Buyout firm HIG Capital has stepped up its European investment activity in the past 12 months and has moved its focus to providing capital to small to medium-sized companies that are finding it hard to get bank financing.

HIG Europe, an arm of US-based HIG Capital, had bought UK optical fibres manufacturer Fibercore, which is the firm's 10th new investment in the last 12 months and its fourth since the start of the year, according to a statement.