Fundraising

The real estate arm of the New York-based investment bank has closed its third open-ended funded on $2.2bn. It will have exposure to private and public equity and debt securities.

Private equity firms Berkshire Partners and Freeman Spogli have announced a major investment in TH Lee Putnam Ventures’ call-center portfolio company N.E.W. Customer Service.

Carlyle/Riverstone’s latest $2.45bn energy fund will provide $200m to Legend Natural Gas III, a company which will acquire and develop onshore natural gas and other properties in south Texas.

First Reserve, which recently opened offices in Asia, has announced the closing of the largest energy-specific global fund ever raised, at $7.8bn. CEO Bill Macaulay told PEO that investor demand could have made the fund "much larger."

The Japan-focused private equity house has acquired OCC Corporation, a cable systems company, from the IRCJ, the state-backed corporate rescue organisation.

Kibo Technology Advancing Capital, a Korean venture capital firm funded mostly by the Korean government agencies, has raised $36 million for two funds this week.

Bear Stearns Merchant Banking will place an increasing focus on financial services companies as it seeks to differentiate itself from other ‘captive’ models.

BTS Investment Advisors, a Swiss private equity advisor, has raised $80 million for expansion capital investments in India.

The Canada Investment Fund for Africa, to be managed by emerging markets-focused firms Actis and Cordiant, will target mid-market opportunities across Africa.

Permira, a European buyout firm, has bought All3Media, maker of UK television programmes Richard and Judy and Formula One, from Bridgepoint for £320m.