Deals
UK - Bidding war pushes ABP shares to 850p
The Financial Times reports today that Goldman Sachs has raised its offer to Associated British Ports from 810p to 840p per share as competition between its consortium and that led by Macquarie intensifies.
SWEDEN - Nordic Capital buys ICA Meny
A subsidiary to Nordic Capital fund VI has signed an agreement to acquire ICA Meny from ICA AB for an undisclosed sum. The completion of the transaction is subject to approval by relevant authorities.
CROATIA - Mid Europa secures calcium aluminate business
Mid Europa Partners has acquired Heidelberger Calcium Aluminates from HeidelbergCement Group. The transaction includes Heidelberg Cement's 92.4% stake in Istra Cemment d.o.o., a production facility based in Croatia, as well as two trading entities in...
FRANCE - Crocus technology attracts EUR 13.5m on first round
Sofinnova ventures, Ventech, CDC Entreprises Innovation, AGF Private Equity, Sofinnova Partners and NanoDimension participated in the EUR13.5m round of financing.
NETHERLANDS - Rabo Participaties has acquired Luzac College
Rabo Participaties and management have acquired Luzac Holding BV, a parent company of among others Luzac College and InterCollege, from USG People. No financial details have been disclosed, but analysts estimate the value to be around EUR 30m.
GERMANY - Süd and DZ go in on ball bearings secondary
Süd Private Equity and DZ Equity Partner have, together with the management, acquired myonic Group, Leutkirch. The vendor, Capvis Equity Partners acquired a majority stake in the company in 1999.
NETHERLANDS - Friesland Bank acquires minority stake in The Institute of Travel
Friesland Bank has announced that it has acquired a minority stake in The Institute of Travel. The financing will be employed to realise further growth of the company, both organically as well as through acquisitions of specialist travel organisations.
UK - The Capital Fund invests in mobile games innovator
Telcogames Ltd, a global publisher, developer and distributor of mobile games, has raised initial expansion funding from The Capital Fund to strengthen its publishing activities in smartphone gaming.
UK - Macquarie-3i consortium tries to thwart Goldman ABP deal
The board of Associated British Ports yesterday approved the Goldman Sachs consortium's bid offering 810p per share. Within hours Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, acting on behalf of the Macquarie-3i consortium purchased shares in the market at a price...
Luxembourg - Taylor Wessing advises IGEFI on Summit Partners equity investment
Taylor Wessing has advised IGEFI Group, a provider of software solutions to the investment funds industry, on its equity investment from Summit Partners.
FRANCE - Varioptic receives extra EUR 1m from Dow Corporate Venture Capital
The American investor Dow Corporate Venture Capital has joined exisiting investors with a contribution of EUR 1m in the third round of financing for liquid lens developer Varioptic.
UK - MFI auction reaches second round
The second-round auction of MFI Retail will begin on Friday according to the Financial Times. Further details of the sale of the struggling furniture business have now emerged.
GERMANY - Carlyle Group invests in Global Media
The Carlyle Group has obtained a significant minority stake in Global Media GmbH, a web marketing company. The firm delivers a range of online services including search engine optimisation, key word advertising and online media planning.
NORWAY - HitecVision closes Technor acquisition
HitecVision Private Equity has via holding company CET Holding AS closed the acquisition of 94.6% of the shares of Technor ASA. Technor is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange and CET Holding has announced its intention of buying the remaining shares and...
UK - Chronicle Solutions receives £3m 3i backing
3i has led a £3m series-A investment in Chronicle Solutions along with syndicate partners Scottish Equity Partners and Societe Generale Asset Management Alternative Investments. As part of the deal, Nick Kingsbury, sector partner at 3i, is appointed...
DENMARK - Nordic Capital acquires Dangaard Telecom
A subsidiary of Nordic Capital fund VI has signed an agreement to acquire Dangaard Telecom from BHS Holding, debitel, Fleggaard Holding and Dangaard Telecom Partners. The value of the deal has not been disclosed.
UK - Rothschild leads bid for MFI Retail
The Times today reports that Rothschild has joined forces with Merchant Equity Partners to launch a bid for the retail division of MFI. The ailing retail arm of MFI Furniture recorded losses of £85m in 2005 and it is thought that the vendor will have...
FRANCE - Medica to float on Euronext
Medica, the third largest French retirement homes company has announced it has submitted documentation to AMF (Autorité des Marchés Financiers) in view of its flotation on Euronext Paris.
FRANCE - EUR 10m backing for sports publisher
Iris Capital and London-based Complete Leisure Group are joining previous investors Galiléo Partners and Crédit Agricole Private Equity (CAPE) in a EUR 10m financing of French publisher Sports Medias & Stratégie.
SPAIN - Vista Capital acquires Play by Play for EUR 4.8m
Vista Capital, in a move to expand its toy manufacturer portfolio company Famosa, has purchased 100% of Play by Play from Catalana d’Iniciatives and its other investors for EUR 4.8m.
SPAIN - Savia Coinversión SCR invests in EUR 5m in MSS
The Zaragoza-based private equity firm has announced an investment of EUR 5m in Mobile Security Software (MSS). MSS is working on the development of a high security system for mobile devices that includes coding and uncoding, authentication control and...
UK - Permira and Barclays Capital team up in bid for retirement home builder
McCarthy & Stone, the builder of retirement housing, is the subject of competing bids from two consortiums who both see promising returns from this sector thanks to the ageing population, despite the fact that McCarthy has struggled recently.
UK - Misys the latest take-private target
The Sunday Times and the Financial Times have both reported that the healthcare and financial-services software firm Misys is being circled by private equity firms following its announcement on Friday that it is the subject of a possible management buyout.
UK - Hedge funds competing against private equity for Photo-Me
Photo-Me has received interest from Bain Capital and Warburg Pincus over the last week.