Deals
SWEDEN -Teknoseed invests in Ultrazonix AB
Teknoseed has made a third investment from its second fund, Teknoseed II, in medtech company Ultrazonix AB. Co-investors include Healthcap and Industrifonden.
UK - Foresight completes £12m BIMBO of Datapath
Foresight Group has backed the BIMBO of Datapath, suppliers of technology for large screen displays, in a deal which values the company at ТЃ12m.
UK - BOSIF completes £225m acquisition of Ainscough Crane Hire
Bank of Scotland Integrated Finance (BOSIF) has backed the ТЃ225m management buyout of Ainscough Crane Hire Ltd, the UK's market leader in crane hire. The deal, which represents an exit for the founding family owners, sees management take a majority stake...
FRANCE - European Capital acquires 40% stake in DEVGLASS
European Capital has supported the management buyout of DEVGLASS. It invested common equity, senior bonds, senior and junior mezzanine bonds and convertible bonds to take a 40% stake in the French manufacturer and distributor of insulated glass for windows....
UK - IMAC invests $3.2m in online sports network
Ingenious Media Active Capital Ltd (IMAC) has completed an investment of $3.2m in Sportbuzz Ltd, which manages sports online content network Sportingo.com.
UK - IPO of TA Associates-backed SmartStream pulled
The flotation of SmartStream Technologies, a provider of software to banks, has been abandoned for now. TA Associates acquired SmartStream from 3i in September last year. The IPO had wobbled in previous weeks when market turbulence forced its price to...
SPAIN - Axón Capital closes its first deal
Axón Capital has closed its first deal by investing EUR 1m in game developer Enigma Software Productions.
FRANCE - Chequers and Pechel sell IT solutions business to TKH
Chequers Capital and Pechel Industries have realised their entire stake in CAE Groupe by selling the company to Amsterdam-listed TKH Group NV.
UK - Balderton Capital invests in Top Up TV
Balderton Capital has completed an investment in Top Up TV, the company which operates a pay TV service on Freeview.
BELGIUM - GIMV completes MBI of Le Cobourg
GIMV has backed the management buy-in of Le Cobourg, a Belgian producer of traditional salads. The financial details were not disclosed. It is understood that GIMV has taken a 90% stake in the newco. The new management team hold the balance.
SWEDEN - CreVal Acquires Aspen
CreVal has acquired a majority shareholding in Aspen, a Swedish bathroom furniture company, alongside the company’s CEO and previous owner, Jan Aspelund. The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
FINLAND - Eqvitec and CapMan sells remaining shares in Affecto Plc
Fenno Rahasto Fund, an investment vehicle co-managed by CapMan and Fenno Management Oy, and Eqvitec have sold their remaining shakes in Affecto Plc, a Finnish semiconductor company. Fenno Rasto Fund had held 8.9% of the shares and Eqvitec 12.6%. The investors...
FRANCE - CIC LBO Partners buys into call centres
CIC LBO Partners has led a syndicate of investors backing the secondary buyout of call centres business Armatis.
GERMANY – Saratoga acquires lighting technology provider
Saratoga Partners has acquired the lighting technology branch of glass manufacturer Schott AG for an undisclosed sum. Following the transaction the division will operate under the name of Auer Lighting GmbH.
UK - MMC Ventures invests £1.4m in The Practice
MMC Ventures has completed an investment of ТЃ1.4m in The Practice Plc (formerly Practice Networks), a primary healthcare company that manages surgeries on behalf of GPs and provides primary care service contracts to Primary Care Trusts (PCTs).
FRANCE - EPF Partners backs OBO of Data Concept Informatique
EPF Partners has acquired 38% of IT services company DCI as part of an owner buyout deal.
UK - Mercia Fund leads investment into Warrick Effect Polymers
The Mercia Technology Seed Fund has led an investment in biopolymer company Warrick Effect Polymers (WEP).
UK - 3i et al. lead $26m funding round for Light Blue Optics
3i together with German group Earlybird Venture Capital and Belgium-based Capital-E have led a $26m funding round for miniature projection technology company Light Blue Optics. NESTA also participated in the deal which follows the $2.5m of seed funding...
UK - Seraphim Capital invests £2m in MirriAd
Seraphim Capital has led a ТЃ2m funding round for embedded advertising specialist MirriAd Ltd. Seraphim Capital is a ТЃ30m enterprise capital fund.
UK - Endless exits H&L Garages one year on
Endless has realised its investment in H&L Garages Ltd, a Mercedes-Benz commercial dealership, through a sale back to management. Endless supported the ТЃ8.5m mangement buyout of the business from PD Ports in September 2006.
UK - FL Partners acquires Racing Post for £170m
FL Partners, the Dublin-based private equity investment firm, has acquired the Racing Post from Trinity Mirror Plc for ТЃ170m. The purchase includes the Racing Post newspaper together with its website, a number of weekly and annual racing publications,...