Philip Borel

The private equity arm of Edinburgh-based insurer Standard Life has closed its third fund of funds vehicle on €850m and secured an additional €375m in three separate accounts.

Denmark’s largest limited partner has confirmed a sizeable commitment to Apollo Management’s new LBO fund, a vehicle looking to raise $10bn.

Stockholm-headquartered private equity specialist EQT is in the process of raising a €250 million turnaround fund, the first of its kind in the Nordic region.

Michael Pilson of DuPont Capital Management talks to Robert Venes about the role of turnaround, restructuring and distressed funds in his firm’s private equity investment portfolio.

According to figures presented at the AVCA’s annual conference in Mombasa earlier this week, VCs active in Africa invested $1.3bn last year, up 60% on 2003.

London-headquartered LBO investor Permira has hired former Forstmann Little partner Tom Lister to join its New York Office.

The French Pensions Reserve Funds has appointed Campbell Lutyens to help formulate a strategy for entrance into private equity.

As distressed firms reap profits off the rock bottom prices found in the wake of the 1997 to 1998 South Korean financial crisis, the government—responding to public opinion—is turning against the foreign investors, as Aaron Lovell reports.

Bridgepoint has used its £189 million (€291 million; $377 million) refinancing of its investment in Pets at Home to pay off £20 million of mezzanine debt and pay itself a £70 million dividend.

Naguib Sawiris, the man behind the pending €12.2 billion acquisition of Italian mobile carrier Wind, has made sure private equity investors know his name. Profile by Jonn Elledge.