Robert Venes

The European venture arm of IT media group IDG has become independent of its parent with backing from Partners Group and Access Capital Partners. The firm has been renamed Acacia Capital Partners.

Benson Elliot Capital Partners, the new private equity real estate vehicle of former Doughty Hanson property chief Marc Mogull, has launched in London with €264m of commitments to its first fund.

A third of all UK buyouts in the first quarter of 2006 have been led by non-private equity sponsors such as hedge funds and wealthy individuals, according to new data. Will these deals work, asks Robert Venes.

London-listed private equity firm 3i has generated a 5x money multiple on its £182.5m sale of voice and data services business Azzurri Communications.

PPM Capital may reportedly spin out from Prudential as part of a management buyout of the UK mid-market private equity firm.

London-based Benchmark Capital Europe has hired Klaus Hommels, formerly of BV Capital, Apax Partners and AOL, as its first European venture partner.

European mezzanine provider Intermediate Capital Group also put a record amount of capital to work in the fourteen months to 2005, arranging or providing £899m of debt financing.

The London-based private equity firm has appointed former PricewaterhouseCoopers business services specialist Phil Hinson to its team.

All3Media, the Bridgepoint-backed company behind popular UK TV shows Richard and Judy and Shameless, is reportedly attracting interest from private equity firms Cinven, Apax and DLJ Merchant Banking.

UK care homes provider Southern Cross Healthcare has announced its intention to float on the London Stock Exchange in an IPO that could see Blackstone reduce its interest to below 50 percent.