Deals
SWEDEN - Industri Kapital to acquire ELFA AB for approximately €130m
Stockholm based ELFA AB, which has been owned and managed by the Jensen Family since 1945, will now be acquired by Industri Kapital following the signing of an agreement.
UK - Exponent Private Equity buys Trainline in £163m deal
Exponent Private Equity has announced the acquisition of Trainline, the leading online and call-centre rail retailer and information provider in the UK for £163m.
FRANCE - Banexi Ventures makes investment into wi-fi rabbit maker
In its second deal this month, Banexi Ventures Partners has injected EUR 3m in Violet's first round of financing.
FRANCE - GPs exits Directinet with 6x returns
A syndicate of investors including Pyramid venture Capital, I-Source Gestion, zCorporate, Angel Invest, Afipa, MMA, Groupama, Casino Rally and Avenir Tourisme France has realised its investment in Directinet, with a money multiple in excess of 6x.
UK - Bank of Scotland Corporate backs MBO of VUE
Vue Entertainment, the UK's leading developer and operator of state-of-the-art cinemas, was yesterday sold by its controlling private equity shareholders to a management buyout team in partnership with Bank of Scotland Corporate, through its Integrated...
ITALY - Clessidra acquires Fratelli Elia
The fund Clessidra has recently purchased Fratelli Elia from the brothers Maurizio and Raffaele Elia for an undisclosed sum, according to the news agency Radiocor.
FRANCE - Acto acquires warehouse storage company
Acto has backed the LBO of Locabri, for an undisclosed sum.
NORWAY - Altor acquires 70% of Scandpower
Altor has acquired 70% of Scandpower Petroleum Technology Holding ASA (SPT). The current owners, led by HitecVision Private Equity, will have a 30% ownership in the company on a pro-rata basis.
UK - HgCapital floats ClinPhone
ClinPhone, the supplier of technology solutions to the clinical trials industry, has floated on the London Stock exchange representing a partial exit for HgCapital.
UK - LDC backs the Apollo Group
LDC has backed the management buyout of Apollo Group Holdings, one of the UK’s fastest growing providers of property refurbishment services to local authorities, for an undisclosed sum. The investment has enabled the Waltham Abbey-based firm to buy...
FINLAND - Arcapita buys Paroc from BA Capital Partners
BA Capital Partners Europe has agreed to sell Paroc Holding Sverige AB and its subsidiaries to affiliates of Arcapita Limited. The transaction value is approximately EUR 620m and closing is expected to occur in August 2006.
SPAIN - Gala Capital buys 58% of Grupo Page
According to reports in the Spanish press, the private equity firm Gala Capital has purchased 58% of the technology group Page for an undisclosed sum.
UK - CriticalBlue raises $3.7m second round funding
CriticalBlue, a provider of tools for accelerating software in embedded microprocessor applications has announced the closure of its B round financing. The funding round was led by Herald Ventures and was fully supported by existing investors Pentech...
SPAIN - GED set to exit Continental Hotels in Bucarest
The Spanish private equity firm GED will exit the Romanian chain Continental Hotels via a listing on the Bucarest Stock Exchange in July. GED will probably list all of its 28% stake in the company. The remaining shares are held by founding familiy, Enache,...
POLAND - Bankier SA lists on Warsaw Stock Exchange
Polish finance portal Banker SA, a bmp portfolio company in which its managed fund CEEV GmbH holds a stake, listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange today. The opening price was PLN 8.25 per share, 10% over the issue price of PLN 7.50.
FRANCE - Industri Kapital acquires French laboratories in tertiary buyout
Industri Kapital has acquired a majority stake of Group Cerba from Astorg Partners for about EUR 160m. To secure this buyout, the European private equity firm defeated APAX Partners, 3i and PPM Capital in a competitive auction. The deal should be completed...
UK - Wound Solutions receives £5m funding from Hotbed and Octopus
A syndicate of investors, including Hotbed and Octopus Bioscience VCT have provided £5m funding to Wound Solutions.
UK - Permira, Carlyle and Blackstone court iSoft
The struggling healthcare software company, iSoft, is thought to be latest company to be weighed up by private equity with Permira, Carlyle and Blackstone all reported to be interested according to the Observer.
UK - Further activity in caravan park industry as LGV looks to buy South Lakeland
South Lakeland Caravans is reported by the Sunday Times to be in advanced talks with Legal & General Ventures (LGV).
GERMANY - Triton acquires stake in Dematic
Triton, together with the company's management, has taken over shares previously held by Siemens AG in Dematic GmbH & Co. KG. The parties have agreed not to disclose details of the transaction. Dematic employs around 4,000 people and achieved revenues...
UK - Macquarie-3i consortium to outbid Goldman Sachs for ABP
It is reported in today's Times that the consortium led by Macquarie is likely to offer £2.7bn for Associated British Ports (ABP), outbidding the Goldman Sachs consortium's £2.53bn offer.
UK - Apax assess All3Media
All3Media, the television production company formed by three former ITV executives, is being assessed by Greg Dyke who is a consultant to Apax, according to The Times today.
SWEDEN - 3i sells its stake in Atea
3i has sold its shareholding in Atea Holding AB, a supplier of IT infrastructure, to Ementor ASA. Ementor buys the entire company for SEK 1,050m.
SWEDEN - CapMan and Investor Growth Capital invest in Neoventa Medical
CapMan Life Science IV fund managed by CapMan and Investor Growth Capital has invested in Neoventa Medical AB, a Swedish medical technology company within the area of fetal monitoring.