EQUITY SHAREHOLDERS
Ambergate Trust
Ambergate Trust is a private trust investing in high-growth private equity opportunities.
Artal Luxembourg
Artal is a European-based private equity company with several billion dollars in capital under management. Artal's exclusive investment advisor, The Invus Group, has led leveraged buy-out (LBO) and venture-capital investments in over 50 portfolio companies in a wide range of industries. These investments include the leveraged buy-out and subsequent IPOs of Weight Watchers International and Keebler Foods Company.
GIMV
Since its incorporation in 1980, GIMV has grown into Belgium's most important venture capital provider and company builder. GIMV has also become a major European and international market player. Both in Belgium and abroad, GIMV invests in information and communication technology, life sciences as well as in growth financing and management buy-outs (MBOs) of companies in more traditional sectors. GIMV today manages more than 1.5 billion euros. GIMV has been listed on Euronext Brussels since 1997.
H&Q
Hambrecht & Quist Capital Management Incorporated ("HQCM") is a registered investment adviser. HQCM is currently the investment adviser for two closed-end equity funds, H&Q Healthcare Investors (NYSE: HQH) and H&Q Life Sciences Investors (NYSE: HQL). The funds invest in both public equities and venture capital and other restricted securities.
KBC
With a market capitalization of around 35 billion euros, KBC Group NV is one of the top Belgian companies and one of the leading financial groups in Europe, employing 50,000 staff and serving 12 million customers. KBC caters mainly to retail and private banking customers and small and medium-sized enterprises. It was formed in 2005 as a result of the merger of KBC Bank and Insurance Holding Company and its parent company, Almanij. KBC is listed on Euronext Brussels (ticker symbol ’KBC’) and the Luxembourg Stock Exchange.
Monsanto
Monsanto Company is a leading global provider of technology-based solutions and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food quality. Monsanto uses plant biotechnology, genomics and breeding to improve productivity and to reduce the costs of farming. Monsanto produces leading seed brands, and develops biotechnology traits that integrate insect control and weed control into the seed itself. Monsanto makes Roundup and other herbicides, which can be combined with its seeds and traits to offer farmers integrated solutions. Monsanto also provides other seed companies with genetic material and biotechnology traits for their seed brands.
Oppenheimer
More than 40 years since its founding, OppenheimerFunds, Inc. has become one of the largest asset management companies in the United States, with more than $220 billion in assets under management (as of September 2006), including mutual funds having more than 6 million shareholder accounts.
Oxford Bioscience Partners
Oxford Bioscience Partners is a life science venture capital firm that provides equity financing and management assistance to start-up early-stage, entrepreneurial-driven companies in the bioscience and healthcare industries. The General Partners of OBP currently manage venture funds with combined committed capital of more than $800 million. Oxford Bioscience Partners has achieved considerable success and above-average returns in the bioscience field over the past 20 years through investments in more than 100 companies worldwide.
QuestMark Partners
QuestMark Partners is a late-stage private equity fund with $450 million under management. QuestMark invests in emerging growth companies with exceptional management teams and proven products and services, addressing internet, software, communications, healthcare and medical devices, consumer services and products.
Soros
Soros Private Equity Partners (SPEP) is the $3.0 billion private equity investment arm of Soros Private Funds Management. SPEP has a broad mandate to finance and build growth companies in the U.S. and Europe, with an industry emphasis on healthcare, technology, consumer, media and financial services. Notable investments by Soros include Jetblue Airways, Integra Life Sciences, and Wellcare HMO. SPEP has also co-sponsored the formation of Perseus Soros Biopharmaceutical Fund, LP, a $450 million fund.
Warburg Pincus
Warburg Pincus has been a leading private equity investor since 1971. The firm has more than $20 billion under management and invests globally and at all stages of a company’s life cycle across a range of sectors including energy, technology, media and telecommunications, financial services, healthcare and life sciences, retail, consumer and industrial and real estate. Since the late 1980s, the firm has invested more than $2.4 billion in companies involved in oil and gas exploration and production, energy and power projects and oilfield and other services. For more than two decades, Warburg Pincus has been the lead investor in a multitude of successful public and private energy companies, including Newfield Exploration Co. (NYSE: NFX), Petrotec Biodiesel (FWB: PT8), Spinnaker Exploration, Inc. (NYSE: SKE, since acquired by Norsk Hydro ASA), Encore Acquisition Co. (NYSE: EAC), Bill Barrett Corp. (NYSE: BBG), MEG Energy Corp., ElectroMagnetic GeoServices (OSE: EMGS) and Kosmos Energy LLC.