In fairytales, a knight rescuing a damsel in distress always needs to overcome a few obstacles. In SVG Capital's case, the white knight it dreams of will need to be particularly heroic.

The UK-listed private equity investor has come out fighting after receiving a hostile takeover bid from HarbourVest Partners on September 12. Hiring a selection of top bankers and lawyers, it has said other parties have expressed interest in buying it in deals that "could deliver superior value" for shareholders.