Deals
ITALY - BS Private Equity backs acquisition of Megatel and Gigatel
Mobile telephony retailer MIT Group, backed by BS Private Equity, has agreed to buy sector players Megatel and Gigatel for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition of the two companies is part of the development strategy of MIT, especially focused on growth...
UK - Mind Candy announces $7m in funding
Mind Candy, the UK based company behind the Alternative Reality Game (ARG) Perplex City, has raised $7m from Accel Partners and existing investor Index Ventures and NewMedia Spark. The funding comes in advance of a major expansion of new products to be...
POLAND – Advent International acquires the ULTIMO Group
Private equity investor Advent International has acquired the polish debt purchase and debt collection business ULTIMO Group from the company’s founders and funds managed by AIG Capital Partners Inc. The value of the transaction is undisclosed.
UK - European Capital set to acquire Whitworths
Dried fruit and nut company Whitworths is reported to be acquired by European Capital over the next week. The deal, expected to be worth around ТЃ85m, will see Gresham exit the company it has held since 2001.
UK - Primary sells Rhyme Systems to 3i-Infotech for £28m
Primary Capital has exited management software solutions company Rhyme Systems. The business has been acquired by 3i-Infotech Ltd, a global provider of IT solutions listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange, in a deal valued at ТЃ28m. The exit represents a...
GERMANY - Delticom to float tomorrow
German tyre e-commerce company Delticom is expected to raise up to EUR 38m in an IPO on the German Prime Standard on 26 October 2006. If 850,000 shares float as expected in the middle of the EUR 33 – 45 book-building range, the company will be valued...
UK - PAI and Blackstone acquire United Biscuits from Cinven and MidOcean
Cinven and MidOcean Partners have realised their investment in United Biscuits (UB). The UK's largest biscuit supplier, UB also has operations in France, the Netherlands and Belgium and has now been acquired by Blackstone and PAI Partners in a ТЃ1.6bn...
UK - Enterprise Ventures invests in Ncapsa Ltd
RisingStars Growth Fund II, the early stage technology fund managed by Enterprise Ventures, has completed its first investment in Yorkshire. Sheffield-based Ncapsa Ltd has received funding from RisingStars.
UK - SEP syndicate invests $12m in VirtenSys Ltd
A syndicate including Scottish Equity Partners (SEP), Celtic House Venture Partners (CHVP) and GIMV have provided VirtenSys Ltd with $12m of first round funding. VirtenSys is a leading developer in the emerging and fast growing PCI Express IO virtualization...
FRANCE - Cytheris raises EUR 24.3m second round
France-based Cytheris, a pharmaceutical company developing new therapies for the immune system, has raised EUR 24.3m from CDC Entreprises Innovation, ABN Amro Capital Life Sciences and its historical investors.
FRANCE - Banexi Capital Partenaires back secondary buyout of Bretèche
Banexi Capital Partenaires and Unigrains have backed the secondary buyout of Bretèche, a company which develops, manufactures and installs equipment for the food industry. The GPs took a majority stake in the business.
BELGIUM - Fortis Private Equity acquires Studio 100
Fortis Private Equity has announced that it has acquired a 33% stake in Studio 100, a producer of tv programmes and theatre shows for children. In addition, the Belgium-based company will receive a capital increase, understood to be in the region of EUR...
FRANCE - Buyout of PVC and aluminium window maker
Avenir Entreprises and Alliance Entreprendre have taken a 75% stake in Plastiferm, a manufacturer of PVC and aluminium windows, doors and shutters.
GERMANY - AXA Private Equity aquires 60% of KTP
AXA Private Equity has acquired KTP (Kunststoff Palettentechnik GmbH), a producer of plastic transport packaging solutions. The value of the transaction has not been disclosed.
GERMANY- Wilex to float mid-November
Munich-based biotechnology company Wilex is planning to float on the Frankfurt Prime Standard on 13 November. The listing, offering up to 4.6m shares, will be led by WestLB and Sal Oppenheim with an offer price to be announced on 6 November.
UK - 3i invests in Giraffe restaurant chain
3i has invested ТЃ10m for a minority stake in the fast growing, family friendly restaurant chain Giraffe, valuing the business at ТЃ24m.
NORWAY - Altor buys Helly Hansen
Altor Fund II is to acquire Norwegian Helly Hansen, a supplier of technical apparel and footwear, from Investcorp for an undisclosed sum.
SWITZERLAND - Santhera to list on Swiss Stock Exchange
Swiss speciality pharmaceuticals firm Santhera has announced that it will list up to 983,859 shares on the Swiss Stock Exchange. Assuming that the IPO is successful this will raise approximately SFr 83.6m-SFr 98.4m, excluding an over-allotment option....
FRANCE - KKR invests in French flooring products business
KKR has announced it has taken a 50% stake in SIF, the holding company which owns a majority of Tarkett, a flooring products business present in over 100 countries.
UK - YFM invests £1.2m in Blackburn-based manufacturer
YFM Private Equity has invested in specialist manufacturer and supplier of educational and height adjustable furniture, Vari-Tech Ltd. The ТЃ1.2m total funding round also included contributions from the Northwest Regional Development Agency.
UK - Hedge fund Boussard & Gavaudan takes stake in Gondola
Boussard & Gavaudan, a hedge fund with a track record of activism, is believed to have built up a 20% stake in Gondola Holdings, the restaurant operator which is the subject of a ТЃ560m take-private bid from Cinven.
UK - London Seed Capital leads £500,000 investment in Chameleon BioSurfaces
Chameleon BioSurfaces, the polymer coatings company has secured ТЃ500,000 of seed funding in an investment round led by London Seed Capital in conjunction with the London Business Angel Network and the London Business Angel EIS Tracker Fund III. Other...
UK - Bridgepoint to exit Tilney?
Market sources suggest that Deutsche Bank is in talks with asset management company Tilney. Tilney was acquired by Bridgepoint in 2005 in a deal thought to be worth approximately ТЃ100m.
GERMANY – 3i floats Nanogate
Europe's largest listed private equity firm, 3i, has successfully floated Nanogate AG on the Entry Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. 3i first invested in Nanogate in 1998, when it backed the spin-off from the University of Saarbrücken.