Valor Equity Partners of Chicago is raising up to $200 million for its second fund, according to a regulatory filing. The lower-middle-market firm raised $120 million for its inaugural fund in 2002. www.valorep.com
Brantley Capital Corp., a publicly-traded business development company, has agreed to liquidate by selling substantially all of its investment assets to Venture Capital Fund of America III.
The Frank Gates Cos. of Columbus, Ohio and Attenta of Birmingham, Ala. last month merged into a single risk management company called Risk Management Solutions Inc. The deal was financed via a $52.5 million equity investment from KRG Capital Partners, which will hold a controlling interest. www.frankgates.com www.attenta.com
Ecrio Inc., a Cupertino, Calif.-based provider of real-time communications software for mobile phones, has secured $14.5 million of a $25 million Series C-1 round, according to a regulatory filing. Backers include NTT DoCoMo, Nexit Ventures and CIR Ventures. www.ecrio.com
BioWizard Inc., a Philadelphia-based online information and communications portal for the biomedical research community, has raised $875,000 in Series A funding from MentorTech Ventures. www.biowizard.com
GrandBanks Capital of Newton, Mass. is raising its second early-stage venture fund. The offering has a $150 million target, and a $200 million cap. Charley Lax, managing general partner of GrandBanks, declined comment. www.grandbankscapital.com
Applied Spine Technologies Inc., a New Haven, Conn.-based developer of a stabilization device for supporting an injured or degenerated spine without eliminating motion, has raised $28 million in Series C funding. Investor Growth Capital led the deal, and was joined by MB Venture Partners. www.appliedspine.com
HowStuffWorks, an Atlanta-based online content company, has raised $75 million in private funding (mostly equity). It also plans to launch an instructional video offering, in partnership with ViTrue Inc. Participants in the round include Capital Research & Management, Chilton Investment Co., Carl Icahn and Chartwell Investments. Allen & Co. served as placement agent. www.howstuffworks.com
Vanguard Car Rental Group Inc., a Tulsa, Okla.-based vehicle rental company operating under the National Car Rental and Alamo Rent-A-Car brands, has withdrawn its $300 million IPO filing. The move is related to Vanguard's pending acquisition by Enterprise Rent-A-Car Co. Cerberus Capital Management is Vanguard's majority shareholder. www.vanguardcar.com
Lone Star Funds has retained Merrill Lynch to find a buyer for portfolio company Bi-Lo LLC, a Mauldin, S.C.-based operator of supermarkets in the Southeastern U.S. www.bi-lo.com