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Buyout firms Advent and The Carlyle Group are planning a joint bid for 63% of Indian software exporter Patni Computer Systems, Reuters reported, valuing the deal at nearly $1 billion. Reuters said that private equity firm Apax and the technology company Hitachi are also likely to place a joint bid.
Dutch pension fund APG and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board have acquired a stake in London’s Stratford City development for roughly 871.5 million pounds ($1.39 billion), Reuters reported. The funds are buying the 50% stake in the retail development, which will be built next to the site of the 2012 Olympics, from Australian shopping-mall owner Westfield Group.
Perfume maker Coty will buy Philosophy from private equity firm The Carlyle Group in a deal valued at $1 billon, Reuters has reported. Philosophy, which makes personal care products and cosmetics, was acquired by Carlyle in 2007. Privately held Coty is the world’s largest fragrance company, and will use the acquisition to expand its Coty Prestige unit, Reuters said.
HSBC Capital, through its HSBC Private Equity Partners II fund, has acquired Compton, Calif.-based Venture Aircraft. Financial terms of the deal were not released. Venture Aircraft is a manufacturer of precision crafted sheet metal and machined components for the aerospace industry. HSBC Capital is the U.S. and Latin America private equity division of HSBC Group, and has more than $1.5 billion under management.
Palo Alto, Calif.-based Norwest Venture Partners has added Ryan Harris as partner, and promoted Tim Chang to partner. Chang previously led the firm’s investments in ngmoco Inc. and Playdom Inc. Harris was previously a principal at the Carlyle Group and a venture partner with Industry Ventures. At Norwest, Harris will focus on late stage venture and growth equity investments in areas including medical devices, healthcare services and healthcare IT.
Warburg Pincus has led a $9.5 million investment in the Better Advertising Project. The round will help Better Advertising expand its platform, which is designed to give consumers more transparency into how their information is used online. New York-based Better Advertising was created inside of Warburg Pincus in 2009 while its CEO Scott Meyer was an entrepreneur-in-residence at the firm. The company's management team also participated in the round.
Macquarie Infrastructure Partners has acquired two landfill gas-to-energy facilities from Montvale, New Jersey-based Ridgewood Renewable Power. Financial terms of the deal were not released. Macquarie Infrastructure Partners has more than $5.5 billion in committed capital across two funds.
China’s ZJF Group has acquired Firecomms, an Irish manufacturer of transceivers for plastic optical fiber. Financial terms of the acquisition were not released, though the deal includes a 5 million Euro ($6.8 million) investment in Firecomms’ research and development. Firecomms is backed by investors including Atlantic Bridge, ACT Venture Capital and Swisscom Ventures.
New York-based private equity firm Quadrangle Group is winding down, though it plans to reemerge under a different name, Reuters said, citing an article in the New York Post. The media-focused firm was co-founded by ex-car czar Steve Rattner. Rattner left the firm last year, and is currently the subject of a lawsuit by outgoing New York attorney general Andrew Cuomo.
Middle-market buyout shop American Securities has paid an undisclosed amount for a controlling stake in Arizona Chemical. Jacksonville, Fla.-based Arizona Chemical refines pine chemicals for use in printing inks, paints, adhesives and other products. American Securities is based in New York.