Robert Venes

Kennet Venture Partners, a technology investor, has exited its investment in Cramer, a UK operations and support systems business, in a $375m sale to Amdocs of the US.

Campbell Lutyens, a private equity advisory firm, has appointed Paula Langton in its London office, while Greg Weiner joins in New York.

Permira and Barclays Capital have matched a rival consortium’s 1,030 pence per share offer rejected by UK housebuilder McCarthy & Stone last week.

Foreign & Colonial Investment Trust is targeting an annual commitment of £75 million to private equity as it steps up its exposure to the asset class from 5% to 10%.

Activa Capital, a French private equity firm, has refinanced two of its vintage 2003 Activa Capital Fund portfolio companies

Barclays Capital has made 10 hires to its US leveraged finance team, headed by Rick Van Zijl and Joe McGrath, who joined the firm from Goldman Sachs in February.

LODH Private Equity, a Swiss private equity fund of funds manager, has held a €296 million first closing on its latest European mid-market focused fund.

VCM and Golding Capital Partners, German fund of fund investors, have raised €238m for their second fund of fund investing in US and European mezzanine vehicles.

Permira and General Atlantic Partners and a consortium led by Silver Lake Partners have been given the go ahead to carry out due diligence on Misys, a banking and healthcare software group.

First Reserve, a US-based energy investor, has strengthened its domestic and London offices. The firm is expected to close its eleventh fund on $8bn in the next few weeks.