Buyouts
UK - Cerberus acquires Focus for £225m
Cerberus has acquired struggling DIY chain Focus. Unable to reach a debt restructuring agreement with its creditors, Focus has been the subject of negotiation since earlier this year. The sale of the company to US hedge fund Cerberus represents an exit...
UK - RJD backs £50m BIMBO of TransLinc
RJD Partners has led a fundraising transaction worth £50m for the purchase of specialist fleet outsourcing business TransLinc. The deal structure is a buy-in management buy out. TransLinc was originally formed within Lincolnshire County Council. It became...
SWEDEN - CapMan, SEB Venture Capital and Aloe Private Equity acquires KMW Energi AB
CapMan, SEB Venture Capital and Aloe Private Equty have acquired 80% of KMW Energi's shares. KMW is a biofuel company based in Norrtälje. The 80% ownership will be split eaqually between the investors, and the current owners will hold the remaining 20%...
UK – Pi Capital pumps £4m into Applied Kilovolts
Small UK buyout specialist Pi Capital has provided £3.93m to Applied Kilovolts to allow the power supplier to acquire Brandenburg, a rival. The deal, which effectively doubles the size of Applied Kilovolts, also sees the firm buy out the minority stake...
FRANCE - Marathon sale attracts De Agostini and Apax
In the sale of television producer Marathon, vendor Bridgepoint has received firm offers from De Agostini and Apax Partners, according to reports in the French press.
FRANCE - Astorg backs secondary buyout of Webhelp
Astorg Partners is set to acquire a majority stake in CRM specialist Webhelp. Vendor Barclays Private Equity will retain a minority interest in the business, while management is increasing its stake.
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 £76.9m 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 £500m. 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.