News Briefs

Sequoia Capital and Artis Capital aren't the only firms set to profit from Google's $1.65 billion acquisition of YouTube. The New York Times reports that Universal Music Group, BMG Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group each received small YouTube stakes as part of music-licensing deals signed shortly before the Google deal was announced. The three […]

Amicus Therapeutics Inc., a Cranbury, N.J.-based drug company focused on genetic diseases like Fabry disease, has raised $60 million in Series D funding. New Enterprise Associates led the deal, and was joined by Och-Ziff Capital Management and return backers Canaan Partners, CHL Medical Partners, Frazier Healthcare Ventures, Palo Alto Investors, Prospect Venture Partners, Quaker BioVentures […]

Apax Partners and Bain Capital have agreed to join the private equity consortium that is acquiring an 80.1% stake in the Semiconductor division of RoyalPhilips Electronics (NYSE: PHG). The group already had included KKR, Silver Lake Partners and AlpInvest. www.apax.com www.baincapital.com Infinite Power Solutions Inc., a Golden, Colo.-based maker of thin-film batteries, has raised around […]

Springer Science & Business Media, a German portfolio company of Cinven and Candover, has approached rival publisher and conference organizer Informa about a takeover. The talks are in their early stages, but the combined company would be worth in excess of

Apollo Management has agreed to acquire GE Advanced Materials (Silicones & Quartz) from General Electric (NYSE: GE) for approximately $3.8 billion. GE will retain a 10% stake in the resulting company, and will hold $400 million in notes. The deal is expected to close by year-end. GE Advanced Materials supplies silicone-based products, silanes, sealants, urethane […]

Vector Capital has agreed to co-invest equally in Francisco Partners' $151 million public-to-private buyout of WatchGuard Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq: WGRD). Vector already controls 9.4% of WatchGuard shares, and had tried to buy out the company before Francisco stepped in. As part of the agreement, Vector will vote its shares in favor of the transaction. www.watchguard.com […]

Quartillium, the fund-of-funds unit of France-based Finama, said that it is about to begin raising its third fund-of-funds. Its current vehicle has made recent commitments to: Dunedin Buyout Fund II, Cinven IV; Alpha V; Edgestone Equity Partners III, Mangrove II, Scottish Equity Partners III, Almack Mezzanine I, Granite Global Ventures III, ABRY Senior Equity II, […]

Competitive Power Ventures Holdings, a Silver Springs, Md.

Renewable Energy Group Inc., a Ralston, Iowa-based biodiesel producer, has raised $100 million in Series A funding. Natural Gas Partners led the deal, and was joined by such firms as Bunge North America, ED&F Man Holdings and West Central Cooperative. Viant Group advised REG on the deal, which will be used to increase its biodiesel […]

Bernard Arnault, chairman of LVMH Mo