Benelux
Exits: Carving out value
With exit maximisation key in todayтs economically unstable times, a number of private equity funds have recently chosen to sell their assets in smaller chunks, in the hope of attracting more specialist buyers. John Bakie reports
Luxury brands: Private equity's leadership challenge
Towerbrookтs plan to sell Jimmy Choo this year for an estimated ТЃ500m, more than twice its value three years ago, highlights the significant benefits that can be reaped from investing in the luxury apparel sector. However, the deal also brings to the...
Holland Private Equity injects €9m in Airborne
Holland Private Equity has invested €9m in Dutch developer and producer of composite components Airborne International.
3i-backed Refresco acquires SDI
3i-backed soft drinks and fruit juice producer Refresco has acquired Soft Drinks International (SDI) as part of the company’s buy-and-build strategy.
Banks seek to make hay while the sun shines
Looking around Europeтs buyout markets, it is clear that some banks are well and truly back in the game. But the recent rise in deal completions, including those at the top end of the scale, masks an altogether more complex marketplace. Julian Longhurst...
Atlantic-Pacific Capital hires Sandström as partner
Atlantic-Pacific Capital has hired Sarah McFadden SandstrУЖm as a partner in its Private Funds business, in a bid to bolster its European project management and advisory services.
Money to burn?
Instead of the expected, traditional summer lull in activity, the unquoteт editorial team has been busy reporting on a continuous stream of deal announcements and rumours over the past fortnight. While it is difficult to put any exact number on deals...
Blockbuster season
The industry is certainly in better shape than 12 months ago. The latest unquoteт Private Equity Barometer confirmed the sentiment, showing total private equity investment has more than doubled to тЌ25.5bn in the first half of the year compared to H1...
Second nature
News of institutions cutting back on their private equity exposure by offloading their private equity assets has interrupted the lull in deal activity that one is more accustomed to during this time of year.
Solvency II criticised for 'inappropriate' stress test
European regulators have come under fire for choosing an тinappropriateт way to measure the stress caused by private equity investments on insurance companies. Research from Partners Group suggests the regulatorтs favoured method of calculating private...
Gilde Healthcare III secures Philips commitment
The recently launched Gilde Healthcare III fund has attracted Royal Philips Electronics as a cornerstone investor.
NEON Private Equity in partial exit of Kuiken
NEON Private Equity, formerly Fortis Private Equity, has sold the Könicke subsidiary of Kuiken Group to the Swedish Lantmännen Group.
Balta Group buys Domo's flooring unit
Doughty Hanson's Belgian portfolio company Balta Group has signed a deal to buy Domo NV's floor covering business.
ICG buys RBS €1.4bn credit portfolio
Intermediate Capital Group (ICG) has signed a deal to acquire the Royal Bank of Scotlandтs (RBS) тЌ1.4bn portfolio of European loans.
Sun European Partners acquires majority stake in Prodac
Sun European Partners has acquired a majority stake in Belgian steel stockist-merchant Prodac, for an undisclosed amount.
Private equity haunted by pre-crisis deals
As AA and Saga are hitting the headlines once again, private equity it seems is being haunted by the ghosts of 2007тs exuberance. While the years preceding the financial crisis saw some of the largest private equity-backed deals of all time, many of these...
IK Investment Partners hires Wärn as partner
IK Investment Partners has hired Kai WУЄrn as partner to focus on strategy, operations and business control.
Benelux unquote" August/September 2010
Activity in the Benelux region decreased sharply in Q2 2010, making it once again the smallest market in Europe for private equity investments.
Star Capital buys Pepcom from GMT and VSS
Star Capital Partners has acquired German cable operator Pepcom GmbH in a secondary buyout deal from GMT Communication Partners and Veronis Suhler Stevenson.
Stress tests open up Spanish bank opportunities
Recent banks stress tests have revealed private equity investment opportunities in Spain, with some of the countryтs largest banks seemingly ripe for picking.
ECM acquires German bakery chain Kamps
ECM Equity Capital Management has bought German artisan bakery chain Kamps GmbH from Lieken AG for an undisclosed amount.
The return of the mega-buyout
Mega-buyouts of over тЌ1bn are on their way back following a drought of activity during the global financial crisis, according to unquoteт research. Signs of life are starting to appear at the very top-end of private equity investing, but Europeтs buyout...
Finnish Industry Investment makes two investments
Finnish Industry Investment has recently provided venture capital funding for two deals; тЌ2.7m in silver mining company Sotkamo Silver, and тЌ3m in the passenger information and safety system developer Mitron Group Oy.
T-Venture and IBB invest in daparto
T-Venture and IBB Beteiligungsgesellschaft have invested in online auto parts portal daparto.