Exits
FRANCE - Abingworth et al. sell Fovea in EUR 370m deal
A syndicate of investors including UK-based venture investor Abingworth has exited its investment in Fovea pharmaceuticals, a specialist in ocular disease treatment, through a sale to strategic buyer Sanofi-aventis for EUR 370m.
GERMANY - Warburg Pincus sells EUR 290m Easycash
Warburg Pincus has sold payment services provider Easycash to strategic investor Ingenico, in a deal that values the business at EUR 290m.
AUSTRIA - Capexit sells phion stake to Barracuda for EUR 1m
Capexit has sold the remainder of its interest in listed IT service provider phion to Barracuda Networks, in deal worth just over EUR 1m.
GERMANY - Cinven and Candover could sell majority Springer stake
According to reports, buyout houses Cinven and Candover have signalled a willingness to part with a majority stake in academic publisher Springer Science and Business Media.
GERMANY - Permira sells EUR 177m Freenet stake
Permira has reduced its stake in listed telecommunications business Freenet through a placement of just over 19 million shares, equating to 15% of the company's share capital, in a deal worth approximately EUR 177m.
UK - NVM reaps 8x return on DxS sale
NVM Private Equity has exited its investment in DxS, a personalised medicines specialist, via a trade sale to sample and assay technologies giant Qiagen, reaping a return of 8x money on an intitial cash payment of $75m.
GERMANY - BC Partners to float Brenntag
According to sources, BC Partners is preparing to float distributor Brenntag GmbH in early 2010, which could raise as much as EUR 1.5bn.
FRANCE - Blackstone and Lion agree EUR 2.6bn Orangina sale
Blackstone and Lion Capital have agreed the sale of Orangina Schweppes Group to Suntory Holdings, in a deal valued at around EUR 2.6bn.
GERMANY - TPG drops out of Springer race
According to reports, TPG Partners has dropped out of the sales process to acquire a 49% stake in academic publisher Springer Science and Business Media, which is being sold by Cinven and Candover.
FRANCE - BC Partners looking to float Medica
BC Partners is thought to be preparing a floatation of home care portfolio company Medica, expected before the end of the year.
GERMANY - Private equity circles Primondo
According to press reports, Cerberus, Golden Gate and Sun Capital Partners are among potential suitors for Primondo GmbH, which is being sold by administrator Klaus Hubert Görg.
UK - Blackstone sells Cineworld stake
Blackstone has sold close to two thirds of its 57% stake in UK cinema chain Cineworld, prompting a sharp drop in the company's share price of 13 pence.
ITALY - S+R and Alcedo to sell GTS to Alfaparf
It is understood that S+R Investimenti e Gestioni and Alcedo Sgr have agreed to sell their combined 72% stake in cosmetics company GTS Group to trade buyer Alfaparf, in a deal estimated at EUR50-60m.
GERMANY - Private equity circles ratiopharm group
Private equity firms have shown interest in acquiring drugs company ratiopharm group, which is being put up for sale by VEM Vermögensverwaltung GmbH.
AUSTRIA - DZ Equity's Illichmann enters administration
DZ Equity Partner's portfolio company Illichmann Aluminiumguss GmbH has filed for insolvency. Austrian press reports suggest that Illichmann's lenders have refused to provide additional loans to the company, while also cancelling its existing credit facilities....
GLOBAL - GI Partners completes sale of assets in first fund
Private equity and real estate investor GI Partners has sold the last remaining asset in its first fund, a Frankfurt data center, to Equinix Holding BV for $28m.
SWITZERLAND - HBM et al. sells ESBATech to Alcon
A consortium comprising HBM BioVentures, SV Life Sciences, Clarus Ventures, BioMedinvest, Novartis Bioventures and VI Partners has agreed to sell ESBATech AG to listed eye care company Alcon, for an initial cash purchase price of $150m.
GERMANY - HBM reaps 22x return on Brahms sale
HBM Partners has sold biotechnology company Brahms to listed trade buyer Thermo Fisher Scientific, in an all-cash deal that values the business at EUR 330m and generates a return of close to 22x money.
UK - General Atlantic decreases interest in Xchanging plc
Private equity firm General Atlantic has reduced its stake in its listed portfolio company Xchanging plc, a provider of business processing services, to less than 10%.
UK - Bridges Ventures exits Insurance Dialogue
Bridges Ventures has sold portfolio brokerage company Insurance Dialogue to trade buyer Equity Insurance Group for an undisclosed sum.
HUNGARY - Permira's BorsodChem eyed by Chinese chemical group
It is understood that Wanhua Industrial Group is in talks with Permira's BorsodChem to take an equity stake in the Hungarian business. According to reports, the Chinese chemical group has already acquired EUR 200m of the company's mezzanine debt from...
UK - Mid-Ocean exits Europackaging in pre-pack
Mid-Ocean Partners' Europackaging has been bought back by former owners the Majid family in a pre-pack administration agreement for an undisclosed sum.
NORWAY - Banks taking over IK's KID
Retructuring negotiations for beleaguered IK Investment Partners-backed textile retail chain KID Interiør ended Friday, with Norwegian bank DnB NOR taking over the company.
AUSTRIA - Riverside sells AIS to PSI
The Riverside Company has sold off its stake in IT services company AIS to strategic investor PSI for an undisclosed sum.