Deals
GERMANY - All change at top fashion house
Change Capital Partners, the private equity firm specialising in branded goods and retail, and the Prada Group have announced that Change Capital Partners is to acquire the Jil Sander Group.
UK - Bestport Ventures invests in Mfuse Ltd
London-based Bestport Ventures has invested ТЃ650,000 in Mfuse Ltd, a leading provider of mobile gambling and gaming software platforms.
ESTONIA - MartinsonTrigon launches TVCorp for international TV projects
MartinsonTrigon, the Baltic venture capital fund, has agreed to invest EUR 1.4m into OÜ TVCorp, a holding company which will be involved in various international TV projects.
GERMANY - HarbourVest and AlpInvest complete German secondary deal
HarbourVest Partners and AlpInvest Partners have announced the completion of a secondary transaction involving the establishment of a new fund, Paragon Partners Secondary LP. As a result of the transaction, Paragon Partners acquired an existing portfolio...
SWEDEN - Oracle buys VC-backed HotSip
Oracle Corporation has entered into an agreement to acquire Swedish HotSip AB, which is backed by 3i, Argnor Wireless Ventures, GO Capital and Ledstiernan.
THE NETHERLANDS - PE eyes on Stork
PE firms are reportedly looking at delisting Netherlands-based conglomerate Stork. Press reports suggest KKR, Blackstone, Carlyle and CVC Capital Partners are looking at potentially buying the firm, which has a market cap of EUR 1.6bn.
UK - AdEPT Telecom floats on AIM
AdEPT Telecom has acheived an IPO on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange. Overall a total of 5.8 m common shares at a price of 140 pence were placed to institutional and other investors in the UK and Europe. The net proceeds...
UK - LDC tops up its tan
LDC is about to announce the acquisition of St Tropez, the tanning specialist, according to press reports. The firm reportedly beat rival bidders including Phoenix Equity Partners and is expected to sign the deal in the next ten days.
FRANCE - PE houses dig for French gold
CDC Entreprises has just acquired France’s largest chain of jewellers Marc Orian for an estimated EUR 140m, according to press reports. The Paris-based newco, Financière M.O, was taken private by Crédit Lyonnais Asset Management, now Crédit Agricole Private...
LITHUANIA - MartinsonTrigon acquires 100% of shares in MicroLink Lietuva
AS Martinson Trigon, a Tallinn-based investment fund, has acquired 100% of MicroLink Lietuva and IT training company Baltijos Kompiuteriu Akademija (BKA) from Lietuvos Telekomas.
GERMANY - Granville Baird exits Westfalia-Automotive Group
Granville Baird Capital Partners has sold its majority stake in the Westfalia-Automotive Group to Odewald & Compagnie. Granville Baird, together with company management, bought an 87.5% stake in the trailor coupling device specialist in 2000.
ITALY - Industria & Finanza acquires 18% of Eurovision Partecipazioni
The Italian private equity group Industria & Finanza SGR has acquired around 18% of the broadcasting group Eurovision Partecipazioni. Other shareholders include Sandro Parenzo, who holds the majority interest, and Alerion, which also owns 18%.
SWEDEN - Accent Equity divests Nordic Bake-Off to Vaasan & Vaasan
Accent Equity has announced the sale of Nordic Bake-Off to Vaasan & Vaasan, the Finnish Group of bakery businesses owned by CapVest Equity Partners. The value of the deal has not been disclosed, but it is understood that Accent has generated a very good...
FRANCE - European Capital buys motorcycle specialist
European Capital has today announced the completion of its one stop buyout of Action Sport Holding, a leading distributor of motorcycle and bicycle gear and accessories in France. The group’s investment takes the form of senior term loans, mezzanine debt,...
POLAND - Mid Europa acquires Wheelabrator Group
Mid Europa Partners, the largest private equity firm focused on Central and Eastern Europe, announces today its acquisition of Wheelabrator Group, the world’s leading surface preparation and finishing equipment specialist. Mid Europa has completed the...
FRANCE - AXA goes it alone with eBuyClub
AXA Private Equity is sole investor in the recent EUR 2m round of funding in Plebicom. Founded in December 2000, following its incubation by Teamlog, Plebicom manages eBuyClub - an online retailing club. It offers its 300,000 members reductions on products...
FRANCE - Telisma receives further EUR 3m funding
Telisma has completed a EUR 3m fourth round of funding, via its existing investors. Ventech and Innovacom have each invested EUR 1m in the company, while 3i and AGF Private Equity have take equal stakes in the balance. As a result of this third round...
SWEDEN - MySQL secures $18.5m in series C funding
MySQL AB, a developer of open source databases, has announced the completion of an $18.5 million series C round of financing led by Institutional Venture Partners (IVP).
GERMANY - 3i sells German betapharm to Dr Reddy's Labs
3i has sold German generic pharmaceutical company betapharm Arzneimittel GmbH to Indian Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd.
SPAIN - INVERJAÉN invests in Ambientes Infantiles
Seville-based Ambientes Infantiles has received funding from Inverjaén. The investor has taken a 47.16% equity stake in the firm as a result of the deal.
FRANCE - Naxicap funds La Fée
Naxicap Partners has financed a EUR 1.5m first round of funding in La Fée through its funds BP Développement and FIP Banque Populaire Proximité Sud-Est. Company founders, Jean-Michel Calsat and Jean-Pierre Braillard, hold the balance. The transaction...
GERMANY - Syndicate invests in Diologue Semiconductor spin-off
GIMV has invested EUR 4.8m in the German technology company Dialog Imaging Systems (DIS), a new spin-off from the publicly listed company Dialog Semiconductor. The investment is part of a total funding round of EUR 22.25m led by 3i. Doughty Hanson Technology...
UK - Goulds Tissues says bless you!
GE Commercial Financeтs Business Finance unit has announced it has helped rescue Goulds Tissues from administration by providing a financing package, saving 120 jobs.
GERMANY - NORD Holding buys wire mesh specialist
In a management buyout involving the management of the company and the Bavarian Beteiligungsgesellschaft, NORD Holding Unternehmensbeteiligungsgesellschaft has acquired Rhodius GmbH domiciled in Weissenburg (Bavaria), Laage (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania)...