Deals
SPAIN - Qualitas backs acquisition of Garnica Plywood
Private equity house Qualitas Equity Partners has acquired the entire shareholding in plywood distributor Garnica Plywood alongside its management team in a deal of undisclosed value. The growth route for the La Rioja-based company encompasses the acquisition...
GERMANY – $10m second round for spodradio
Baytech Venture Capital and Benchmark Capital Europe have invested $10m in a Series-B funding of spodradio. Munich-based Baytech had previously invested $2.4m in a Series-A funding in 2005.
SPAIN - Avanza attracts private equity interest
Several private equity firms and industrial players are interested in acquiring transport group Avanza. It is rumoured that Dougthy Hanson, Advent International and Apax Partners are among the possible private equity bidders. One of the prospective purchasers...
UK - Hotbed backs consumer website Pigsback.com with £2.5m investment
Pigsback.com, the consumer website that is fast becoming a favourite for online marketing and advertising amongst leading brands, has received a ТЃ2.5m investment from Hotbed, the private investor network. 48 members of Hotbed invested in Pigsback.com,...
UK - ABN AMRO Capital exits Page Group Ltd
Page Group Ltd, the company which designs and manufactures aerospace lighting and cockpit controls, has been acquired by Hamilton Sundstrand, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation. The deal, the details of which are not disclosed, represents...
UK - Lyceum Capital-backed Clinovia makes fourth acquisition this year
Clinovia, an independent home healthcare provider backed by Lyceum Capital, has acquired CCS Blackpool. The purchase of CCS Blackpool, a care agency specialising in providing quality community support services to individuals in their own homes, is Clinoviaтs...
UK - FTSE 250 Informa in talks with Candover and Cinven
Informa Plc, the FTSE 250 company which provides specialist information and services for the academic and scientific, professional and commercial business communities, is in talks with Candover and Cinven about going private. The deal would see Informa...
ITALY - SG Capital buys majority stake in Co.Import
SG Capital Europe has agreed to purchase 80% of Co.Import, a retailer of accessories and small home furnishings, from its founding family for EUR 15m. The management is reportedly reinvesting EUR 3m for the remaining stake. Co.Import owns a network of...
SPAIN - All eyes on Mercapital's Occidental Hoteles
Press reports suggest that Mercapital is in advanced negotiations to finally sell its 29.5% shareholding in Occidental Hoteles. The chains Barceló, Sol Meliá and NH Hoteles have already submitted offers and the deal is likely to be completed before the...
UK - Promethean portfolio company DLG makes acquisition
Promethean portfolio company Data Locator Group (DLG) has acquired the business and assets of Wegener DM Group Plc (WDM) from the listed media group Koninklijke Wegener NV. WDM has created a database on UK consumers and their lifestyles and collects the...
UK - Merseyside Special Investment Fund backs SLR Technology Solutions
SLR Technology Solutions received almost ТЃ80,000 of funding from Merseyside Special Investment Fund to complete its proof of concept phase.
FINLAND - Benchmark Capital invests in online estate agency
Igglo Oy, the Finnish online estate agency, has raised EUR 12.5m in a funding round led by Benchmark Capital Europe and including co-founder of Igglo, the Taivas Group. The new capital will be used to accelerate Igglo’s expansion in Europe.
GERMANY - Waterland acquires amusement arcade operator
Waterland Private Equity has backed the management buyout of Löwen Play, Germany’s second largest amusement arcade operator. The acquisition was made through Waterland Private Equity Fund III BV that closed on EUR 400m in April this year.
AUSTRIA - PONTIS Venture Partners leads financing round for Alumonte
Graz-based aluminium technology company Alumonte has received EUR 3.3m in a second financing round led by PONTIS Venture Partners. The Austria Wirtschafts Service and the Austrian Research Promotion Company(FFG) also participated in the deal.
UK - Promethean keen on Media Square
Media Square, the listed marketing company which issued a profit warning last month, is reported to have rejected a bid by Promethean. The share price rose by 4p yesterday on the news of this bid.
SPAIN - Ricari to expand its portfolio in La Rioja region
Following fast economic growth in the Spanish region of Rioja, private equity firm Ricari is looking to expand its portfolio of locally-based companies in which to participate as a financial partner or strategic ally.
SPAIN - Valcapital backs Suavitas
According to newspaper La Gaceta, private equity firm Valcapital has purchased a stake in the laser depilatory business Suavitas for EUR 5m. At the moment, Suavitas runs two depilation centers and maintains a business volume inferior to EUR 1m, although...
FRANCE - Banexi Capital Partenaires leads the buyout of Thermes Adour
Banexi Capital Partenaires and BNP Paribas Developpement have taken a 50% stake in Spa resort manager Thermes Adour.
UK - Cognetas Sells BWG to management for EUR 390m
Cognetas, (formerly known as Electra Partners Europe), has announced the sale of BWG to the companyтs management for EUR 390m. Cognetas acquired the BWG operations from Pernod Ricard in 2002 for EUR 220m along with a majority stake in Newhill, owner of...
GERMANY - Hellman & Friedman to off-load Springer shares
Hellman & Friedman has notified the management board of Axel Springer AG that it is considering a placement of approximately 10% of Axel Springer shares. A precondition for the placement will be a sufficiently attractive capital market environment. Springer...
SPAIN - Arturo Cantoblanco courts 3i's Provimar
Grupo Arturo Cantoblanco is reportedly negotiating the acquisition of Provimar, a service provider to cruise ships and duty free stores, from 3i for EUR 18m. Property of the private equity firm for five years, Provimar reported a turnover of EUR 100m...
AUSTRIA - Doughty Hanson sells IZD Tower to Matrix
Doughty Hanson & Co Real Estate has sold the IZD Tower in Vienna to Matrix Property Fund Management for EUR 247m. The building is a 30-storey landmark, comprising 63,400 square metres of office space with 1,250 underground parking spaces, adjacent to...
ITALY - Blackstone to buy Gardaland from Investindustrial
According to sources, Investindustrial is to sell leisure complex Gardaland to the Blackstone Group for a sum reported to be over EUR 500m. Gardaland is Italy's largest amusement park with approximately 3 million visitors per year and over 250 shareholders....
UK - Plant Impact listed on AIM
Plant Impact Plc, a company backed by the RisingStars Growth Fund which is managed by Enterprise Ventures, has been admitted to AIM. The placing at the start of the first day of trading was 38p per share, giving a market capitalisation of approximately...