Staff Writer

DFJ Esprit Secondaries will be the largest venture secondaries firm in Europe, as the buzz around venture escalates in the run up to Facebook’s public market debut.

Greenpark Capital has appointed Chin Chin Teoh (pictured) from Bank of America Merrill Lynch to lead its newly-opened Hong Kong office.

Banks and other financial institutions were the most active sellers of fund interests last year, according to the latest findings from Landmark Partners.

The Swiss-based private markets investment firm says discounts to net asset values improved from the buyer’s perspective for secondary real estate portfolios towards the end of last year.

The Japanese private equity firm has attracted Japanese pension fund investments and expects to launch a successor fund for Greater China in 2012.

Coller Capital has agreed the latest in a slew of banking-related secondaries this year sparked by the forthcoming Volcker rule, acquiring the in-house private equity arm of French bank Crédit Agricole.

The San Francisco-based firm has purchased a $25 million commitment to Buchanan Street Partners' fifth fund, the $400 million Buchanan Fund V, in its first secondary acquisition since the start of the global financial crisis.

The Japanese conglomerate is selling a portfolio of buyout stakes to AXA Private Equity.

The Japanese private equity firm has attracted a number of Japanese corporate pension funds as it nears a final close on its third secondaries fund.

Secondaries specialist Cipio Partners has promoted two of its team, including its chief financial officer, to managing partner, in a bid to introduce a younger generation to the firm's senior management team.