Henderson courts investors for fund launch

Fund manager Henderson is seeking investors for a third infrastructure fund that will be managed by its Equity Partners managing director, Paul Woodbury, and Guy Pigache, also a director.

Henderson is currently showing the fund to interested parties and sources close to the group say it is hopeful of raising a "significant amount of investment in spite of the credit crunch".

Henderson already runs two infrastructure funds, with assets under management of £875m.

In 2006 Henderson's infrastructure unit bought the construction firm John Laing in a deal worth around £800m.

It beat off its infrastructure rival Macquarie to secure Laing, which ran the Chiltern railways franchise until it was sold to German state train operator Deutsche Bahn for an undisclosed amount.

In May, private equity group Kohlberg Kravis Roberts unveiled plans to enter the infrastructure arena, looking to raise as much $5bn (£2.5bn).