Stonegate Mortgage Corporation has received an equity investment from Second Curve Partners, an Indianapolis based private equity firm.

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(Reuters) - Private equity fund CVC Partners has agreed to sell Paperbox Holdings Ltd to Japan’s Oji Paper Co Ltd for an undisclosed amount, Oji said on Friday.

CVC acquired Paperbox, a unit of Malaysia’s GS Paper & Packaging, in 2007 from Malaysian gaming group Genting (GENT.KL) for $212 million.

The deal comes amid a series of private equity exits in Asia, helped by an improvement in market sentiment.

Mubadala Development Company has agreed to acquire a 9 percent equity stake in The Raine Group LLC, a firm which they seeks to capitalize on emerging investment opportunities in the media, entertainment and sports sectors around the world. Mubadala Development Company and William Morris Agency will be investors in Raine alongside private equity pioneer Ted Forstmann. Raine, a boutique merchant bank, was founded by Joe Ravitch, former senior partner and global head of media at Goldman Sachs, and Jeff Sine, former Vice-Chairman and global head of Technology, Media & Telecom at UBS.

(Reuters) - Hopes for a recovering auto industry buoyed car parts maker Sensata Technologies Holding (ST.N) in its market debut on Thursday, sending its shares up as much as 5.6 percent.

Sensata manufactures sensors for automakers, thermal circuit breakers for aircraft, temperature controllers for electric motors, and other industrial technology. In 2009 more than half of its revenue came from the auto industry.

“One of its biggest customers right now is Ford and Ford is cranking on all cylinders,” said IPO Boutique Senior Managing Partner Scott Sweet.

(Reuters) - Kabel Deutschland’s premium pricing for its $1 billion IPO could invite a similar fate to other recent failed private equity-led offerings, and some still think it’s a ploy to smoke out trade buyers.

On Wednesday, the price range emerged on the offering, valuing KDG at an enterprise value of 6.75-7.25 times earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EV/EBITDA), about a 10 percent premium to European cable peers.

Asking equity investors to pay a premium when they typically expect a 10-15 percent IPO discount is ambitious.

(Reuters) - E-learning software maker SkillSoft Plc (SKIL.O) said the $1.1 billion offer made by a group of private-equity firms was the only option left at the end of its go-shop period, disappointing investors who were expecting better.

The news sent the American depositary shares of the company down more than 5 percent on heavy volumes on Thursday.

The cash offer of $10.80 per share was made last month by SSI Investments III Ltd, a company formed by funds owned by Berkshire Partners, Advent International and Bain Capital.

(Reuters) - U.S. buyout firm Advent International has appointed advisors to assess a possible sale of budget store chain Poundland, the Financial Times reported on Friday.

The private equity group, which also owns German fashion retailer Takko, has hired Close Brothers as it assesses its options for the single-price retailer, which could include a sale to a rival firm or another buyout house, the FT said.

Poundland has seen rapid sales growth, as cash-strapped shoppers fled to discount retailers, and opened its 250th store late last year.

AVEO Pharmaceuticals Inc., a Cambridge, Mass.-based oncology drug company, raised around $81 million via its IPO. The company priced nine million shares at $9 per share, compared to plans to sell seven million shares at between $13 and $15 per share.

The company will trade on the Nasdaq under ticker symbol AVEO, while J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley served as co-lead underwriters.

Apprion, a Moffett Field, Calif.-based provider of application network systems designed for the process manufacturing industry, has raised $8 million in Series C funding. Return backers included Allegis Capital, Motorola Ventures, CTTV Investments and Anvil Investment Associates. The company previously raised around $23.5 million.

around $4 million in new funding from Motorola Ventures. It had previously raised $19.5 million over two rounds from Anvil Investment Associates, CTTV Investments, Advanced Technology Ventures and Allegis Capital. 

CA Inc. has agreed to acquire Nimsoft, a Redwood City, Calif.-based provider of IT service-level management solutions, for $350 million in cash. NimSoft had raised $22.3 million over two rounds of VC funding, from Goldman Sachs, JMI Equity and Northzone Ventures.