Deals
Fondations Capital buys Mazarine from LBO France
Fondations Capital has acquired French communications agency Mazarine in a secondary buyout from LBO France and 123Venture.
LDC marks hat-trick with Ramco investment
LDC has backed the buyout of Scotland-based oil & gas services business Ramco, the third deal announced by the firm in quick succession.
Primary's Amtech acquires Artra's BIM business
Primary Capital portfolio company Amtech has acquired the building information modelling (BIM) business of Artra Ltd.
i4g and tecnet back VisoCon
Austrian private equity firm i4g and tecnet equity have invested in a seven-figure financing round for Graz-based technology company VisoCon GmbH.
Countrywide's IPO pricing at top of range
Private equity-backed estate agent Countrywide has narrowed its IPO pricing at the upper end of its range.
LDC backs NRS Healthcare MBO
LDC has taken a stake in the £24m management buyout of NRS Healthcare, the healthcare division of listed multi-channel retailer Findel plc.
Apax France sells Numericable B&L and Cabovisao stakes
Apax France has agreed to sell its stakes in cable operators Numericable Belgium/Luxembourg and Cabovisao to co-owner Altice.
Arlington backs MB Aerospace MBO
Arlington Capital Partners has backed the secondary management buyout of UK- and US-based aerospace engineering group MB Aerospace from LDC.
Ratos and Bonnier merge SF Bio with Finnkino
Ratos and Bonnier AB have agreed to merge SF Bio and Finnkino Oy, a deal designed to form the Nordic region's largest cinema group.
Mobeus backs Gro Group MBO
Mobeus Equity Partners has invested in the management buyout of nursery brand Gro Group.
Patron et al. in Cala Group bolt-on
Patron Capital Partners and Legal & General Group have agreed to acquire UK-based home builder Cala Group Ltd for £210m.
b-to-v Partners leads funding for ondeso
b-to-v Partners has led a funding round for German IT security company ondeso, which also saw commitments from existing investors Bayern Kapital and High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF).
Syntegra's Moleskine launches IPO
Syntegra Capital has launched the IPO of portfolio company Moleskine in a listing that could value the business at up to €530m.
Marks & Spencer circled by Qatar-led consortium
Iconic British retailer Marks & Spencer could be the target of an £8bn takeover by a Qatar Investment Authority-led consortium, which could also include private equity players such as CVC, according to reports.
Greencoat Capital leads £6.75m round for Aveillant
Greencoat Capital has led a £6.75m funding round for UK-based radar technology developer Aveillant.
PE-backed Hofmann bolts on Posterjack
Hofmann, a Spanish photo album specialist backed by Realza Capital and Portobello Capital, has acquired German customised printing company Posterjack.
LitCapital et al. back Baltic Bicycle Trade
LitCapital and German firm Panther International have invested $1.8m in Lithuania-based electric bicycle company Baltic Bicycle Trade.
Highgrowth sells Facomsa stake to Prudential Tradelink
Spanish VC investor Highgrowth has sold its 35% stake in automotive components manufacturer Facomsa in a trade sale to Prudential Tradelink.
BNP Paribas et al. invest in Systar
Systar, a French provider of operational intelligence software, has completed a €2.35m private equity offering.
London & Scotland see most growth investment
In 2012, the UK’s venture and growth capital scene was once again most active in London, where unquote” data recorded 82 transactions with a combined value of £734m.
NVM exits Interlube Systems in trade sale
NVM Private Equity has sold British automated lubrication producer Interlube Systems to a subsidiary of The Timken Company, reaping a money multiple of 3x.
Enterprise Ventures et al. invest £10m in Xeros Ltd
Enterprise Ventures-backed cleaning technology developer Xeros Ltd has raised a further £10m from new and existing investors.
3i and RCP exit Giraffe to Tesco
3i and Risk Capital Partners (RCP) have sold their 36.8% stakes in UK-based restaurant chain Giraffe to Tesco, giving the business a £48.6m enterprise value.
HTGF, eCapital et al. invest €3.3m in Saperatec
A consortium led by eCapital entrepreneurial Partners and including High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), Gründerfonds Bielefeld-Ostwestfalen, NRW Bank and a business angel, has invested €3.3m in German recycling business Saperatec.