Exits
NORWAY - EQT sells Plantasjen to Apax
EQT III has agreed to sell garden centre chain Plantasjen to funds managed by Apax Partners. Under EQT's ownership, the company has tripled its revenues. The sale is conditional on approval by the relevant competition authorities.
UK - Lyceum exits Clinovia through a sale to BUPA
Lyceum Capital has realised its investment in home healthcare services provider Clinovia. The Harlow-based company was acquired by BUPA for £87.7m. The returns on the deal have not been disclosed.
GERMANY – Francotyp-Postalia floats on the Prime Standard
Quadriga Capital has floated German mailing systems solutions company Francotyp-Postalia on the Prime Standard in Frankfurt. The share price was set at EUR 19 and 2.7 million new shares were offered as part of a capital increase, resulting in gross primary...
SWEDEN - Ratos-backed Lindab to float today
Trading in Lindab’s shares on the Stockholm Stock Exchange will commence today. The market capitalisation of the company is SEK 8.658bn. Lindab, which offers in-house solutions in steel and sheet metal, is one of Ratos's portfolio companies.
UK - Gresham generates 2.6x return on exit from Blue Group
Gresham Private Equity has exited Blue Group International through the sale of the business to HCL Plc (formerly Healthcare Locums Plc) in a deal worth £12m. Gresham made a return of 2.6x its investment.
UK - Bridgepoint exits Longville
Bridgepoint has realised its investment in Longville, the international rental group focusing on the provision of pumping and temperature control solutions. The company has been acquired by US-based Carrier Inc, a business unit of United Technologies...
SWEDEN - 3i and SEB Företagsinvest divest stakes in SBL Vaccines in sale to Crucell
3i and SEB Företagsinvest, alongside other shareholders, are divesting their stakes in SBL Vaccines, a Swedish vaccine distributor in a sale to NASDAQ listed Dutch biotechnology company Crucell. The sale price is EUR 39.4m, excluding deferred payments...
UK - Gresham exits Individual Restaurant Company Limited
Gresham Private Equity has successfully exited Individual Restaurant Company Limited (IRC) through a sale to Bank Restaurant Group plc (Bank) for a value of up to £41m.
SPAIN - Vueling to float in December
The Spanish stock market regulator CNMV has approved the IPO of 42.62% of low-cost airline Vueling. The share price should oscillate between EUR 24-32 and will give the company a capitalisation of around EUR 359-478m.
SWEDEN - Accent Equity divests Cefar to Blackstone-controlled Encore
Accent Equity has sold its holdings in Swedish med-tech company Cefar to US-based Encore Medical. Encore was recently bought out from Nasdaq in a public-to-private transaction led by Blackstone Capital Partners.
SWEDEN - 3i and SEB Företagsinvest sell vaccine distributor
3i, SEB Företagsinvest and other shareholders are divesting their stakes in vaccine distributor SBL Vaccines in a sale to NASDAQ-listed Dutch biotechnology company Crucell for EUR 39.4m, excluding deferred payments and future royalties. The transaction...
FRANCE - Seloger.com announes IPO
Online housing agency Seloger has announced it will launch an IPO on Euronext's compartment B.
GERMANY – Francotyp-Postalia to float
The German mailing systems solutions company Francotyp-Postalia is to raise up to EUR 191m on the German Prime Standard. The book-building range has been set between EUR 18-22.5, and shares are particularly aimed at institutional investors.
UK - Baird Capital Partners Europe generates 3.5x return on Traffic Support exit
Baird Capital Partners Europe has realised its investment in Traffic Support Ltd, the innovative parking enforcement solutions company. Mouchel Parkman, the integrated support services company, has acquired the business for £21.5m. Added to a £4.8m...
UK - Barclays Private Equity's Your Move to float
Estate agency and surveying business LSL Property Services, formerly known as Your Move and held by Barclays Private Equity is planning a £221m IPO.
UK - Duke Street Capital exits Esporta
Duke Street Capital has realised its investment in Esporta. The racquets and country club focused sports chain has been acquired by the Halabi family trust through an auction process for an undisclosed sum.
SPAIN - Apax and Capital Hemisferio to float Vueling
According to press reports, low-cost airline Vueling is due to float 39% of its capital in the stock exchange in the next few days. The bidding period will run from November 17 - 29. The company's main shareholders, Apax Partners and Capital Hemisferio,...
UK - Bank of Scotland Corporate exits Paymentshield
Bank of Scotland Corporate has realised its investment in Paymentshield Ltd, a supplier of general insurance products to the mortgage intermediary sector. The value of the deal has not been disclosed although it is known that Bank of Scotland Corporate...
UK - Apax exits The Stationary Office
Apax Partners has realised its investment in The Stationary Office (TSO). Britain's largest publisher by volume, which has many high profile contracts with the public sector, has been acquired by corporate information solution provider William Lea, itself...
POLAND - Enterprise Investors exit PEP on the Warsaw Stock Exchange
Enterprise Investors have sold their remaining stake in Polish Energy Partners (PEP) on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. This sale completes the exit of the financial investor from PEP after taking it private in 2005.
UK - Amadeus portfolio company agrees $600m merger
Solexa Inc, an Amadeus portfolio company formerly headquartered in Cambridge but now primarily based in California, has entered into a definitive merger agreement with Illumina Inc. Illumina will acquire all Solexa shares in a stock-for-stock transaction...
GERMANY - Symrise to float by the end of 2006
The German flavours and fragrances company Symrise has announced that it intends to float shares worth EUR 650m in an initial public offering by the end of this year.
GERMANY - Permira exits Premiere
Permira is selling its stake in German pay-TV broadcaster Premiere. The transaction, which involves Permira's remaining 8.44% stake, is valued at approximately EUR 88m.
GERMANY - IPO for Quest for Growth portfolio company Wilex AG
Quest for Growth has announced that Wilex AG, its portfolio company, has successfully placed new shares in its IPO on the Frankfurt exchange. Wilex is a biopharmaceutical company based in Munich, which was founded in 1997 by a team of physicians and oncologists...