General Atlantic Partners, the global IT private equity firm, and Index Ventures, the pan-European venture capital firm, have taken on the former partners of the Barksdale Group, the Silicon Valley internet venture capital firm which is winding down its operations.

Barksdale Group co-founders Jim Barksdale and Peter Currie are joining General Atlantic Partners in the US. Jim Barksdale, who is also the former chief executive of Netscape, will be a special adviser, assisting GAP's portfolio companies, and helping evaluate investment opportunities in internet technologies.