| All eyes turn to 2021 recovery
Private Equity Wire published its much-anticipated PEW Global Outlook 2021 report this week. Read it to find out the views of GPs who actively managed their private equity portfolios through the turbulence of 2020. What shifts are they seeing in the market, what sectors will strengthen, where is the potential for growth?
The report includes comments from some of the most active GPs and LPs in the market today, sharing their views on how they navigated the pandemic environment and how we could grow and develop from the hard-earned learnings it brought, this year and beyond. We would like to extend our warmest gratitude and appreciation to everyone who took part. Enjoy!
EQT Ventures recently closed a USD18 million series-A round into Stockholm-based AI-focused online learning platform Sana Labs, which is used by Fortune Global 2000 companies for up-skilling and re-skilling global workforces, and has been in high demand when it comes to educating healthcare and other key workers during the pandemic.
Private Equity Wire sat down with Ted Persson, partner at EQT Ventures, to discuss the fact that around 1.3 billion adults will face a ‘skills mismatch’ for the jobs needed in the future, how the online learning trend will pan out in the next few years and the role of the private sector in driving this trend.
The UK saw it’s death toll pass the grim 100,000 mark this week while Mexico’s devastating Covid-19 death toll overtook India’s with 155,145 deaths. That’s the world’s third highest Covid-19 fatality figure so far, following the US and Brazil.
US-based global investing firm Capria Ventures made its second investment in Latin America during the pandemic in January, with Mexican VC fund Angel Ventures. The Mexico City-based firm invests in entrepreneurs across Latin America, with a particular focus on Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Peru.
Private Equity Wire caught up with Hernan Fernandez, founder and managing partner and Camilo Kejner, managing partner at Angel Ventures to find out more about their views on the impact of the pandemic on the Mexican economy and on the country’s start-up ecosystem, what sectors they are betting on in 2021 and the duo's outlook on growth in the LatAM VC space.
Given the substantial economic instability generated by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, European private equity deal activity showed remarkable resilience last year, according to Pitchbook’s 2020 European PE Breakdown.
The report found that private equity deal volume rose to a new quarterly peak in Q4 last year, closing more than 1,200 deals for the first time. Both deal value and volume recorded third- and fourth-quarter decade-raging records, respectively, during what has proved to be the worst economic climate since the Great Depression in Q2 2020, with 4,179 deals closing for a total of EUR449.1 billion
This week also saw Splashtop, a remote access and remote support company, close a USD50 million financing round that takes its valuation above the USD1 billion mark.
The round was led by Sapphire Ventures, with participation from investors including NEA, DFJ DragonFund and Storm Ventures, which specialises in helping US and European startups accelerate growth.
In other news, EQT said it has agreed to acquire Pennsylvania-based real estate investment manager Exeter Property for USD1.87 billion, while fellow Nordic PE giant Nordic Capital put in an offer to acquire drugmaker Advanz Pharma at USD 846 million.
New York-based Blackstone posted its results showing the company's private equity division reported spending USD 8.2 billion – out of the total of USD 25.4 billion the group deployed – in Q4.
Karin Wasteson
Editor, Private Equity Wire
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