Deals
UK - Apax-backed Travelex disposes of ATMs in £12.9m deal
Travelex, the non-bank provider of commercial foreign exchange owned by Apax Partners with Standard Chartered Bank is to dispose of its 1,070 surcharging ATMs. The ATMs will be acquired by AIM-listed Cardpoint Plc for a cash consideration of ТЃ12.9m....
UK - Endless and NorthStar Equity back pharmaceutical services firm
Endless and North Star Equity Investors have provided pharmaceutical and biotechnology services firm Excelsyn with a seven-figure investment to underpin the company's strategy of becoming a leading provider within the pharmaceutical supply chain.
FRANCE - Diana Ingrédients to be sold by Cognetas
European private equity firm Cognetas (formerly known as Electra Partners) has mandated both Hawkpoint and BNP Paribas to run the sale of Diana Ingrédients, according to French press reports.
FRANCE - A Plus, CDC and Banexi Ventures invest EUR 5m in Brandalley
Online discount clothes retailer Brandalley has raised a EUR 5m second round of funding from A Plus Finance, CDC Entreprises (investing on behalf of state initiative France Investissement) and first round backer Banexi Ventures.
FRANCE - DeA Capital invests in Générale de Santé
DeA Capital, De Agostini's listed investment holding, will take at least 35% of Santé Sarl, a holding which indirectly owns 59.8% of French listed private healthcare group Générale de Santé.
UK - Hotbed exit from nursing home company generates 31% IRR
Hotbed has achieved an IRR of 31% from an exit from nursing home group Mimosa Healthcare Holdings Ltd. Hotbed has sold its 25% stake in the company, which it acquired in 2005 following a ТЃ5.15m investment in two tranches, back to the company and its...
UK - Speculation surrounds 3i's bid for Foxtons
3i has reached the final stages of an auction to acquire estate agency chain Foxtons from its founder Jon Hunt. Foxtons is thought to fetch in excess of ТЃ400m via a process run by Credit Suisse. BC Partners is also in the running to acquire the asset....
UK - LDC bid for Tote blocked
The sale of state-owned horseracing bookmaker Tote to a consortium backed by LDC is reported to have been blocked by the government. Sources suggest that Gordon Brown was conscious of distancing himself from private equity in the run-up to the Labour...
NL - Van den Ende & Deitmers invests in Advance
The Crossmedia Fund of Van den Ende & Deitmers has acquired a 30% stake in Advance.
UK - Barclays Ventures refinances Original Additions
Barclays Ventures has refinanced branded beauty products business Original Additions via a ТЃ13m debt package from RBS. The refinance which has repaid all of Barclays Ventures' original funding has also delivered a 31% IRR for the institution. Barclays...
ITALY - Bidders to present offers for Alitalia today
By the end of this afternoon, prospective buyers of Alitalia will present their offers for a stake of up to 39.9% in the airline. The offers should be presented by 5pm CET, along with preliminary business plans until 2012, shareholding to be purchased...
FRANCE - Spef LBO sells Colorant Chromatix
Spef LBO has generated highly satisfactory returns from the sale of colour and additives supplier Colorant Chromatix to trade buyer ColorMatix.
FRANCE - Crédit Agricole Private Equity invests in business mobility software
Sparus Software has raised EUR 3-4m in its second round of financing, from Crédit Agricole Private Equity (CAPE) and AXA Private Equity (AXA PE).
NORWAY - ProVenture Seed invests NOK 4m in New Index AS
ProVenture Seed has invested seed capital as part of the development of New Index, a technology company based in Trondheim. The investor has developed a business development plan for the coming to years to secure growth going forward, and additionally...
NL - Wessanen and Rabo Capital to merge frozen snack business
Royal Wessanen and Rabo Capital have come to an agreement with the intention to set up a new company that merges the activities of Habek Snacks and Wessanen in ragout rolls ('kroketten'), hamburgers, meat rolls (‘frikandellen’) and halal snacks. Wessanen...
UK - Countrywide shareholders vote in favour of Apollo offer
Apollo's offer for estate agency chain Countrywide has been approved by 98.1% of shareholders at a vote today. Apollo raised its per share offer for the listed-company by 27p yesterday in response to the arrival of a mystery third party rival bidder....
UK - Private equity eyes Virgin Radio
Reports suggest that a number of private equity groups are eyeing Virgin Radio after its present owner SMG announced it intended to sell the asset. The vendor is thought to favour an IPO process.
NORWAY - Ferd Private Euity Ferd PE II acquires European Furniture Group AB
FPEF II has aquired 100% of the shares in Swedish office furniture producer EFG from the bbe Krook family (majority shareholder), Siem Industrikapital AB, 4AP-Fonden, a Swedish National Pension Fund, and a number of other minority shareholders.
UK - Terra Firma/Wellcome Trust to access Boots books
It is reported that Terra Firma, working in association with Wellcome Trust, are inches away from making an indicative offer for Alliance Boots, and being granted access to its books. The UK chemist and retailer, formed by a ТЃ7bn merger in 2006, is the...
UK - Apollo raises Countrywide bid at last minute following rival approach
Apollo has raised its offer for Countrywide by 25p per share from 505p to 530p ahead of a shareholder vote tomorrow. The news comes following reports that a third party has launched a rival bid for the UK's largest estate agency chain.
SWEDEN - Ratos plans to invest SEK 300m for 60% of MCC
Ratos is to acquire 60% of the heating and air conditionings systems (HVAC) company Mobile Climate Control (MCC) from its founder Gunnar Mannerheim for approximately SEK 300m. The company’s senior executives will remain in their present positions. The...
UK - Glitnir backs BIMBO of TruckEast with integrated finance package
Glitnir has supported the BIMBO of Scania dealer TruckEast Ltd with an integrated finance package in a deal worth over ТЃ10m. Glitnir, a Nordic investment bank, offered a fully integrated finance solution providing both the debt and equity funding as...
DENMARK - Via Ventures Partners invests in Ebisu
Via Venture Partners has invested in Ebisu, a software company based in Copenhagen. Via Venture's interest was fuelled with Ebisu's new technology that provides solutions to log all internet trafic. The new European Union anti-terror legislation that...
GERMANY - Arques buys van Netten
Arques Industries AG has acquired confectionery firm van Netten GmbH from Zuckerfabrik Jülich AG. Within the context of the transaction, Arques acquires, among other things, an almost 100,000 square meters large property on which storage and production...