Suzanne Weinstock

Olympus Partners has used $110m of equity from its $1.5bn fifth fund in the buyout of Norwesco from publicly listed Allied Capital.

The $55bn Virginia Retirement System has made commitments to TPG, Austin Ventures, Great Hill Partners and Oaktree Capital Management following a 2007 bump in the pension’s private equity allocation to 10 percent.

The technology-focused affiliate of venture firm Accel Partners and mega-buyout firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts has taken a stake in Alexander Gallo Holdings. Veronis Suhler Stevenson has exited most of its minority stake as a result.

Following a contentious court battle, the global buyout firm’s portfolio company Hexion Specialty Chemicals has been ordered to perform its contractual obligations in its agreed $10.6bn buyout of Huntsman Corporation. The company’s arguments of a material adverse affect and insolvency were rejected.

The Southeast Asian nation has approved publicly listed Japan Asia Investment Company as the first foreign venture firm to operate alongside its 57 domestic firms.

Venture firms Globespan Capital Partners, Dry Creek Ventures, Silicon Valley Technology Group as well as private equity firm Energy Investors Funds have committed a combination of equity and debt financing to Solar Power Partners. The round brings the company's 2008 fundraising total to $100m.

Apax Partners, Saban Capital Group and Mori Arkin have upped their stake in the privatised telecom company. The investor group acquired a 30 percent stake in Bezeq in 2005.

Private equity-backed M&A has steeply declined both in terms of total volume and as a percentage of M&A worldwide.

The $1.1bn university endowment has upped its allocation to private equity by 150 percent in an effort to diversify its holdings.

LeapFrog Investments aims to provide 25 million low-income individuals in Asia and Africa with access to microinsurance in the next 10 years. The market for microinsurance on the two continents includes more than one billion people.