The UK's private equity industry received a boost today after three lower mid-market deals were announced, following what was a bleak period for dealflow in the final quarter of 2008. The deals will encourage buyout executives in the UK, who fear a sustained lack of liquidity will lead to a moribund private equity market in the first half of this year.

UK buyout firm HgCapital has sold Irish payment technology company Orbiscom to MasterCard for about $100m (€75m). It was Hg's 30th exit since June 2005 and its 16th since the market's peak in July 2007.