Buyouts
UK - Balderton Capital wholly aquires Codemasters
Balderton Capital, formerly known as Benchmark Capital Europe, has acquired the remaining stake held by the founders of Codemasters, an independent videogame developer and publisher.
FRANCE - IPO spins-off Ceradel
IPO, the listed subsidiary of CM-CIC, has piloted the carve-out of ceramic and glass art equipment provider Ceradel from parent company Imerys.
UK - Duke Street in take-private bid for Oasis Healthcare
Duke Street Capital has offered ТЃ76.9m for AIM-listed dental services provider Oasis Healthcare Plc. The offer of 82 pence per-share represents a premium of 74.4% on the closing price. The bid is being financed by a debt package supplied by Barclays...
UK - HgCapital sells IRIS and CSG in £500m deal
HgCapital has sold IRIS Software, a provider of software to accountacy practices, and Computer Software Group (CSG), a provider of software to legal practices, to Hellman & Friedman for ТЃ500m. Hellman & Friedman plans to merge the two entities. HgCapital...
SPAIN - Clave Mayor and Möbius invest in Vivotecnia
Clave Mayor and Möbius Corporate Venture Capital have acquired 100% of Vivotecnia Research alongside the management and private investors. Additionally, a capital increase has been made to allow the purchase of new installations.
ITALY - ElectroPS receives backing from 360º Capital Partners
Venture house 360º Capital Partners has agreed to provide total funding of up to EUR 5m to energy sector business Electro Power Systems (ElectroPS) in return for a minority stake.
DENMARK - Unifeeder is acquired by Montagu for over EUR 400m
Montagu Private Equity has acquired feeder operator Unifeeder from its management for over EUR 400m. The investors acquired 100% of the company, but the management will take a significant stake in the business going forward. Unifeeder was sold via an...
FRANCE - Towerbrook makes 3x from sale of InfoPro to Apax
Towerbrook Capital Partners has generated 3x its money on the sale of professional information group InfoPro Communications to Apax Partners SA.
FRANCE - AXA Private Equity backs buyout of payment software business
In a management buyout, AXA Private Equity has acquired the majority of the shares of Welcome Real-time, a provider of payment software for financial institutions and payment networks.
FRANCE - European Capital invests EUR 55m in Go Voyages
European Capital has invested EUR 55m in senior and junior mezzanine bonds and preferred and common equity in travel agent Go Voyages. The company was the subject of a buyout supported by Financière Agache Private Equity earlier this year.
UK - European Capital acquires Hillarys Blinds for EUR 337m
European Capital has announced the EUR 337m secondary buyout of Hillarys Blinds, a provider of made-to-measure blinds, from Change Capital Partners. The firm provided equity, loan notes, mezzanine debt and senior term loans, to complete the one stop...
UK - Apax and Permira will recap New Look if sale doesn't go through
The sale of Apax and Permira-portfolio company New Look is still on track, according to reports. Merrill Lynch is running an auction to facilitate the disposal with TPG and Warburg Pincus bidding together against BC Partners. A price tag of approximately...
UK - Graphite Capital backs MBO of Dominion Technology Gases
Graphite Capital has backed the management buyout of Aberdeen-based Dominion Technology Gases from its founder. Dominion is a supplier of specialist gases used for diving, welding and testing by offshore oil and gas customers. Royal Bank of Scotland provided...
NL - Lion Capital acquires HEMA
Lion Capital has acquired Dutch retailer HEMA from Maxeda. The deal is subject to regulatory approval, expected before the end of July 2007.
GERMANY - Henderson sells Homann to IFR Capital
Henderson Private Equity has exited food manufacturer Homann through a sale to AIM-listed investment company IFR Capital. IFR has acquired 100% of the share capital of Homann, continuing its strategy of consolidation in the European retail food sector....
FINLAND - 3i acquires 25% of DNA for EUR 140m
3i has acquired 25% of the shares in Finnet OY, a Finish mobile operator, for EUR 140m. Following the deal Finnet OY is to be renamed DNA. 3i's stake will be reduced to 13% after the anticipated merger of five local operators and DNA. The 25% stake has...
UK - CCMP Capital acquires BOC Edwards from Linde Group
CCMP Capital has acquired BOC Edwards from the Linde Group. BOC Edwards is a manufacturer of vacuum equipment used in high technology industries. CCMP Capital made the acquisition through funds managed by CCMP Capital Advisors and CCMP Capital Asia Ltd....
DENMARK - EQT acquires Cimbria
The EQT Opportunity Fund has agreed to acquire a majority of the shares in the Danish industrial engineering Company Cimbria A/S.
SWEDEN- Nordic Capital acquires Thule Group from Candover
Nordic Capital VI has acquired Thule Group from Candover. Thule Group is a sports utility transportation solution provider with revenues of SEK 6bn.
UK - KKR secures £11.1bn Boots deal in shareholder vote
Alliance Boots shareholders have voted in favour of KKR's ТЃ11.1bn takeover bid. Of the proxy votes cast ahead of the EGM, reckoned to be a good indicator of the EGM results, 96.3% of shareholders approved KKR's recommended offer. The first private equity...
SPAIN/FRANCE - CVC goes solo for Altadis bid
Following recent rumours of disagreements between CVC and PAI Partners in relation to their joint bid for tobacco business Altadis, CVC is said to be preparing an offer on its own.
POLAND - Argan acquires majority stake in AAT Group
Argan Capital has acquired Polish distributor of security products and systems, AAT Group. Following completion of the transaction, Argan will hold a majority stake in the business. Established in 1995, AAT has a broad product offering which includes...
UK - Aberdeen backs BIMBO of oil and gas tools rental company
Aberdeen Asset Managers Growth Capital has backed the BIMBO of ATR Group, a business which rents specialised tools and equipment to the offshore oil and gas industry. Aberdeen invested ТЃ3.9m in equity funding to support the transaction alongside debt...
UK - Blackstone-backed Tragus acquires Strada for £140m
Tragus, the restaurant group owned by Blackstone, has added high street pizza chain Strada to its portfolio in a ТЃ140m deal. The acquisition represents an exit for entrepreneur Richard Caring and will enlarge Tragus's offering by 55 sites. Tragus owns...