| Arda Kutsal's Webrazzi is now in English! |
| 25 September 2009 |
Yes! For all English-speaking, technically-minded, gifted entrepreneurs as well as deal flow optimizers, VCs and angel investors for the Turkish market, good news has finally come - Webrazzi is now in English.
The "Techcrunch" of Turkey has been providing daily updates on the Turkish technology and startup scene since 2006. Arda Kutsal's very successful brain child Webrazzi appears to be doing well enough that he has finally branched out to the English speaking world - now called Webrazzi Global.
For those interested, the new link is:
Webrazzi Global
http://en.webrazzi.com/
Check it out!
|
|
|
|
|
| AIG Unties Turkish Blue Voyage Fund |
|
At the beginning of September, a contact from AIG sent a press release concerning the AIG Blue Voyage Fund - Turkey. As we all know, AIG has had some trouble of late, and it only seems natural that they should streamline their operations. Per the press release:
American International Group, Inc. (AIG) has announced an agreement to sell a portion of its investment advisory and asset management business to Bridge Partners, L.P., a company owned by Pacific Century Group (PCG), the Hong Kong-based private investment firm. AIG is retaining its in-house investment operation that oversees approximately $480 billion of assets under management.
The purchase price of approximately $500 million consists of a cash payment of approximately $300 million at closing, plus additional future consideration that includes a performance note and a continuing share of carried interest.
"After conducting an extensive and rigorous auction process, we concluded that this
transaction provides fair value for AIG and achieves the greatest long-term stability and potential for the business, its clients, business partners and employees," said Alain Karaoglan, AIG Senior Vice President - Divestiture.
The units being sold operate in 32 countries and manage approximately $88.7 billion
of investments of institutional and retail clients across a variety of strategies, including private equity, hedge fund of funds, listed equities and fixed income. Win J. Neuger will continue as Chief Executive Officer of the new business and the existing management team will remain in place.
This transaction includes the Blue Voyage Fund. Managing Director Serkan Elden remains at AIG Investments. The Blue Voyage Fund link has been removed from the Index.
For other Grandstanding posts regarding AIG and the Blue Voyage Fund, click on the labels below.
Labels: AIG, Blue Voyage Fund, Serkan Elden
|
|
|
|
|
| RHEA Investments Joins with Stowbridge Partners; Purchases Vakif VCIT Shares |
|
RHEA Investments, a London-baseded private investment and project development company in the fields of real estate, health, energy, agriculture, and financial services, has made a few moves in the last month that should position it for permanency in the Turkish environment. RHEA Investments established a foothold in Turkey in 2006 and have made successful investments on a MediaMarkt project in Izmir as well as continuing development of hotel projects in various Turkish cities.
Posted about a month ago on the Linkedin group - Venture Capital and Private Equity in Turkey, Memet Yazici, group leader Head of Asset Management at Rhea Investments, makes two announcements regarding the future direction of Rhea Investments. First and foremost last month, RHEA Investments announces that it has joined forces with Stowbridge Partners. According to the post:
"Stowbridge Partners and RHEA Investment Group are joining forces to launch a venture capital and private equity management as well as a corporate advisory unit under the RHEA name. Accordingly, Stowbridge venture capital management and corporate finance advisory practices will merge with the RHEA team.
The new entity will combine the strength of RHEA’s business in the real estate, energy and healthcare sectors with the Stowbridge Partners’ extensive experience in Venture Capital and Small/Medium Enterprise Private Equity. Both teams share the same vision to produce superior returns and the same dedication to excellent execution.
RHEA’s primary office is located in Istanbul, Turkey with additional offices in London (UK) Chicago, Illinois (US), Bucharest (Romania), Izmir (Turkey) and Dubai (UAE).
At Stowbridge Partners, managing partner Kurtay Ogunc will continue his leadership and identify new opportunities for cooperation and collaboration between U.S. and the EMEA region.
About a year ago, Stowbridge Partners was taken off Grandstanding Traction's index (right sidebar) due to inactivity, or rather "off the radar". As of this announcement, they have been added again. Memet Yazici is also a board member of Stowbridge Partners.
Days after, RHEA Investments made another announcement regarding its agreement to purchase 31.15 percent of Vakıfbank's private equity operation Vakıf Venture Capital Investments Trust.
As mentioned in the Hurriyet Daily News, "The 2.1 million Turkish Liras deal is pending the approval of Turkey's Capital Markets Board, or SPK, and is likely to be finalized by the end of 2009. Vakıf Venture Capital Investment Trust was established in 1996 and listed on the Istanbul Stock Exchange in July 2000."
According to Memet Yazici on Linkedin, "RHEA has signed a definitive agreement with Vakif Bank to purchase all of the A type (controlling) and 6.15% B type (ordinary) shares of Vakif Risk Sermayesi Yatirim Ortakligi A.S. (Vakif Venture Capital Investment Trust), an Istanbul Stock Exhange listed joint stock company (stock code: “VKFRS” ). All of the remaining shares are trading on the ISE."
As quoted in the Hurriyet, "We will be particularly interested in cooperating with sector leaders, firms that are already first or second in their respective sectors, which have an ambitious global growth vision. Our goal is to grow the firms and exit them in some two to four years, like an average private equity investor would do," Yazıcı said. Rhea has already screened some 25 firms looking for an investment between 5 million and 20 million euros. "In addition to this, motivated by the construction of technoparks in Turkey in recent years, we are also planning to build a technology portfolio of some five companies," said Onur Takmak, Rhea Investment venture capital director.
Additional information can be obtained at:
The New Energy World Network - Turkish renewable energy investment trust Rhea Investments acquires Vakif Risk Sermayesi Yatirim Ortakligi
Invest IQ - RHEA Buys controlling Share of Vakif Venture Capital
Rhea comes to Turkey with international corporate investors (TR)
Overall, this looks like a nice consolidation of the industry with some good heads at work. Vakif Girisim was looking to unload this subsidiary for some time now. In fact, Grandstanding Traction posted in 2008 an interview with CFK Partners who were intending the purchase the Vakif Girisim shares. CFK Halka Arz Partners website is still under construction, so this deal appears to have fallen through.
Labels: RHEA investments, Vakıf Girişim
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Publisher: Jon H. Black
