Deals
UK - Regent Inns to stay independent
According to today's Times, rumoured talks between Alchemy Partners and Regent Inns, the operator of the Walkabout and Jongleurs chains, have fallen through.
FRANCE - Viaduc receives EUR 5m from French investors
Viaduc, the French leading online professional contacts exchange, has gathered EUR 5m from AGF Private Equity and Ventech.
ITALY - Barclays Private Equity Acquires ULKA Costruzioni Elettromeccaniche SpA
Barclays Private Equity has acquired ULKA Costruzioni Elettromeccaniche SpA, a manufacturer of solenoid pumps for coffee machines, from entrepreneur Giampiero Rossi for an undisclosed sum.
UK - Blackstone to float Southern Cross Healthcare Group
The recently volatility of the markets has not deterred Blackstone from their intention to float Southern Cross. Blackstone is hoping the sale will value Britain's biggest care home group which it has owned since 2003 at about £550m, according to The...
UK - Secondary buyout of Azzurri Communications
3i announces today that it has sold its 75% stake in Azzurri Communications, the leading UK converged voice and date communications company, to a secondary buyout vehicle backed by Prudential Ventures (PPM) in a deal valuing the company at £182.5m. 3i’s...
NL- Gilde and Van Herk Groep support third financing round for Agendia
Van Herk Group and Gilde Healthcare have provided third round financing to Dutch biotech company Agendia BV. The funds raised will be used to accelerate development of microarray-based late stage products into diagnostic tests for breast cancer and other...
SWEDEN - Industrifonden invests in Storegate
Industrifonden has injected capital in Storegate in return of a 20% shareholding in the company. Based in Karlshamn, Storegate was founded in 2002 and focuses on secure information storage.
DENMARK - Matas shareholders to accept CVC offer
The majority of the Matas shareholders have agreed to sell the business to CVC Capital Partners for DKK 5.2bn. During a shareholder meeting, more than 2/3 of the shareholders agreed that the board of directors should continue the sales process with CVC.
SPAIN – WebCapital and Manoin64 invest EUR 400,000 in Agnitio
WebCapital SCR, managed by Riva y García Private Equity, and Manonin64 (the holding company of the Sansalvado family) have together acquired significant stakes in Agnitio SL for EUR 400,000. Agnitio SL, a spin-off from the Universidad Politécnica de...
UK - August Equity backs MBO of Rixonway Kitchens
August Equity has announced that it has supported the management buyout of Rixonway Kitchens Ltd via the newco Rollfold Group Ltd for an undisclosed sum. This is the eighth investment from August Equity Partners IV.
FRANCE - Weinberg Capital Partners makes its first investment
Weinberg Capital Partners (WCP) has announced an agreement to acquire 70% of Pharmaceutical company Pharma Omnium International.
ITALY - Bridgepoint acquires Italian perfumery group Limoni
Perfumery chain Limoni, the Italian market leader with a network of 400 stores and a consolidated turnover of € 304 million (13.6% up on 2004), has been acquired by Bridgepoint through a management buy-out involving its founder Piofrancesco Borghetti....
FRANCE - AXA Private Equity set to secure first French take-private of 2006
AXA private Equity has announced an agreement to purchase MAAF Assurances SA's 85.45% share of TLD Group. The French buyout house will also acquire an extra 9.58% from minority shareholders who have irrevocable agreed to tender their shares in AXA's simplified...
FINLAND - CapMan exits Sentera
Finnventure IV, V and V ET funds managed by CapMan have sold their 30.1% shareholding in Sentera Plc to SysOpen Digia Plc for EUR 12.8m. SysOpen Digia Plc paid the main part of the transaction in cash and a small part with the company’s own shares.
NETHERLANDS - Bencis acquires Winsol Group
Bencis Capital Partners has reached an agreement to acquire a substantial equity interest in Winsol Group, a producer of PVC and aluminium windows and doors, sun protection systems, rollers shutters, sectional doors and balustrades.
BELGIUM - Big Bang Ventures leads investment round for Qlayer
Big Bang Ventures has announced that it has taken the lead in a EUR 1.3m first round of financing for Qlayer, a provider of virtualisation management software for commercial data centers. The transaction represents the first investment of Big Bang Ventures'...
UK - Permira to float Hogg Robinson
The Sunday Times reported on the expected IPO of Hogg Robinson over the weekend. Permira took Hogg Robinson private in a 2000 deal worth EUR 640m and now intends to return it to the stock market through a 'competitive' IPO. This controversial route to...
FRANCE - Bridgepoint acquires French publisher from Sagard
Bridgepoint has taken a majority stake in Groupe Moniteur in a secondary LBO. French buyout house Sagard is exiting the investment it made in 2004.
FRANCE - Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners backs Alturia's owner buyout
Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners and Socadif have taken minority stakes to back Henry Robet's buyout of Groupe Alturia.
SWEDEN - CapMan invests in Spintop Netsolution
Funds managed by CapMan will invest in Spintop Netsolution AB, a Swedish software development and services company. Following this investment, CapMan funds will have a 30 percent stake in Spintop and the company’s founders and key employees will hold...
ITALY - MCC Sofipa acquires majority stake in Cobra
MCC Sofipa SGR SPA, the private equity arm of Gruppo Capitalia, has acquired a majority stake in Cobra Spa via the funds Sofipa Equity Fund and Sofipa Equity Fund II. The funds have together invested approximately EUR 17.5m for a 70% shareholding, while...
UK - Telent to be taken private by Fortress Investment
Telent has been offered 529.5p per share by the US private equity firm Fortress Investment according to a report in today's Times. The deal will value Telent, the only part of former industrial giant Marconi that remains independent, at £346m. Ericsson...
DENMARK - Polaris sells Dansk Droge to Orkla
Polaris Private Equity has entered into an agreement to sell its shares in Dansk Droge to Orkla. The Sports Nutrition companies SPP in Sweden and Finland are not included in this transaction.
UK - Barclays Ventures exits Canada Square Health and Fitness Ltd
Barclays Ventures has completed the sale of Canada Square Health and Fitness Ltd, the operator of the prestigious 'Reebok Sports Club London' in Canary Wharf, to an overseas private investment group for an undisclosed amount.