Deals
FRANCE - Sofinnova and Ventech complete $2.7m MXP4 investment
Sofinnova Partners and Ventech Capital have returned for a $2.7m second round of funding for digital music company MXP4.
FRANCE - Innovacom leads EUR 5.5m investment into Mixcommerce
Innovacom has invested EUR 3m into e-commerce company Mixcommerce as part of a EUR 5.5m financing round, with XAnge Private Equity providing the balance.
POLAND - Enterprise invests EUR 3m into R&C
Enterprise Investors, through the Enterprise Venture Fund, has pumped EUR 3m into Polish restaurant chain R&C Union, taking a 48% stake in the business.
UK - BPE-backed ATP acquires Instone from 3i in £37m deal
Barclays Private Equity-backed ATP International Group has acquired marine travel company Instone International from 3i, in a deal valued at £37m. Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets' acquistion finance team provided working capital facilities to support the...
UK - Hotbed backs buy-in of Sabel Cosmetics
Private investor network Hotbed has backed the management buy-in of UK-based hair care products manufacturer Sabel Cosmetics with an investment of £1.6m. Founder and vendor John Abel also participated in the deal.
GERMANY – EMBL Ventures leads EUR 4.5m vasopharm funding
EMBL Ventures, alongside HeidelbergCapital, Entrepreneurs Fund and KfW, has backed biotechnology company vasopharm GmbH with an investment of EUR 4.5m.
EUROPE - Close Brothers Corporate Finance acquired by Daiwa for £75m
Daiwa Securities SMBC Europe, the European subsidiary of Japanese investment bank Daiwa Securities SMBC Co, has agreed to acquire Close Brothers Corporate Finance from Close Brothers Group plc for £75m.
FRANCE - Wellington and Icso lead EUR 6m SuperSonic investment
Wellington Partners and Icso Private Equity have led a EUR 6m investment into medical equipment company SuperSonic Imagine, alongside Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners, Auriga Partners, Crédit Agricole Private Equity, NBGI Ventures and BioAm.
FRANCE - Innovacom leads EUR 4m Streamezzo funding
Innovacom has joined returning investors Sofinnova Partners, Sofinnova Ventures, Qualcomm, NTEC and GET Valorisation in a EUR 4m funding round for Streamezzo, a provider of rich application software platforms for mobile.
SWEDEN - STF backs SEK 15m Swebo funding
Sustainable Technologies Fund (STF) has, alongside Norrlandsfonden, invested SEK 15m into Swebo Bioenergy, a supplier of heating devices based on bioenergy solutions for heating.
SWEDEN - Amadeus and Northzone lead EUR 16m Tobii funding
Amadeus Capital Partners and Northzone Ventures have led a EUR 16m series-B funding round for eye-tracking systems developer Tobii, alongside exisiting backer Investor Growth Capital, the venture capital arm of industrial holding Investor AB.
SPAIN - Creditors take over Cinven-backed USP Group
According to reports, Cinven-backed healthcare group United Surgical Partners (USP) has completed a restructuring with its lenders Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland that will see the banks acquire a 65% stake in the business through a debt-for-equity...
Re-motivating management
The economic situation is affecting existing management shares incentives in companies with no equity value as well as - for those companies that can still use equity as an incentive - some of the more popular plans currently being implemented. Rebecca...
Venturing into the unknown
With distributions down since the internet bust, exit doors shut and fundraising at a standstill, the venture capital industry in the US - and elsewhere - is at a crossroads. Smaller firms, lower returns and adapting to a global market are the next likely...
FRANCE - Acto to purchase majority of Inventoriste
Acto Capital has agreed to acquire approximately 87% of the shares and voting rights in Alternext-listed retail services business Inventoriste from Berberine EURL, Amiral Gestion, B&G SARL, Financier John Beslay and Jean-Sebastien Beslay.
SPAIN - N+1-backed Eolia sells wind farms to RWE
According to reports, N+1-backed Eolia Renovables has agreed to sell its 49% stake in three wind farms in Soria to co-owner RWE.
FRANCE - Quilvest PE invests EUR 6.5m into Swoon
Quilvest Private Equity has backed JDI Fashion, the owner of children's clothing retail chain Swoon, with an investment of EUR 6.5m.
SPAIN - HgCapital acquires fifth Spanish solar plant
HgCapital, alongside local partners, has acquired a 5MW photovoltaic (PV) project from Montebalito SA and Invercartera Energia.
SPAIN - Foresight acquires 9MW Spanish solar plant
Foresight Group has acquired a 9MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in the Castilla-La Mancha region from Banco Santander for an undisclosed sum.
UK - CGC buys Pragma and Real Time in £27.8m deal
Close Growth Capital (CGC) has backed the £28m management buyout of Pragma and Real Time, the UK IT services businesses of Sword Group Plc, the listed French IT company. Scottish Enterprise, Clysedale Bank and management also invested.
SWITZERLAND – VCs back NovImmune with CHF 62.5m
BZ Bank has led a CHF 63m investment round in biotechnology company NovImmune SA, alongside new and existing investors including Novartis Venture Fund, Aravis Venture, and Lombard Odier Darier Hentsch among others.
SPAIN - Quercus-backed Alfanext acquires Música Viva
Audiovisual and stage services Grupo Alfanext, controlled by private equity firm Quercus Equity, has acquired audio and lighting specialist Música Viva.
FRANCE - BNP Développment in EUR 5.2m round for Télé-Animaux
BNP Développment has lead a EUR 5m financing of Télé-Animaux (formerly Buena Media), a media group focused on pets, to support the firms external growth plans. BNP Dévelopment provided nearly half of the total investment.