"Egypt's EFG-Hermes to Open Syria Office, Launch Fund" (Middle East)
Reuters (03/03/10)

Egyptian investment bank EFG-Hermes is opening a Damascus office and will launch a private equity fund that will invest in the Syrian market. The fund will target total commitments of between US$250 million and US$300 million.

"IDFC Project Equity to Invest in Karaikal Port" (Asia)
VC Circle (03/03/10)

IDFC Project Equity is investing approximately US$33 million in Karaikal Port, located on India's east coast in the Union Territory of Puducherry. The investment will be funneled through IDFC Project Equity's India Infrastructure Fund.

"Paladin Participates in Inpar Capitalization" (Latin America and the Caribbean)
Business Wire (03/02/10)

Paladin Realty Partners has invested approximately US$28 million in Brazil-based publicly-traded real estate developer Inpar as part of the latter's offering of shares for capitalization purposes. Prior to the investment, Paladin already owned a controlling stake in Inpar.

"Leopard Cambodia Buys Stake in ACLEDA" (Asia)
Phnom Penh Post (03/02/10)

Private equity firm Leopard Capital and two foreign investors have acquired a 1.5 percent stake in Cambodia's ACLEDA Bank through the acquisition of a 7.7 percent stake in ACLEDA Staff Association, the bank's holding company. The value of the transaction was not disclosed. The private equity firm's share of the investment was made through the US$34 million Leopard Cambodia Fund.

"BTG Buys Stake in Local Mitsubishi" (Latin America and the Caribbean)
TendersInfo (03/03/2010)

Brazil-based investment bank BTG Pactual has acquired a minority stake in Mitsubishi Motors do Brasil, the local affiliate of Mitsubishi Motors. The value of the transaction was not disclosed.

"Carlyle Group Buys Stake in Bermuda Bank" (Latin America and the Caribbean)
Washington Post (03/03/10)

The Carlyle Group is part of a consortium that has invested US$550 million in Bermuda-based Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son. Carlyle and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce each purchased approximately US$150 million of common and convertible shares in Butterfield. Other investors include the Wellcome Trust, the Bermuda Government Pension Funds, investor Julian Robertson and Goshen Investments.

"KIC to Invest US$100 Million in IFC Private Equity Fund" (Africa)
Korea Herald (03/04/10)

South Korea's sovereign wealth fund, Korea Investment Corp. (KIC), will commit US$100 million to a private equity fund managed by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) that is seeking investment opportunities in midsize companies in Africa and South America. The IFC Africa, Latin America and Caribbean Fund is managed by IFC Asset Management Company.

"Volga Resources to Acquire a Stake in Onshore Seismic Service Provider" (Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States)
Your Oil and Gas News (03/04/2010)

Volga Resources SICAV-SIF, a Luxembourg-based investment fund, is acquiring a 25 percent stake in Russian onshore seismic service provider Geotech Oil Services for an undisclosed sum. The stake is being acquired from Black River Asset Management, Farallon Capital Management and Geotech's senior management, as well as through the subscription to a new share issue.

"CAF Commits to Peru Fund" (Latin America and the Caribbean)
Latin Finance (03/10)

Corporacion Andina de Fomento (CAF) is committing US$40 million to a Peru-focused infrastructure fund managed by Brookfield Asset Management of Canada and local private equity firm AC Capitales. The fund, which is targeting commitments totaling US$500 million, will invest primarily in Peru's transportation, energy, water and sewage, communications and logistics sectors

"Spring Capital Asia Raises US$184 Million, Invests in Wind Tower Manufacturer" (Asia)
AltAssets.com (03/02/10)

Spring Capital Asia, a private equity firm investing exclusively in China and Hong Kong, has held a second closing of its debut fund with US$184 million in commitments. The fund, which is targeting total commitments of up to US$250 million, recently invested in Qingdao Wuxiao Group, a wind and electricity tower manufacturer based in the Shandong Province of China.

"IGNIA Completes 5th Closing of Fund I at US$62 Million" (Latin America and the Caribbean)
PRNewswire (03/02/10)

Mexico-based social venture capital firm IGNIA has completed the fifth closing of its first fund with US$62 million in commitments. The round was led by the International Finance Corporation, which committed US$10 million, and Corporacion Mexicana de Inversiones de Capital (Fondo de Fondos), which committed US$7.5 million. IGNIA Fund I is targeting total commitments of US$75 million, which together with US$25 million in debt financing from the Inter-American Development Bank will give it up to a total of US$100 million to invest in innovative businesses that serve lower economic segments of the population in Latin America.

"Pallinghurst Deal Transforms Jupiter Mines" (Africa)
Business Report--South Africa (03/01/10)

U.K.-based private equity firm Pallinghurst Resources and a group of co-investors are selling their 49.9 percent stake in South Africa's Tshipi e Ntle Manganese Mining to Jupiter Mines of Australia in a deal valued at approximately US$220 million. In exchange, Jupiter will issue more than 1.16 million in new shares to the Pallinghurst-led consortium.