

The UK-based association representing more than 20 investor institutions, including the Wellcome Trust, Hermes and the USS, is seeking to raise its profile and better represent LPs during the downturn.

Buyout firm Candover has released a bleak industry report which refers to the ‘demise’ of the UK buyout market and says banking sector problems caused European deal values to hit their lowest level in more than a decade.

The Electra Investment spin-out is feeling the effects of the credit crunch as it talks with banks about restructuring two of its European portfolio companies.

The European IT-focused venture capital firm has grown its team as it looks to deploy Fund III.

The Italian mid-market private equity house has overreached its fundraising target by €40m despite the tough fundraising environment.

The European buyout firm has sold its stake in Jaybeam Wireless, a manufacturer of cellular antennas in the same week it made a €3.5m capital contribution to Buffet Crampon, a manufacturer of musical instruments.

Africa-focused private equity firm Development Partners International has backed South Africa-based telecom company Q-Venture. The firm has raised €272m toward its debut fund, which it aims to close on €400m in 2009.

Investor AB has said ‘an exceptional year’ characterised by ‘market declines of a magnitude not seen since the 1930s,’ were among reasons it disappointed shareholders for a second straight year with ‘unsatisfactory’ returns.