Deals
UK - Carbon Trust et al. invest £2.7m in Whitfield Solar
Carbon Trust Investments and a private syndicate of new investors have co-led an investment of close to ТЃ3m in solar energy technology company Whitfield Solar, alongside existing investors the Cascade Fund and Kilsby Ltd.
UK/ITALY - Permira's BirdsEye and Lion's Findus interested in Findus Italy
According to reports, Permira-backed Birds Eye Iglo and Lion Capital's Findus Group are among the interested bidders for Unilever's frozen food unit Findus Italy.
EUROPE - EVCA report shows sharp rise in turnaround deals
While investment activity in 2009 has slowed significantly, new research published by the EVCA today shows that the downturn has provided a sharp rise in turnaround opportunities, which were up 40% in the first nine months of this year against the same...
UK- August Equity completes Hat Trick exit
August Equity has exited its 45% stake in portfolio company Hat Trick, the television production company responsible for programmes such as 'Have I Got News For You' and 'Whose Line Is It Anyway', via a management buy-back led by co-founder Jimmy Mulville....
NETHERLANDS - Crédit Agricole PE invests EUR 1.7m in arGEN-X
Crédit Agricole Private Equity has invested close to EUR 2m in biopharmaceutical firm arGEN-X in a second close of the firm's series-A funding round, taking the total raised to EUR 12.5m.
SPAIN - PE-backed Amadeus seeks to amend debt prior to listing
Reports suggest that BC Partners- and Cinven-backed travel agency Amadeus is in negotiations with its lenders to amend the terms on its EUR 5bn debt pile prior to its planned flotation.
GERMANY - Informa pulls out of Springer race
Reports indicate that trade buyer Informa has pulled out of the race for Candover- and Cinven-backed educational publisher Springer Science & Business Media, citing a too short time span to complete the deal.
FRANCE - Finadvance to purchase RAC France
Finadvance is set to back the MBO of the French arm of RAC, the roadside assistance company, from UK-based insurance giant Aviva.
UK - PAI to inject additional £20m into Kwik-Fit
French buyout house PAI Partners is said to be injecting ТЃ20m of fresh capital into portfolio company Kwik-Fit, the ailing tyres and exhausts retailer, in an effort to prevent the business breaching it's banking covenants.
UK - Inflexion backs £33m FDM MBO
Inflexion Private Equity has backed the management buyout of AIM-listed IT services company FDM Group, in a deal that values the business at a little over ТЃ33m.
GERMANY - Pamplona's Saf-Holland completes restructuring
Pamplona Capital's portfolio company Saf-Holland, a manufacturer of commercial vehicle parts, has reached agreement with creditors on a financial restructuring and extension of its existing EUR 316m credit line until September 2014.
SWITZERLAND - Ventech backs Covagen
Venture firm Ventech has invested an undisclosed sum in biotechnology company Covagen.
GERMANY - Oaktree to challenge DIC for Almatis
Reports suggest that distressed debt specialist Oaktree Capital is planning a takeover of Dubai International Capital-backed German alumina maker Almatis, in which it is a major creditor following the acquisition of debt on the secondary market.
NORWAY - ETF leads EUR 12m Kebony funding
Environmental Technologies Fund has led a EUR 12m investment in Kebony, a Norwegian supplier of environmentally friendly wood.
SPAIN - CAI to remain in Imaginarium
CAI Desarrollo Empresarial, the private equity arm of savings bank Caja de Ahorros de la Inmaculada, is to retain its holding in childrens toy retailer Imaginarium when it floats on Mercado Alternativo Bursátil, Madrid's alternative investment market,...
UK - Dawn Capital invests in series A round for Manic Monkey
Dawn Capital has invested an undisclosed amount into 3D animation specialist Manic Monkey in a series-A round of financing.
GERMANY - HTFG and MAZ invest in MobileBits
High-Tech Gründerfonds and Maz level one have invested an undisclosed sum in software company MobileBits.
SPAIN - BC to divest Teknon
It is understood that BC Partners has put Barcelona-based healthcare business Teknon on the block, with the investor reportedly seeking a price tag of between EUR 140-160m.
GERMANY - equitrust acquires Angiokard
equitrust has acquired a majority stake in medical equipment company Angiokard Medizintechnik from Masterflex.
UK - Oxford Technology et al. invest £1.3m in DMD
A consortium comprising Oxford Technology Management, YFM, the ERA Foundation and two private investors, has invested more than ТЃ1m in diamond super-materials supplier Diamond Microwave Devices.
UK - DN Capital invests in Apsmart
DN Capital has invested an undisclosed amount into smartphone company Apsmart.
UK - Palamon acquires ADP in £136m deal
Palamon Capital Partners has acquired a majority stake in dentistry business Associated Dental Practices in a ТЃ136m buyout from Smith & Williamson, the adminstrators of Kaupthing Capital Partners, the former private equity owners of the business who...
GERMANY – EMBL leads EUR 4.6m round for Elara Pharmaceuticals
EMBL Ventures has led an investment round for biotech company Elara Pharmaceuticals, raising a total of EUR 4.6m
NORWAY - Investinor makes NOK 58m Innotech investment
Investinor has invested NOK 58m in clean energy company Innotech Solar (ITS), taking a stake of close to 16% in the business.