"Omidyar Network Invests US$1.8 Million to Bring High-Quality, Low-Cost Education to Africa" (Africa)
PRNewswire (12/08/09)

Philanthropic investment firm Omidyar Network has invested US$1.8 million in Bridge International Academies. The funding will be used to scale a network of primary schools that will educate more than one million impoverished children in Africa.

"AES Oasis Enters Agreement to Sell Equity Interests in Barka Facilities" (Middle East)
Zawya.com (12/15/09)

AES Oasis, a joint venture of AES Corp. and the US$730 million IDB Infrastructure Fund, is selling its stake in the Barka 456 MW combined cycle gas plant and desalination facility in Oman, as well as the associated technical service companies, to ACWA Power International, a Saudi Arabian power and desalination company, for an undisclosed sum. IDB Infrastructure Fund, which focuses on infrastructure in Islamic countries, is managed by EMP Bahrain, a subsidiary of EMP Global.

"MB Capital to Open Private Equity Fund" (Asia)
Viet Nam News (Vietnam) (12/15/09)

Vietnam's MB Capital Management (formerly Hanoi Fund Management) plans to establish a new fund with a local focus. The fund is targeting commitments totaling US$16.2 million.

"Syntaxis Announces First Close of SMF II Fund" (Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States)
Invest IQ (12/20/09)

European private equity firm Syntaxis Capital has announced the first close on its second fund, Syntaxis Mezzanine Fund II, at EUR140 million. The fund, which is targeting commitments totaling EUR250 million, will focus on European Union member nations in Central Europe.

"Hopu Invests at Least US$400 Million in Chinese Insurer" (Asia)
Bloomberg (12/17/09)

China-based private equity firm Hopu Investment Management reportedly acquired at least US$400 million of stock in China Pacific Insurance through its initial public offering in Hong Kong. The acquisition represented approximately 13 percent of the US$3.1 billion worth of shares sold by China Pacific Insurance and shareholder the National Social Security Fund. Prior to the transaction, a consortium headed by U.S. private equity firm The Carlyle Group held a 17.3 percent stake in the insurer.

"BIO Investing in Aquila Capital" (Africa)
Vanguard (12/21/09)

The Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries (BIO) is investing US$5 million in Aquila Leasing, the leasing subsidiary of Nigerian financial services firm Aquila Capital. Separately, BIO has committed EUR6 million to the Renewable Energy Asia Fund (REAF), managed by Berkeley Energy, which will focus on renewable energy infrastructure investments in Asia.

"ICICI Venture Adds Another US$100 Million to First Close" (Asia)
VC Circle (12/18/09)

ICICI Venture Funds Management, the private equity arm of India’s ICICI Bank, has received an additional US$100 million in commitments for its India Advantage Fund Series 3 (IAF 3) since the fund held its first closing at US$250 million in October 2009. IAF 3 is targeting commitments totaling US$500 million.

"GMMOS Secures US$100 Million Term Loan Facility to Fund Acquisitions in the Offshore Supply Vessel Sector" (Middle East)
PRNewswire (12/14/09)

Gulf Marine Maintenance and Offshore Service Company (GMMOS), a leading U.A.E.-based provider of marine services to the offshore oil and gas industry backed by Abraaj Capital and Waha Capital, has secured a US$100 million term loan facility from Standard Chartered Bank, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank. The funding will be used to refinance existing debt and fund acquisitions in the offshore supply vessel sector, with a focus on the Gulf Cooperation Council and Southeast Asia markets.

"Cordiant Capital Plans to Raise US$750 Million Debt Fund" (Industry News)
Bloomberg (12/15/09)

Canada-based private equity and debt funds manager Cordiant Capital is set to launch an infrastructure loan fund that will invest in emerging markets, which will target commitments totaling US$750 million. Cordiant recently announced that it had been hired by the International Finance Corp. to manage a separate US$1 billion loan fund known as the Infrastructure Crisis Facility Debt Pool.

"Independent Sells Outdoor Advertising Unit" (Africa)
Business Day (South Africa) (12/15/09)

A consortium of investors led by U.K.-based private equity firm Helios Investment Partners has acquired INM Outdoor, the African outdoor advertising business of South Africa's Independent News & Media (INM), for approximately US$146 million. Other investors include Citi Venture Capital International, RMB Corvest, part of the FirstRand Group, and South Africa-based MSG Afrika Investment Holdings.

"EMP Global Closes Central American Mezzanine Fund" (Latin America and the Caribbean)
Private Equity HUB (12/16/09)

EMP Latin America, a unit of EMP Global, has held the final closing of its Central American Mezzanine Infrastructure Fund (CAMIF) with US$150 million in commitments. Among those making commitments to the fund are the Finnish Fund for Industrial Cooperation, Inter-American Development Bank, International Finance Corporation, Netherlands Development Finance Company, Central American Bank for Economic Integration and Mexican Fondo de Fondos. CAMIF offers long-term mezzanine financing to private infrastructure companies in Central America, Mexico, Colombia and the Dominican Republic.

"Jordan’s Foursan Group Launches Fund" (Middle East)
Khaleej Times (12/21/09)

Jordan-based private equity firm Foursan Group has launched Foursan Capital Partners I. The new fund, which is targeting commitments totaling US$200 million, will invest in Jordan and surrounding countries in the Levant and North Africa.

"Development Finance Institutions Endorse ILPA Private Equity Principles" (Industry News)
EDFI Press Release (12/01/09)

Several global development finance institutions (DFIs) have joined together in publically endorsing the Institutional Limited Partners Association (ILPA)’s Private Equity Principles, a set of guidelines intended to establish best practices relating to the alignment of interest between general partners and limited partners around issues of fund governance, transparency and reporting. Joining a group of 50 institutional investors who have already endorsed the ILPA Principles, the supporting DFIs include U.K.-based CDC Group, the Asian Development Bank, the Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries (BIO), Germany’s DEG, the Finnish Fund for Industrial Cooperation, the Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO), Denmark’s Industrialisation Fund for Developing Countries (IFU), the Norwegian Investment Fund for Developing Countries (Norfund) and France’s Proparco. For the full list of endorsing institutions, click here. To view the Principles, click here.