Fundraising

Close Brothers Private Equity has announced the closure of its latest UK mid-market investment fund at £202m.

The Russian arm of Baring Private Equity Partners has closed the first foreign fund in Russia since the economic crisis of 1998.

Sustainable Asset Management has completed its first private equity fundraising efforts with closings on two related vehicles that will invest in alternative energy companies.

The venture capital unit of Deutsche Bank and IT group Hewlett-Packard have invested E24m in a UK company developing wireless infrastructure support.

The US buyout specialist has closed on $1.6bn, having scaled back its latest buyout fund.

Oversubscribed by $600m, the fund will be investing in North American and European real estate.

The Dubai-based Rasmala Buyout Fund is acquiring Aramex International, a courier business servicing the Middle East and India, in a $61m deal.

Fundraising in 2001 proved difficult for Wilton Asset Management, whose private equity fund fell $60m short of its original target.

The firm’s third fund, $30m short of its target, will invest in Israeli companies operating in the communications and IT sectors, in particular enterprise software.

The German venture capitalist is looking to close its second fund by the end of the first quarter in 2002.