Deals
GERMANY - Finatem announces three investments
Finatem Beteiligungsgesellschaft has announced three investments from its latest fund Finatem II. The financial investor has acquired the Schwinn Group as part of a management buy-in as well as Deutsche Notrufzentralen und Sicherheitsdienste Holding GmbH...
DENMARK - NorthCap Partners sells Instadia to Nasdaq-listed Omniture
NorthCap Partners has sold Instadia to Omniture, a web analysis company listed on Nasdaq, for an undisclosed sum. Instadia was founded in 2000 and IVS, which is now part of NorthCap Partners, invested in the company two years later.
FINLAND - Innofinance and FII invest in bio-gas company
Innofinance and Finnish Industry Investment have invested EUR 600,000 in Tampere-based bio-gas company Puhdas Energia Oy. Founded in 2001, it focuses on optimising small scale fixed bed gasification technology.
SPAIN - Candover is the most likely buyer of Parques Reunidos
The sale of leisure complex Parques Reunidos is nearing its final stages.
ITALY - Cerberus sells the holding of Fila
US-based hedge fund Cerberus Capital Management has sold its portfolio company Sports Brands International, a holding company of sportswear brand Fila.
FRANCE - SG Capital Europe takes 88% of business advice call-centre SVP
SG Capital Europe has backed the management buyout of Paris-based SVP Group.
FRANCE - XAnge and Auriga invest EUR 5m in marketing software developer Neolane
XAnge has led the EUR 5m second round of venture funding in marketing and communications software developer Neolane. Auriga Partners, which invested EUR 2m alongside the company's CEO and management in 2002, re-invested on this occasion.
DENMARK - Asetek receives $4m in funding
Asetek, a provider of thermal management solutions for semiconductors, has secured a $4m investment following the $5m round closed last year. Northzone Ventures, Vaekstfonden, KT Venture Group, and a group of private investor participated in the round....
UK - ABN AMRO Capital backs £70.4m buyout of TGI Friday's
ABN AMRO Capital, in association with US-based Carlson Restaurants Worldwide, has agreed to acquire 45 TGI Fridayтs restaurants in the UK from Whitbread Plc. As the global leader in the casual dining industry, Carlson Restaurants Worldwide is the master...
GERMANY - Granville Baird acquires Zarges Tubesca
Granville Baird Capital Partners Advisers has acquired Zarges Tubesca from Taros Capital for a total consideration of EUR 156m. The management also reinvested in the company and will hold a minority stake.
UK - Aberdeen Asset Managers Growth Capital backs £17m MBO of Oliver Kay
Aberdeen Asset Managers Growth Capital has led the ТЃ17m management buyout of Oliver Kay Ltd, a supplier of fresh fruit, vegetables, delicatessen products and sundries to hotels, restaurants and pubs.
UK - Foresight invests for surge in online video advertising
Foresight Venture Partners has invested ТЃ2.5m in UTarget, the online advertising services company. UTarget has created the UKтs first online TV and video advertising network, serving full page TV-style ads on websites for major brand clients. A challenge...
UK - ECI acquires Aerial Facilities in £56m management buy-in
ECI Partners has acquired Aerial Facilities for ТЃ56m. Aerial, based in Buckinghamshire, is a market leader in the design, manufacture and installation of specialist products and solutions. ECI is backing a new management buy-in team led by Ian Brown,...
DENMARK - Venture funds sell Ascio for over DKK 200m
IVS, Nordic Venture Partners and Vækstfonden have sold internet domain name company Ascio Technologies A/S to listed NBT in the UK. The value of the deal is over DKK 200m, with the sellers receiving cash, shares in NBT and options.
GERMANY - Partech invests in video-games search engine
Partech International has led a EUR 6m second round of funding in international video-games search engine Wazag.
UK - Bridges backs Birmingham-based School Stickers with £1.42m of funding
Bridges Community Ventures has invested ТЃ1.42m in School Stickers, a Birmingham-based manufacturer of customised motivational stickers and postcards for schools. This is Bridges 2nd investment from its new fund, Bridges Community Development Venture...
UK - Welsh biopharmaceutical company receives £1m investment
The Welsh Assembly Government has invested ТЃ1m through its SMARTCymru programme to Protherics Plc, a biopharmaceutical company which has its main manufacturing operations in Ceredigion. The grant will be used to support the manufacture of Prothericsт...
UK - 3i and Esprit exit CPS for $35m
Cambridge Positioning Systems Ltd (CPS), a 3i and Esprit Capital portfolio company, has been sold to CSR Plc for a total consideration of $35m. 3i and Esprit, through the Prelude Trust, first invested in CPS via a ТЃ1.75m funding round in 1998. Two further...
UK - Extra time called in 3i's Countrywide bid
A vote which would have decided the fate of 3i's mooted ТЃ966m take-private offer for Countrywide was postponed yesterday. Sources reported that an unofficial vote saw less than the required 75% of shareholders accepting the offer and consequently the...
UK - North West Equtiy Fund invests £250,000 in medical communications company
North West Equity Fund has invested ТЃ250,000 into Cheshire-based CSF Medical Communications Limited (CSF).
SWITZERLAND - 4-Antibody raises CHF 17m series-A financing round
4-Antibody AG has received a CHF 17m series-A financing round led by new investor Advent Venture Partners, together with existing lead investors Life Sciences Partners (LSP) and BioMedinvest AG. All other existing investors Grazia Equity, Mulligan Biocapital...
FRANCE - ACE Management and 123Venture invest EUR 3m in Tetco
ACE Management and 123Venture have invested EUR 3m in the third round of funding for VoIP software developer Tetco. ACE Management invested on behalf of Advance Capital Europe, UFF Innovation III and Financière de Brienne.
GERMANY - BayBG invests in biotech company
Venture capital investor BayBG Bayerische Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH has invested an undisclosed amount in CANDOR Bioscience GmbH, a supplier and service provider for GLP laboratories and pharmaceutical industry. The company will use the new capital...
UK - Carlyle in another defence deal
Carlyle is reported to have teamed up with BAE to acquire the Devonport naval yard in Plymouth from the Ministry of Defence. The yard, at which nuclear submarines are serviced, is likely to benefit from a ТЃ25bn proposal to replace the current submarine...