HUGH RICHARDS<br/> CO-FOUNDER<br/> EXPONENT PRIVATE EQUITY

Exponent Private Equity, a UK mid-market firm founded in 2004, has closed its second fund with commitments of £805 million ( €1 billion; $1.6 billion). The fund is double the amount raised in the first fund in 2004. Investors included funds managed by Pathway, Pantheon Ventures, Danske Private Equity, MassPRIM, OMERS Capital Partners, NYL Capital Partners and Bank of Scotland, as well as substantial US endowment and European private family sources. Hugh Richards, one of the firm's four founding partners, answers PEI's questions.