Iris Dorbian

RiverNorth Capital Management has expanded its team with three new hires. David Gifford has been named an investment analyst while Chris Lakumb is now a portfolio specialist. Also, Paul Raskin has been hired as a software developer. Based in Chicago, RiverNorth is an investment management firm.

RE/MAX Holdings debuted its IPO Wednesday after having priced its 10,000,000 shares at $22 per share. The company is trading its stock in the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "RMAX." Morgan Stanley, BofA Merrill Lynch and J.P. Morgan are underwriting the IPO. Based in Denver, Colorado and backed by Western Presidio, RE/MAX is a real estate brokerage franchise.

According to a new report by Preqin, the overall value of PE-backed buyouts for 2013 so far is at $217 billion, as compared to $182 billion for the first to third quarter in 2012. This signifies a 19% increase compared to the same period in 2012. Other findings: For the third quarter of 2013, there were 363 PE-backed buyout deals in North America valued at $36 billion while the overall value of European PE-backed buyout deals for the same period was $15 billion. This latter figure is 50% lower than it was for deals in Europe for the second quarter of 2013 when the aggregate sum was $29 billion.

Monsanto Company said Wednesday that it has inked an agreement to acquire The Climate Corp. for approximately $930 million in cash. The transaction is is expected to close in the first quarter of Monsanto’s 2014 fiscal year. Based in San Francisco, The Climate Corp. is a provider of software and insurance products that help farmers improve their operations. It is backed by Index Ventures, First Round Capital, Glynn Capital Management, New Enterprise Associates, The Founders Fund, Google Ventures, Felicis Ventures and Atomico Ventures.

Duet Health said Wednesday that it has received an undisclosed investment from Baird Capital. Based in Columbus, Ohio, Duet Health is a provider of mobile healthcare communications.

AdCare Health Systems said Wednesday that it has named Michael Fox to its board of directors. Fox is the founder of Park City Capital. Headquartered in Roswell, Georgia, AdCare is a long-term care provider.

Bertram Capital, a private equity firm in Northern California, has acquired Rowmark. No financial terms were disclosed. Based in Findlay, Ohio, Rowmark is a maker of extruded plastic sheet for engraving and specialty applications.

Freestone Partners has teamed up with Patriot Capital to acquire ErgoGenesis from Independent Bankers Capital Fund. No financial terms were disclosed. Quarton Partners served as exclusive financial advisor to ErgoGenesis and IBCF in the transaction. Based in Navasota, Texas, ErgoGenesis is a maker and provider of ergonomic chairs and accessories.

Year Up said Wednesday that it has hired Garrett Moran as president. The appointment becomes effective October 28, 2013. In this newly created role, Moran will report to company founder and CEO Gerald Chertavian. Prior to joining Year Up, Moran worked in Blackstone’s private equity group where he most recently served as senior advisor. Headquartered in Boston, Year Up is a provider of personal and professional development services to urban young adults.

Codero Hosting said Wednesday that it has hired Robert Autenrieth as chief operating officer and vice president of technical operations and support. Previously, Autenrieth worked at Rackspace where he served as vice president of global support operations. Based in Austin, Texas and Overland Park, Kansas, Codero Hosting, which is backed by Catalyst Investors, is a provider of cloud hosting services.