Deals
US - Blackstone buys Equity Office for $39bn in world's largest buyout
The Blackstone Group has secured the worldтs largest leveraged buyout, agreeing a $39bn price (ТЃ20.2bn) for Equity Office, the biggest office landlord in the US. Blackstone won the deal after fending off competition from real estate investment trust...
UK - Cinven and Blackstone are hungry for latest restaurant target, La Tasca
AIM-listed La Tasca, an operator of 70 Spanish themed restaurants across the UK with four in the US, is reported to be the latest restaurant chain to attract the interest of private equity. Blackstone and Cinven are both expected to be interested in the...
UK - Carlyle to complete full exit from Qinetiq
The Carlyle Group is to dispose of its remaining 10.3% stake in Qinetiq, the former Ministry of Defence laboratories. Qinetiq was floated on the main market of the London Stock Exchange with a market capitalisation of ТЃ1.4bn in January 2006 at which...
UK - Endless provides lighting firm with backing to make acquisitions
Endless has provided lighting firm Dernier & Hamlyn (D&H) with growth funding to support the acquisition of two lighting companies, Tindle Lighting and Reid Lighting.
UK - Graphite Capital enlarges Park Holidays
Graphite Capital is backing the acquisition by Park Holidays UK of two more holiday parks: Landscove and Riviera Bay Holiday Parks at Berry Head, Brixham. This purchase brings the number of acquisitions made by Park Holidays to four since Graphite first...
Poland - Krokus Private Equity acquires Izoterm
Krokus Private Equity has acquired a 74% stake in thermal insulation services provider Izoterm for around EUR 5m. The company’s president, Mr Józef G³adki will retain a 26% equity stake. This represents the first investment for Krokus from its new fund...
GERMANY - immatics receives EUR 40m
Biopharmaceutical company immatics biotechnologies GmbH has received EUR 40m in a second round of financing from a consortium of investors. This includes previous investors Wellington Partners and 3i, but also new investors National Technology Enterprises...
UK - Bridgepoint to float Safestore
Bridgepoint is preparing a ТЃ700m IPO for Safestore, the self-storage company which has property assets of ТЃ475m. Bridgepoint has already realised ТЃ101m from Safestore through a ТЃ237m recapitalisation carried out by Royal Bank of Scotland and Merrill...
UK - Apax-backed Incisive Media acquires VNU UK operations
Apax portfolio company Incisive Media has acquired the UK operations of VNU in a back-to-back transaction from 3i following its acquisition of VNU's European publishing interests. 3i completed the buyout of Netherlands-based VNU Business Media Europe...
SPAIN/ITALY – RCS takes Recoletos home for EUR 1.1bn
As reported yesterday by unquote news", Spanish publishing group Recoletos was considering a purchase offer from its Italian counterpart RCS.
FRANCE - Sigefi Private Equity invests EUR 5.6m in public works business
Sigefi Private Equity (of the Siparex group) has invested over EUR 5m in growth capital in Jalmat Group, a Velaux-based public works business.
FRANCE - European Capital invests EUR 12.5m in LBO France's buyout of Poult
European Capital has announced that it has invested a total of EUR 12.5m to help finance LBO France's buyout of biscuit maker Poult, which took place last October.
UK - Modus Private Equity invests £8m in packaging MBO
Modus Private Equity has invested over ТЃ8m to back the management buyout of Mondi Speciality Packaging, formerly a part of Anglo American Plc.
NL - ABN AMRO Capital to acquire Baarsma Wine Group
ABN AMRO Capital has signed an agreement to acquire a majority interest in wine distribution firm Baarsma Wine Group Holding. The current management team will retain a 40% stake in the firm and in addition, managers in key positions will be given the...
UK - TPG joins Sainsbury's bid team barring chance of rival bid
The CVC-led consortium preparing to launch an ТЃ11bn bid for Sainsbury's has added another member to its ranks. Texas Pacific Group, which had been in talks with Cinven and Bain Capital about a rival bid for the supermarket chain, now joins CVC, KKR and...
SPAIN - RCS makes EUR 1.3bn offer for Recoletos
Publishing group RCS, owner of Italian broadsheet Corriere della Sera, is reported to have made an offer of EUR 1.3bn for media group Recoletos.
FRANCE - AGF Private Equity leads EUR 6m funding in online brands retailer
AGF Private Equity (EUR 5m) and business angels (EUR 1m) have backed 24h00, an online retailer of branded clothing.
UK - Catapult Growth Fund leads investment in Oxford Genome Sciences
Catapult Growth Fund, a newly launched ТЃ30m ECF run by Catapult Venture Managers has led an investment in Oxford Genome Sciences Ltd (OGeS). Existing investors South East Growth Fund and Oxford Capital Partners also participated in the funding round...
DENMARK - Langholm Capital invests in Cane-Line and Sika-Horsnaes
Langholm Capital has invested in Cane-Line and Skia-Horsnaes, two Danish furniture specialists focusing on woven indoor and outdoor furniture. The investor retains a minority stake in both companies following the deal.
GREECE - Apax and TPG sell TIM Hellas to Naguib Sawiris
Apax Partners and Texas Pacific Group (TPG) today announced the sale of TIM Hellas Telecommunications S.A. the third largest mobile phone carrier in Greece, to Weather Investments, the vehicle owned by telecom tycoon Naguid Sawiris.
FRANCE - Financière Agache wins Go Voyages auction for EUR 281m
Bernard Arnault's holding company, Financière Agache has won the auction for the acquisition of travel agent Go Voyages. The deal values the business at EUR 281m, representing a capital gain of EUR 200m for its vendor, Accor.
UK - Midven invests £250,000 in software company Gemba Solutions
Midven has invested ТЃ250,000 in Gemba Solutions Ltd, a provider of real time performance management software. The investment from its ТЃ20m Advantage Growth Fund gives Midven a minority holding in the company.
UK - TDR Capital to delist portable accommodation company
TDR Capital's offer for portable accommodation company Wraith Plc has been declared unconditional. The offer of 105p per share gives Lincolnshire-based Wraith a market capitalisation of ТЃ30.29m.
NORWAY - Northzone, Verdane and Ferd Venture invest EUR 10m in Colibria
Norwegian Colibria, a provider of new generation mobile instant messaging (MIM) services, has raised EUR 10m from current lead investors Northzone Ventures, Verdane Capital and Ferd Venture.