Ashish Patel, an Intel Capital executive for more than ten years, takes up a partner role for Asia at private equity fund management firm Aureos.

Virgin Group chairman Richard Branson has been revealed as one of the investors in mobile payments company Square, which closed a $100m series C round in September.

The company makes strategic investments for classes of risk other than catastrophe, and at times may also be directed at non-insurance risks, such Tower Hill Insurance Group, the Essent Group, Angus Partners and Pricelock.

After nearly three years as senior director of Rabo Private Equity, which covers majority and minority deals, Anders has moved to become MD of Rabo Ventures.

After a decade at mezzanine debt and equity provider McKenna Gale Capital, Ferguson has been hired by Manulife Capital, which provides long-term growth capital in the form of equity and subordinated debt for private companies.

Intel Capital has appointed Carey Lai from Institutional Venture Partners as an investment director.

Mike Carr, who was responsible for BT's corporate venturing among other activities, joins the government agency.

De Beers' corporate venturing unit opens up in Silicon Valley as its portfolio has grown to seven companies in the five years it has been in business.

SAP Ventures has appointed Gaurav Tewari, formerly of Highland Capital Partners and various computing multinationals, as a director.

The hiring of the former Google executive who ran Barack Obama's senatorial campaign blog in 2004 beefs up Google Ventures' entrepreneurial university.