Deals
SWEDEN - 3i invests in HTC
3i has acquired around one-third of the shares in HTC Sweden AB through a capital injection of SEK 100m as well as a purchase of shares from existing shareholders. The new capital will fund further expansion of the company.
FINLAND - Eqvitec and Creandum invest in Colochrome
Colochrome Ltd, a Finnish manufacturer of protective lenses for mobile handsets and hand-held electronic devices, has secured series-A financing from Eqvitec Technology Fund III and Creandum. The arrangement also includes debt financing from the OP Bank...
SPAIN - Ahorro Corporación acquires Axesor
The private equity fund Ahorro Corporación has agreed to buy Axesor, a company specialising in online corporate communication systems, from Capital Riesgo Internet. The final price is dependant on due diligence being carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers.
UK - Bridges Community Ventures invests in Chill Factor, Manchester
Bridges Community Ventures (Bridges), the UK’s community development venture capital company, has announced its investment in Chill Factor, North West England’s first indoor real snow Alpine village to be built in Trafford, Greater Manchester. Bridges...
ITALY - Permira to float Ferretti for the second time
Permira is looking to re-list its portfolio company Ferretti, a manufacturer of high performance luxury motor yachts, on the Milan Stock Exchange this year or early in 2007.
SWEDEN - Industri Kapital sells entire Oriflame holding
The Industri Kapital 1997 Fund has sold its remaining shareholding in Swedish cosmetics company Oriflame Cosmetics SA for SEK 242 per Swedish Depositary Receipts (SDR). The sale corresponds to 4.5% of the total number of shares and votes in Oriflame and...
BELGIUM - 3i acquires Abx Logistics
3i has recently completed the purchase of Abx Logistics Worldwide from Ferrovie Belghe (controlled by SNCB Holding). The consideration has not been disclosed, but reports in the Belgian press suggest 3i paid EUR 80m for the logistics company.
ITALY - Permira looking to sell Grandi Navi Veloci
According to financial sources in Milan, private equity giant Permira is in talks with fund manager Investitori Associati to sell its portfolio company Grandi Navi Veloci for EUR 750m. The purchase is currently going through the due diligence on the ferry...
ITALY - Sisal SpA to be sold in EUR 1.3bn secondary buyout
The newspaper Il Sole 24Ore has reported that Sisal SpA, a portfolio company of private equity firm Clessidra, is due to be sold to another group in a secondary buyout that can reach the sum of EUR 1.3bn.
UK - Barclays Ventures backs MBO of Sitec T&C Ltd
Barclays Ventures has backed the incumbent management team of Sitec T&C Ltd investing £5m as part of a transaction that values the company at approximately £23m. Sitec is the UK's leading independent provider of rail signalling testing and commissioning...
BELGIUM - Carlyle acquires FRS Global from S1 Corporation
The Carlyle Group and technology investor Kennet Partners today announce that they have acquired FRS Global from S1 Corporation (NASDAQ: SONE). FRS Global is headquartered in Belgium and employs 190 people. It has the largest installed customer base in...
UK - Hermes backs Mayfair Gaming to acquire Beacon Bingo
Hermes Private Equity, together with Mayfair Gaming, has acquired Thomas Estates, the owner of three large Beacon Bingo clubs, and 24 Showboat adult gaming centres (AGCs), from the Thomas family. Deloitte and Linklaters advised Hermes Private Equity and...
UK - IPO of Cineworld back on
The Sunday Times reported yesterday that Blackstone is to revive its plans to float Cineworld, Britain's second largest cinema chain. The planned IPO was pulled in June due to market volatility.
CZECH REPUBLIC - Mid Europa sells cable company
Central and Eastern European investor Mid Europa Partners (MEP) has sold its 82% stake in Czech cable company Karneval Media to UPC, the Czech Republic’s number one player. The EUR 322.5m deal saw the bankers of UPC (Deutsche Bank and JPMorgan) take...
UK - NBGI Private Equity acquires recruitment business for £11.2m
NBGI Private Equity has acquired hotgroup’s traditional recruitment consultancy business for £11.2m from Trinity Mirror plc, the UK’s largest newspaper publisher. The business has been renamed ‘Ochre House’.
GERMANY - Baird Capital Partners Europe acquires Prettl
Baird Capital Partners Europe has acquired a majority stake in Prettl Appliance Systems Group. The company, which is being sold by its family owners, specialises in the development and production of control panels for white goods.
FINLAND - Sentica buys cleaning solutions business
A fund managed by Sentica Partners has acquired the entire share capital of Finnish industrial cleaning technology supplier Finnsonic Ltd.
SPAIN - 3i sells its stake in TCB
Private equity firm 3i has sold its 30% stake in logistics operator Group TCB (Terminal de Contenidors de Barcelona), to the family Pérez Maura, owner of shipping management group Pérez y Cía. The deal value has not been disclosed.
GERMANY - BayBG and S-Partner finance StarMedTech spin-out
BayBG and S-Partner Kapital AG have together financed the management buyout of the urological laser unit of WaveLight AG. Based in Starnberg, the new company will henceforth go by the name StarMedTec GmbH. The company will continue its activities as a...
UK - Lion Capital acquires Kettle chips with KP Snacks in sight
Lion Capital made the first step on its bid to become the second largest company in the UK snacks market, behind market-leader PepsiCo. It acquired Kettle foods, the maker of Kettle Chips in a deal which values the US-headquartered company at approximately...
ITALY - Carlyle and Finmeccanica sell Avio to Cinven for EUR 2.57bn
The Italian defence group Finmeccanica, and private equity giant Carlyle Group have sold aerospace engine maker Avio to Cinven. The enterprise value of the deal is EUR 2.57bn. Finmeccanica's stake of 30% will be sold for EUR 430m. At the same time, the...
UK - Beringea sells Mergermarket to Financial Times Group
Beringea has agreed to sell portfolio company Mergermarket to the Financial Times Group, a subsidiary of Pearson Plc, the global media company. The sale is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to complete in Q3 2006 and will generate a total...
UK - Morgan Crucible to be next private equity target?
According to a report in the Financial Times today, the industrial ceramics and defence materials maker Morgan Crucible has disclosed that it has received a takeover approach.
SWEDEN - Altor buys 80% of Dustin
Altor is to acquire 80% of the shares in Dustin, a company trading computers and computer equipment via the internet and by mail order. The remaining shares will be retained by the founders and the current owners.