Fundraising

CDH Investments, a China-based growth capital manager, has raised $200m for a debut venture fund.

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.

The new vehicle will be the world’s largest buyout fund, setting a new record as rival firms prepare close in on similar megafunds. Already, the new fund is 25 percent committed to deals.

Secondaries pioneer Jeremy Coller is targeting almost $4bn for his eponymous firm’s fifth fund after delivering good early returns from his latest vehicle.

The fund closing by Europe’s largest property fund manager comes as research shows €95 billion was invested in European property in the first half of 2006.

Global private equity firm The Carlyle Group has closed its second Japanese buyout fund on $1.9 billion.

The oversubscribed fund will focus on early stage IT companies in the US, China and Japan.

A consortium led by the Australian bank has paid $1.6 billion for Pittsburgh utility Duquesne Light Holdings.