March 2008 Issue

Nicholas Lockley, editor of PrivateEquityOnline.com, looks behind the recent headlines on the web. 2008-03-01 Staff Writer One of the pleasures of covering an asset class in depth comes from watching it evolve over time. Mostly this is an incremental process of small changes in t

Copenhagen-based ATP Private Equity Partners is one of Europe's most influential limited partner groups. The firm invests in buyout funds, venture funds, secondary interests, distressed funds and coinvestments ? primarily in Europe and the US, and to a lesser extent in emerging markets. ATP invests €10 million to €100 million in funds and €5 million to €25 million in coinvestments. It closed its third fund of funds in September last year on €1.5 billion. Danish pension fund ATP is its sole sponsor. PEI recently caught up with ATP PEP partner Torben Vangstrup to ask about the firm's recent decision to launch a New York office and to seek his views on a changing market.

Turnaround firms are eyeing up changing economic conditions with high hopes of a boom for the type of deals they relish, Toby Lewis finds.

As an economic downturn threatens, limited partners are not abandoning the mid-market. They are, however, scrutinising fundraisers for evidence of differentiation. Tim Chapman reports.

Those anticipating a Turkish buyout market of substance will have taken encouragement from the BC Partners-led acquisition of Migros in February, says Toby Lewis.

Funds of funds are busily bulking up their investment teams – despite the expected market slowdown. By Philip Borel.

Ireland's venture capital firms have finished a year of fundraising and are now ready to deploy capital, with a keen eye on diversifying away from the traditional IT sector. But just because there's now a profusion of money available doesn't mean VCs are in a rush to invest it. Dave Keating reports.

Dave Keating talks to a venture capital start-up eager to capitalise on the rapid changes taking place in the music industry.

As former mid-market funds extend their deal size reach, opportunities are opening up in the space they have left behind.

Infrastructure funds are building bulky war chests in anticipation of a big opportunity in Africa.

JPMorgan Asia Pacific, the former home of CCMP Capital Asia, is rebuilding its principal investment operation in the region. 2008-03-01 Staff Writer After the spinout of CCMP Capital Asiain 2005, JPMorgan's activities as a merchant bank operating in Asia Pacific were markedly dim

Given China's determination to bolster its domestic private equity industry, the launch of a new fund led by a regional banking star might well turn out to be a cause of celebration for the People's Republic. It has, however, caused one or two ripples of anxiety.

After a tough fundraising, Balmoral Capital co-founders Richard Winckles and Alex D'Janoeff are out in the market doing deals. In February, they sealed their second acquisition since setting up the firm.

With the rest of Europe's large buyout market mostly quiet, Turkey has started making some noise. The balance sheet strength of local banks lies behind the anomaly.

Investindustrial is first over the finishing line with a new, oversubscribed fund. Three other leading GPs in Italy are hoping for similar success this year.

Private equity investors in infrastructure need a firm commitment to transparency.

Caxton-Iseman has amicably spun out from its parent as it seeks larger deals, new investors and international growth.

Warburg Pincus is boldly going where its peers are not: deeper into the US bond insurance market.

A huge CalPERS secondary sale made concessions to a handful of discerning GPs.

What the firm's launching of a placement agent business says about the state of the private equity market.

MOULDING THE MASSES 2008-03-01 Staff Writer As if learning seven habits of highly effective people wasn't enough, private equity has officially entered the self-help marketplace - albeit for chief executives. The latest title in Harvard Business Press' “Memo to the CEO” series is

VIRTUAL RISK 2008-03-01 Staff Writer Some private equity professionals appear to have found little of substance in the social networking craze. One industry insider recently remarked that he's willing to use career networking sites that don't disclose personal details, like the VC-backed LinkedIn, but aside

Blackstone co-founder's focus moves from fund economics to socioeconomics.

Editor's letter Staff 2008-03-01 Writer At the risk of making it seem like yesterday's news – which it clearly isn't – this column will mention the credit crunch but once. And only to say: not a great deal has changed. It's still with us, it is if anything getting a little worse, and mega-buyou