Vining-Sparks IBG wants to help institutional investors kindle an investment blaze. Operating as Vining Sparks, the firm provides broker/dealer services to institutional investors including financial companies, money managers, funds, insurance firms, and municipalities. Through its alliance with Howe Barnes, Vining-Sparks IBG offers investment banking services including debt and equity offerings and mergers and acquisitions advisory. Headquartered in Memphis, far from the capital of capital centers, Vining Sparks has more than a dozen offices in the US and another in London. Chairman James Vining founded Vining-Sparks IBG to serve community banks in 1981.

Inflexion, which was founded in 1999, has offices in London and Manchester. Inflexion flexes its muscles by nurturing growth companies. The private equity firm focuses on the buyout and development of small- to mid-market businesses and it typically invests from £15 million to £100 million ($24 million to $162 million). Inflexion gets involved with its portfolio companies and specializes in corporate finance, recovery, and consulting. The firm has made investments in various sectors from oil and gas to apparel. Recent investments include health care staffing firm Independent Clinical Services, subsea vehicle manufacturer SMD, clothing company Jack Wills, and industrial products firm Aspen Pumps.

Deutsche Bank Alex. Brown is part of the Private Wealth Management segment of German giant Deutsche Bank. The company provides a range of advisory, brokerage, and investment services to high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individual investors, as well as institutional and corporate clients in the US. For corporate clients, Deutsche Bank Alex. Brown provides cash management, foreign exchange, investment consulting, custody, and prime brokerage services. The company also administers employee stock and stock option purchase plans. It has more than 15 US offices and approximately $43 billion of assets under control.

Gemina was established in 1961, under the name of Compagnia Generale Alimentare S.r.l., as a holding company operating in the food sector. During the 1970's, the company took on its current name and started operating as an industrial holding company, and in 1981 was listed on the Milan Stock Exchange. During the '80s, the company launched an investment program in the financial and merchant-banking sectors. In 1996, the company started progressively reducing its financial sector investments, which were no longer considered strategic, and redirected its energies, mainly focusing on the industrial sector. In March 1997, Gemina's partial division, with the establishment of the beneficiary HdP, started gaining effectiveness. Indeed, the shareholdings in the industrial companies present in Gemina's investment portfolio were transferred to HdP. Gemina then concluded the divestment of its financial assets, direct to acquire, by launching, in the second half of 1998, a new investment program:significant quotas of shareholdings in companies, operating in well-established businesses and capable of ensuring a suitable level of soundness to the company portfolio and in medium/small sized companies operating in the production of goods and services and with good development prospects. Starting from 2000 Gemina focuses its activities on directing and controlling its subsidiaries. In the same period Gemina takes part in the privatization of ADR (managing company of Roma’s airports) and develops its core business in the area of airports’ infrastructures. In the meantime Gemina divests its shareholdings in the other subsidiaries and today it holds the 95,76% of ADR shares’ capital that is the most important asset of Gemina’s group.

First Quadrant was founded in 1988 and is based in Pasadena, California with an additional office in Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts. First Quadrant L.P. is a privately owned investment manager. The firm primarily provides its services to institutional investors. It also caters to high net worth individuals, pension and profit sharing plans, pooled investment vehicles, state or municipal government entities, investment companies, charitable organizations, and foreign governments. The firm manages separate client focused equity and balanced portfolios. It also manages mutual funds for its clients. The firm invests in the public equity and fixed income markets across the globe. It makes its investments in growth and value stocks of small-cap, mid-cap, and large-cap companies. The firm seeks to invest in alternative investments markets including currencies, global index options, and options on future contracts. It employs currency management arbitrage, tactical asset allocation, policy allocation control, and long/short strategies to make its investments.

Mackenzie Financial Corporation was founded in 1967 and is based in Toronto, Ontario with an additional office in Vancouver, Canada. Mackenzie Financial Corporation is a privately owned investment manager. The firm primarily provides its services to pooled investment vehicles. It also caters to corporations, high net worth individuals, banking and thrift institutions, investment companies, pension and profit sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm manages equity, fixed income, and balanced mutual funds, segregated funds, pooled funds, pension funds, and labor sponsored funds for its clients. It invests in the public equity and fixed income markets across the globe. For its equity investments, the firm invests in growth and value stocks. It operates as a subsidiary of Mackenzie Inc.

In January 1997, Alchemy was formed as a private equity advisory business and in 2006 added a team to focus on distressed debt and special opportunities. In 2007, Alchemy launched a development capital fund advisory business based in India. The Alchemy Partners and Portfolio Monitoring Directors work closely as a small, highly professional team with considerable investment experience, supported by motivated and ambitious Executives. Funding is provided by a large number of blue-chip investors including major banks, pension funds, fund-of-funds, university endowments and high net worth individuals. Alchemy is perfectly positioned to take advantage of the current turbulent markets with its focus on value investing and experience in executing difficult deals.

Lombard Odier Darier Hentsch & Cie was founded in 1796 and is based in Geneva, Switzerland with additional offices in Fribourg, Lausanne, Lugano, Vevey, Zurich, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Brussels, Gibraltar, Istanbul, Jersey, London, Madrid, Paris, Prague, Montreal, Bermuda, Nassau, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Dubai. Lombard Odier Darier Hentsch & Cie, a private banker, offers advisory services in wealth management, financial products, and specialized areas to private and institutional clients. Its services include investment decisions assistance, assets management, portfolio management advice, estate planning, legal and tax advice, occupational pensions advise, actuarial, bancassurance, equity management, and equity research. The company also engages in creating, managing, and administering mutual funds. In addition, it offers online financial services. Further, the company offers Asset Management & Investment Research software, an asset management software.

The Chairman, Bruce Rowan, has managed the Company since January 2002. Bruce has a wealth of experience over many years of investing primarily in small company new issues and pre-IPO opportunities in the natural resources and mineral exploration sectors. Bruce is supported by Tony Scutt, non-executive director, and by John Watkins, finance director and company secretary. Tony is an experienced private investor and investment analyst as well as a director of three investee companies; Tony is a qualified Chartered Secretary, a Certified Internal Auditor with the US Institute of Internal Auditors and spent 35 years with Shell. John has been in practice as a Chartered Accountant since 1972, including periods in the City with the accountancy firms of Neville Russell and Ernst & Young. In addition, he is a non-executive director of five Starvest investee companies.

MMC is a venture capital firm that invests growth capital in UK companies. MMC are an active investor and look to work closely and in partnership with impressive management teams. Although MMC approach is generalist, MMC focus on growth leads us to invest particularly in healthcare, financial services, support services and technology, including cleantech and media.MMC have substantial capital available through managed funds and a Syndicate of private investors. MMC offers MMC investors a diversified and tax-efficient portfolio service. When risk is properly calibrated and management teams are well supported venture capital offers superior returns. Since MMC began investing in 2000 MMC has established a strong track record of growing and selling businesses. MMC was named EIS Fund Manager of the Year by the EISA in January 2009. MMC is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) and is a member of the British Venture Capital Association (BVCA) and Enterprise Investment Scheme Association (EISA).

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