Deals
UK - Zeus completes MBO of XLN Telecom
Zeus Private Equity (ZPE) has completed its fourth deal, backing the management buyout of telecommunications solutions provider, XLN Telecom Ltd. ZPE has invested £6.63m to acquire a majority stake in the business. Kaupthing Singer & Friedlander has...
UK - HgCapital sells Sanctuary Spa to PZ Cussons for £75m
HgCapital has sold The Sanctuary Spa Group to PZ Cussons, the consumer products group, for £75m. The Sanctuary Spa is a female body care brand in the UK. The company also operates The Sanctuary Spa in Covent Garden, which serves over 64,000 guests per...
UK - Imperial Innovations backs £11m Circassia funding
Imperial Innovations Group Plc has made a follow-on investment of £1.75m as part of an oversubscribed £11m second round of funding for biotechnology company Circassia Holdings Ltd, taking its stake in the business to 13%. New investors Goldman Sachs...
UK - MSIF supports Host Telecom with £100,000
The Merseyside Special Investment Fund's (MSIF) Liverpool Seed Fund has invested £100,000 to support Host Telecom, developers of a new mobile phone advertising application.
UK - 3i leads £53m investment in oil and gas services company TSMarine
3i and ABN AMRO Merchant Banking are between them investing £53m in Aberdeen-based TSMarine (Contracting) Ltd. TSMarine operates in the niche subsea rigless intervention and decommissioning market. ABN AMRO formerly provided a £130m debt facility to...
FRANCE – Wendel rumoured to seek Editis exit
Wendel Investissement is reported to be seeking to divest Editis, the second largest publishers in France. The company is valued at between EUR 750 and 950m.
UK - HgCapital looks for up to £150m from sale of Clarion Events
HgCapital portfolio company Clarion Events is on the block for a price of between £120-150m. The sale process for the events business which runs more than 50 events globally is being managed by Close Brothers Corporate Finance. It is understood that...
UK - Graphite, Advent and 3i gear up for Kurt Geiger
Graphite Capital, Advent International and 3i are reported to be amongst bidders in the final round of an auction to acquire Kurt Geiger. The designer shoe retailer is currently owned by Barclays Private Equity. Hawkpoint is running the process to divest...
SPAIN - Carlyle acquires petrochemical company MB Inspection
Carlyle-backed certification company Applus+ has acquired petrochemical company MB Inspection.
SPAIN - Quercus could speed up exit from air carrier Clickair
Quercus and building company ACS could speed up their exit from Iberia's budget airline Clickair.
SPAIN - Gala makes EUR 50m exit from energy player Cesa
Gala Capital has sold its 6.9% stake in renewable energy player Cesa Eólica for EUR 50m to Mercapital, Bridgepoint, and Basque businessman Juan Luis Arregui.
NORWAY - Index, Teknoinvest and NorthZone complete final exit from listed-Trolltech
Trolltech, a Norwegian cross-platform software developer, previously backed by Index Ventures, Teknoinvest and Northzone Ventures, has signed an agreement to be acquired by Nokia for NOK 843m, corresponding to NOK 16 per share.
UK - Montagu to work with GIP on Biffa
Montagu Private Equity is reported to have agreed to work with Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) on a £1.2bn bid for waste services company Biffa. Montagu had formerly tabled an offer for the listed-business alongside HgCapital but it is understood...
FRANCE - Seventure takes 10% of Sidetrade
Seventure Partners has acquired a 10% stake in software firm Sidetrade. In 2007 Sidetrade recorded a turnover of EUR 7.34m, a 34% increase on the previous year. The company forecasts growth of 22% between 2007 and 2011.
FRANCE – Psilos Group lead Seventure in EUR 20m financing of Mauna Kea Tech
Psilos Group has led a EUR 20m financing round for Mauna Kea Technologies, which included contributions from Seventure and existing investor Creadev. Psilos invested EUR 14m while both Seventure and Creadev invested EUR 3m respectively. The new round...
SWEDEN - Ratos completes refinancing of Bisnode
Ratos has completed a refinancing of Bisnode, the Swedish supplier of digital business and support information for businesses, which will provide the owners with a cash payment of approximately SEK 865m. The recapitalisation was enabled through a positive...
ITALY - NEIP exit from textile company generates over 35% IRR
Nord Est Investment Partners (NEIP), has sold its 33.79% stake in textile manufacturer Incotex, generating an IRR of 35%.
SWITZERLAND – Carlyle acquires KSC.net
The Carlyle Group has acquired, in partnership with management, KCS.net Holding AG, an Enterprise Resource Planning solution (ERP) vendor in an all-cash transaction.
UK - Buyout houses ready for Prêt
Advent International, Bridgepoint and Morgan Stanley are all reported to be preparing bids for UK sandwich chain Prêt a Manger. However, the £400m-plus price tag on the asset is unlikely to be realistic, owing not only to market wobbles but also to...
FRANCE - A Plus Finance invest EUR 2m in Novalys
A Plus Finance invested EUR 2m in software company Novalys. Novalys generates 40% of its turnover in Exports. The investment will be used to continue its expansion abroad.
NETHERLANDS - BioGeneration and PPM Oost invest in NovioGendix
BioGeneration and PPM OOst have invested in NovioGendix, a Dutch-based company.