Chris Witkowsky
Austin Ventures, which invests in early-stage companies in Texas, has hired Greg Stock as an entrepreneur-in-residence, where he will focus on software investments. Prior to joining Austin Ventures, Stock worked at Macheen as president and chief executive officer and remains chairman of the company. Prior to that, Stock was chairman and CEO of Vovici, an Austin Ventures portfolio company.
Sentiment, a social intelligence and engagement platform, has raised £1 million in Series A funding. The financing round was led by Elderstreet Investments, with participation from AIM-listed technology company Netcall. Sentiment also has appointed Elderstreet's co-founder and managing director Michael Jackson as chairman of the board of directors.
Qiming Venture Partners, a China-based venture firm, has hired Helen Wong as a partner focused on investments in the Internet and consumer sectors. Wong spent 11 years at GGV Capital and Venture TDF. She was an early investor in Tudou, which listed on the Nasdaq and merged with Youku at a valuation of more than $1 billion. Qiming also announced several promotions.
The California Public Employees’ Retirement System has put together a panel of financial industry veterans, as well as member of its own investment staff, to help the system review its emerging manager program, sister news service peHUB reported.
Carlyle has brought on UBS executive Neil Collins as a managing director and global head of sales and marketing for the Solutions Group. The firm also has hired veteran fundraiser Reidan Cruz as a managing director in global sales and marketing for Solutions.
Apollo Global Management has closed its flagship eighth fund with $17.5 billion, making it the largest fund raised since the global financial crisis. Fund VIII will focus on distressed investments, corporate carve-outs and opportunistic buyouts. Apollo and affiliated investors, including senior professionals, committed about $880 million of capital into the fund.
H.I.G. Capital-backed Infogix has acquired Agilis International, which provides predictive data analytics and reconciliation solutions for the telecom and media sector. Fairmount Partners, headquartered in Philadelphia, advised Agilis in the transaction. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The Carlyle Group has hired Boris Okuliar as head of capital markets for global market strategies, a newly created position. Okuliar also will be head of capital markets for Carlyle GMS Finance, a business development company. Okuliar joins from UBS, where he was managing director and head of leveraged capital markets, in London. He will start at Carlyle in February and will be based in New York.
Suneva Medical, a privately held aesthetics company, has raised $35 million in debt and equity capital. The new capital was structured to be comprised of a growth capital term loan, a working capital facility and a Series B financing round of $20 million. Polaris Partners led the Series B round, with an affiliate of HealthCare Royalty Partners providing the growth capital loan and also participating in the Series B round. Other existing investors participated in the Series B round, while Comerica Bank provided the working capital facility.
Energy Investors Funds has acquired the Channelview cogeneration facility, an 865 MW gas-fired power plant near Houston, Texas. EIF acquired the plant from Global Infrastructure Partners and Fortistar using capital from its EIF United States Power Fund IV. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.