Expansion
AUSTRIA/FRANCE - 21 Centrale Partners and Quadriga inject capital into Palmers
21 Centrale Partners and Quadriga are backing Austrian women's underwear manufacturer Palmers Textil AG to acquire French company Lejaby SAS, for EUR 32.5m in cash, from US-based The Warnaco Group. A further interest-free note of EUR 12.5m is due by the...
UK - Close Ventures invests £1.5m in Opta Sportsdata
Close Ventures has invested £1.5m into Opta Sportsdata Ltd (trading as Opta), a European provider of sports data and analysis to media companies. The investment will be used to help grow sales in the existing business in the UK and the rest of Europe.
DENMARK - Sunstone and Creandum lead $10m investment in IPtronics
Sunstone Capital and Creandum have together led a $10.25m series-B round in IPtronics, a Danish semiconductor business.
UK - Graphite portfolio company AMS buys Capital Consulting
Graphite Capital-backed Alexander Mann Solutions (AMS) is buying Capital Consulting, consolidating AMS’ leading position in the European market for recruitment process outsourcing (RPO). AMS is the largest independent provider of RPO solutions to blue-chip...
UK - Vision Capital-backed Portman acquires Fleet Street Travel
Vision Capital portfolio company Portman Travel, a business travel management company, has acquired Fleet Street Travel in a multi-million pound deal. Portman's turnover in 2008 is projected to exceed £400m compared with £296m in 2007. Fleet Street...
RUSSIA - ASI injects $200,000 in LogneX
Ambient Sound Investments has invested $200,000 in LogneX, a Russian software development company, bringing its stake to 30%.
SWEDEN - Nomura Phase4, TVM and Scottish Widows invest $27m in AstraZeneca spin-out
Nomura Phase4 Ventures has led a $27m round in Albiero, a Swedish biotechnology company spun-out from AstraZeneca. TVM Capital and Scottish Widows have also invested in the business.
DENMARK - Sunstone and Creandum back IPtronics with $10.25m series B-funding
Sunstone Capital and Creandum have invested $10.25m in IPtroincs, a supplier of silicon for parallel optical applications, in a series B-round. The investment will be used to accelerate global sales and product development.
UK - Shackleton takes minority stake in CIO Connect
Shackleton Ventures Ltd has acquired a 49.9% stake in IT networking organisation CIO Connect.
FRANCE – Sofinnova Partners leads EUR 2.5m financing of Neosens
Sofinnova Partners has led Capricorn Cleantech Fund and GALIA Gestion as well as former investors ICSO Private Equity and IRDI in a EUR 2.5m financing round for Neosens.
UK - Impax invests £4m in New Earth
Impax Asset Management has invested £4m in biological waste treatment and resource recovery company New Earth Solutions.
SWEDEN - Verdane acquires stake in Saab’s portfolio companies
Verdane Capital has acquired a partial interest in Saab AB’s ownership of a portfolio of five unlisted companies for an undisclosed value.
UK - Clessidra acquires one third of Welsh woodchip power plant
Clessidra Capital Partners has acquired one third of a planned Wales-based woodchip power plant named Global Wood Holding (GWH). GWH is being built on a decommissioned steel plant in Port Talbot. Italian private equity investor Clessidra joins Taiwanese...
ITALY - MPS backs safety equipment and components firm OMP
MPS Venture has acquired a 31% stake in safety equipment and components firm OMP alongside Gruppo, which holds 51% and Luxembourg holding MFO Racing.
SPAIN - Nauta invests EUR 1.3m in IT security firm
Nauta Capital has invested EUR 1.3m in IT security firm Kinamik becoming the reference shareholder.
SPAIN - TPG backs BA's shareholding in Iberia
Texas Pacific Group and British Airways (BA) have together acquired a further 0.2% stake in Spanish air carrier Iberia for EUR 4m. The purchase increases BA's stake to 10.1%.
FINLAND - Axel Technologies attracts financing from Nexit Ventures
Axel Technologies, a developer of mobile TV technologies, has attracted a financing round from Nexit Ventures and existing investor Finnish Industry Investments Ltd.
SPAIN - Talde-backed Biópolis expands its capital
Talde Gestión backed biotechnology company Biópolis will undertake a capital expansion to acquire new facilities and increase production.
NETHERLANDS - Prime Technology invests EUR 6.5m in eBuddy
Prime Technology Ventures has invested EUR 6.5m in eBuddy, a provider of web and mobile instant messaging, in second-round funding. In 2007, Lowland Capital Partners had provided a EUR 5m Series-A financing round to the company.
UK - SPARK's Kobalt Music Group signs agreement with Balderton
SPARK Ventures Plc portfolio company Kobalt Music Group Ltd, an independent music publisher has signed an agreement with Balderton Capital whereby Balderton will invest new equity in Kobalt. This transaction will result in a 60% uplift in the valuation...
UK - August Equity portfolio company makes acquisition
August Equity portfolio company Lifeways Community Care Ltd, has acquired Kentwood Ltd, a provider of care and support to adults in residential, domiciliary and supported living environments, for an undisclosed price. Kentwood is a care provider operating...
GERMANY – Ventizz invests EUR 48m in Ersol Thin Film GmbH
Ventizz has acquired a minority stake in German solar cell maker Ersol's thin film unit for EUR 48m. Ventizz Capital Fund III LP has bought a stake of nearly 50% in Ersol Thin Film GmbH through a cash capital increase. In addition to this, Ventizz will...
GERMANY – Investcorp renews interest in former portfolio company Utimaco
Investcorp Technology Partners has become former portfolio company Utimaco’s anchor investor with an approximately 25% shareholding in the business. The company’s current market capitalisation of Utimaco values Investcorp Technology Partners’ stake...
GERMANY - BWK GmbH acquires 40% stake in Betec Electronic
BWK GmbH Unternehmensbeteiligungsgesellschaft, Stuttgart (BWKU), a subsidiary of Landesbank Baden-Württemberg (LBBW), Wüstenrot & Württembergische-Gruppe and Landeskreditbank Baden-Württemberg – Förderbank has acquired 40% of Betec Electronic GmbH...