Deals
UK- Foresight and Octopus invest £1.5m in iProfile
Foresight Venture Partners and Octopus Group, via its Titan VCT fund, have invested, alongside private investors, in online CV and career profile provider iProfile, in a funding round worth more than £1.5m.
ITALY - S+R and Alcedo to sell GTS to Alfaparf
It is understood that S+R Investimenti e Gestioni and Alcedo Sgr have agreed to sell their combined 72% stake in cosmetics company GTS Group to trade buyer Alfaparf, in a deal estimated at EUR50-60m.
GERMANY - Private equity circles ratiopharm group
Private equity firms have shown interest in acquiring drugs company ratiopharm group, which is being put up for sale by VEM Vermögensverwaltung GmbH.
EUROPE - Growth Capital to take the lead in 2010
In a market starved for debt, growth capital investments are in line to become the favoured deal type of 2010, as highlighted in Nordic editor Rikke Eckhoff's interview with Louis Elson, co-founder and managing partner of Palamon Capital Partners. See...
AUSTRIA - DZ Equity’s Illichmann enters administration
DZ Equity Partner's portfolio company Illichmann Aluminiumguss GmbH has filed for insolvency. Austrian press reports suggest that Illichmann's lenders have refused to provide additional loans to the company, while also cancelling its existing credit facilities.
UK - ETF et al. invest £10m in Nujira
The Environmental Technologies Fund (ETF), alongside existing backers Bank Invest, 3i, Amadeus, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital and private investors, has participated in a £10m series D round of funding for cleantech company Nujira.
UK - Crescent Point Group et al. invest in XConnect
Crescent Point Group, alongside return backers Accel Partners, Grazia Equity and Venrock, has invested $10m in telecom company XConnect, as part of a series B funding round for the company.
SPAIN - Crédit Agricole in EUR 3.75m round for ERA Biotech
Crédit Agricole Private Equity has led a series-B investment round for ERA Biotech, raising EUR 3.75m from existing backers BcnHighgrowth, Axis, and Uninvest as well as private investors.
NETHERLANDS - PPM Oost backs Ingrepro
Participatiemaatschappij Oost Nederland (PPM Oost) has invested an undisclosed sum in biotech company Ingrepro.
GERMANY – NRW Bank and Cine Plus join DFT backers
NRW Bank and strategic investor Cine Plus have subscribed to a capital increase for broadcaster DFW Deutsche Fernsehwerke GmbH.
SPAIN - Atlas Capital acquires Serviocio
Atlas Capital Private Equity has completed the first acquisition of its EUR 90m maiden fund, acquiring sports facilities management firm Serviocio. The company's management and founding partners retain a minority stake.
GERMANY – Consortium backs growth of Turtle Entertainment
A consortium of investors including Crédit Agricole Private Equity, Corporate Finance Partners CFP and Founders Investments GmbH & Co KGaA have invested an undisclosed amount into e-sports company Turtle Entertainment GmbH. Existing shareholder EKK Unternehmensbeteiligungen...
UK - Sovereign Capital backs £18m acquisition of London Care
Sovereign Capital has backed the £18m buyout of London Care plc, one of the largest domiciliary care businesses in the UK.
FRANCE - HIG to take over Molex
According to reports, HIG Capital is in talks to acquire US automotive company Molex's Villemur-sur-Tarn factory for a symbolic EUR 1, given certain performance guarantees from US parent Molex.
FRANCE - Gimv backs Made In Design with EUR 4.5m
Private equity firm Gimv has backed online furniture retailer Made in Design in a first institutional financing round worth EUR 4.5m.
GERMANY – Riverside acquires Kaul GmbH
The Riverside Company has acquired additives company Kaul GmbH, with equity from its European Fund REF IV, and acquisition debt provided by Unicredit Markets, Investment Banking and Berenberg Bank.
UK - Citi Venture Capital International to invest $25m into SkyVision Holdings
Citi Venture Capital International, via its Citigroup Venture Capital International Africa Fund (CVCIAF), has agreed to invest $25m into IP service provider SkyVision Holdings Limited, in exchange for a 23% stake in the business.
UK - NESTA and Eden invest in Basekit
NESTA and Eden Ventures have invested in UK start-up company Basekit.
UK - NJD Capital backs buyout of HFW Plastics from administration
Listed venture investor NJD Capital has backed the buyout of HFW Plastics from KPMG adminstrators in a deal believed to be worth over £350,000. The deal will see the formation of a new company called Thermopak.
GLOBAL - GI Partners completes sale of assets in first fund
Private equity and real estate investor GI Partners has sold the last remaining asset in its first fund, a Frankfurt data center, to Equinix Holding BV for $28m.
SWITZERLAND - HBM et al. sells ESBATech to Alcon
A consortium comprising HBM BioVentures, SV Life Sciences, Clarus Ventures, BioMedinvest, Novartis Bioventures and VI Partners has agreed to sell ESBATech AG to listed eye care company Alcon, for an initial cash purchase price of $150m.
GERMANY - caption acquires stake in RTS-Group
capiton has acquired a stake in electronics after-sale services provider RTS-Group.
FRANCE - Astorg to take stake in EUR 500m Gras Savoye
It is understood that Astorg Partners is in exclusive negotiations with insurance broker Gras Savoye regarding the acquisition of a minority stake in the business, in a deal that would value the business at EUR 500m.
EUROPE - 3i sells venture portfolio to Coller-, HarbourVest-backed Encore
Secondaries specialists Coller Capital and HarbourVest Partners have teamed up with venture house DFJ Esprit to acquire a £130m portfolio of venture assets from 3i. The portfolio will be managed by a new division of DFJ, Encore Ventures.