BankBoston Corp. last week closed its first private equity fund  designed for clients of its private bank. 
Private Equity Portfolio Fund, which invests in funds managed by outside  firms, shut its doors to new investors with $150 million under management. 
  
BancBoston Capital had previously limited its business to managing its  parent company's direct investments in private companies and in funds   managed by other equity firms.   
Some 20 to 25 of those firms will be hired to manage the private equity  fund. They include Baring Capital and Legal & General Ventures, both of   London; Harvest Partners and Kelso Investment Associates, both of New York;   and Thomas H. Lee Co. and Summit Partners, both of Boston.     
  
The fund's 175 investors each invested at least the minimum subscription  of $500,000. The clients-74% of whom are individuals-cannot redeem shares   of the fund for at least 10 years.   
Frederick M. Fritz, president of BancBoston Capital, said BankBoston's  private banking clients asked for a private equity fund. "Many of the   bank's high-net-worth clients who heretofore did not have direct access to   this asset class" wanted to get into private equity, he said.     
Mr. Fritz added that the fund of funds minimum is more easily accessible  than the "low seven figures" typically demanded by private equity managers.