Robert Venes

Emerging markets investor Actis has hired former Go and Virgin Nigeria Airways founder Simon Harford to pilot its Nigerian operation. Robert Venes talks to Peter Schmid, Actis’ managing partner for Africa, about Harford’s appointment and the firm’s activities in the region.

Chris Clark, an investment director at UK mid-market investor Hermes Private Equity, will leave the firm this Friday.

Swiss fund manager Partners Group has closed its fourth fund in the last three months, raising €282m for investing in global mezzanine funds and direct mezzanine investments in private equity transactions.

Chequers Capital, a mid-market buyout firm based in Paris, has raised €600m for Chequers Capital XV, double the size of its predecessor.

Peter Reinish, partner at Global Life Science Ventures, argues that biotechnology will play a decisive role in the development of the healthcare sector.

Castlebeck, sold to a subsidiary of the Barchester Healthcare Group, is HgCapital’s fifth transaction in the healthcare sector in the past 18 months.

BC Partners, a London-based private equity firm, and AXA Private Equity, the private equity arm of the French insurance group, have teamed up to acquire Médica, a French nursing home business.

Mark Richards, an 18-year veteran of Barclays, is the second hire in recent months for Actis following the appointment of former Microsoft India MD Rajiv Kaul.

After just four months, TDR Capital has raised €1.75bn for the successor to its €550m debut fund.

California-based early-stage investor Lightspeed Venture Partners has hired partner Yoni Cheifetez to focus on opportunities in the Israeli technology market.