The latest research from eFront, the leading financial software and solutions provider dedicated to Alternative Investments, has thrown into sharp relief the differences in deployment and distribution characteristics of US LBOs funds. 

Analysis shows that small cap LBO funds are more profitable than funds that focus on target companies of larger market capitalization. In addition, small cap funds deploy capital at a faster rate and reinvest a significantly higher proportion of fund sizes than other funds. They also continue to invest significantly until year eight of the fund cycle, against a normal investment period of five years, and distribute capital much earlier than medium, large and mega cap LBO funds.

The Riverside Company has acquired La Galvanina S.p.A, a fourth generation, family-owned, Italian producer of premium private label and branded mineral water and traditional and organic soft drinks. Galvanina sells its products to a global customer base comprised of leading retailers, department stores and wholesalers in more than 35 countries, with the U.S., Italy and Canada representing its largest markets in 2018.

Dan Perkins, a Director at Great Point, the UK’s leading independent media and investment firm talks about the opportunities in film and media investment and why the sector's future looks brighter than ever. 

Groovy UK Limited, a wholesale and giftware business, has received a £250,000 loan facility from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF), managed by Maven Capital Partners.

The business is a developer, wholesaler and distributer of giftware products and will use the funding to accelerate the company’s growth plans and invest in its product portfolio and licensing agreements. 

Groovy sources and designs hard-to-get giftware products and supply them to major high street and online retailers. With experience in both designing and manufacturing a mix of original products, Groovy’s clients include the likes of Argos and Harrods. 

Award winning patisserie business La Crème Patisserie has acquired new premises near Newport following a £500,000 loan from the Development Bank of Wales.

The move into the 11,000 sq ft building, which is eight times larger than La Crème’s base at Baglan, comes as the company gears up for a new contract. They will be supplying cakes, desserts and afternoon teas to the new International Convention Centre Wales (ICCW) currently being built at the Celtic Manor Resort just outside Newport.

The investment by the development bank has already led to four new jobs being created, and the headcount is expected to be further increased to 30 over the next 6-18 months.

British Patient Capital (BPC) has appointed Hazel Moore, OBE as Non-Executive Director to the board of British Patient Capital Ltd.

Hazel is the co-founder and Chair of FirstCapital, an investment bank which provides mergers and acquisitions, private equity and growth capital advice to high growth technology companies. She also currently chairs the Innovation Finance Sub-Committee for Innovate UK, the UK’s national innovation agency, having been a Governing Board member of Innovate UK until 2018. Hazel is a member of the Future Fifty advisory panel and was previously on the Investment Advisory Panel of the North West Fun

Augusta & Co, a specialist financial advisory and investment firm for the renewable energy industry, has today announced the appointment of Axel Narváez Kirkpatrick to the position of Managing Director, Head of Spain.

Calculus Capital and Stargrove Pictures have launched a new EIS fund in association with the British Film Institute (BFI) to help deliver vital funding for the UK’s most promising screen content companies.

Downing Ventures has led a £1.5 million funding in The Electrospinning Company, alongside VC firm MidVen, Newable Private Investing and the STFC.

Foresight Group has successfully exited its investment in Nottingham-based Mercia Power Response Limited (MPR), generating a return of 3.8x on the original investment for its Foresight Nottingham Fund.

Westbridge Capital has closed its latest fund, WestBridge II, having raised £140m in fund commitments and associated earmarked co-investment monies. 

The UK workforce is becoming increasingly held back by mental health problems such as stress, depression and anxiety. According to research by Robert Half UK,