Benelux
Former NYSE Euronext chair Hessels joins General Atlantic
Jan-Michiel Hessels, General Atlantic
Fintech: throwing down the gauntlet to financial services
Financial technology dealflow is growing at a steady pace and the banks are taking note. Amy King investigates the drivers and challenges behind the fintech revolution.
Insurers to ramp up private equity exposure in 2014
Insurers are rethinking their investment strategies and beginning to increase their exposure to private equity. Some are even looking at it from an asset-liability management perspective.
France's Access holds €190m first close for FoF
French funds-of-funds manager Access Capital Partners has held a first close on тЌ190m for its latest vehicle, Access Capital Fund VI Growth Buy-out Europe (ACF VI).
Chrysalix SET et al. invest in Luxexcel
Chrysalix SET, Munich Venture Partners (MVP) and Filsa Capital have invested in Luxexcel Group, a Netherlands-based developer of optical 3D printing technology.
SDNsquare raises €1.5m
TMT-focused investor Merapar has led a €1.5m funding round for SDNsquare, a Belgian provider of network and storage solutions.
PAI reaches halfway line with €1.4bn first close
French private equity house PAI partners is understood to be halfway towards the hard-cap of its latest vehicle, PAI Europe VI.
Sweet deal: Bencis's Continental Candy acquires K&H
Bencis Capital Partners-backed Continental Candy Industries (CCI) has acquired Kraepelien & Holm (K&H), a Dutch manufacturer of liquorice and wine gums.
2013 buyouts: overall value stabilises around €75bn
The overall value of European private equity-backed buyouts has hovered around the тЌ75bn mark for the third year in a row, with last year's deals totalling тЌ74.7bn.
Apollo raises $17.5bn for Fund VIII
Apollo Global Management has bucked the trend of large-cap players downsizing their funds compared to pre-crisis efforts: the firm has amassed $17.5bn for its latest global vehicle after a little more than a year on the road.
Deal in focus: VC-backed Okapi sold to US biopharma Aratana
The sale of venture-backed Belgian biopharmaceutical company Okapi Sciences to listed US biopharma Aratana Therapeutics highlights the benefits that come from maintaining relationships with former fellow investors.
Seventure raises €62m towards new life sciences fund
French GP Seventure Partners has held a first close on тЌ62m for Health for Life Capital, a new vehicle with a тЌ120m target.
Gilde acquires Viroclinics
Gilde Healthcare Services has acquired a majority stake in Viroclinics Biosciences, a Netherlands-based virology contact research organisation (CRO).
Batman invests $1m in Robin
Orbys Ventures and Dutch entrepreneur Jan-Willem Tusveld have invested $1m in Robin Software, a Netherlands-based provider of e-commerce customer service software for SMEs, via the newly formed holding company Batman BV.
VC-backed Okapi acquired by US biopharma Aratana
Belgian biopharmaceutical company Okapi Sciences, backed by several venture capital firms, has been acquired by listed US biopharma Aratana Therapeutics for a total consideration of up to €33.3m.
Mutual understanding: Private equity and the UK government
PE and the State
VC-backed uniQure files $75m IPO
Dutch gene therapy company uniQure, backed by several venture capital firms, plans on raising up to $75m in its IPO on the Nasdaq.
Main Capital buys stake in Chainfood
Main Capital has acquired a stake in Dutch software firm Chainfood.
AAC backs Lubbers MBO
AAC Capital Benelux has acquired a majority stake in Lubbers Transport Group, a Dutch transport and logistics company for the oil and gas industry, as part of a management buyout.
Gimv and Cube to acquire VTB
Gimv and the Cube Infrastructure Fund are to wholly acquire Veolia Transport Belgium (VTB), the Belgian operations of France-headquartered Transdev Group.
IK's Vistra buys HVK
IK Investment Partners-backed Vistra Group has acquired the HVK Family Office Services (HVK FOS) division of Netherlands-based consultancy firm HVK.
Freenom raises $3m
Kima Ventures has led a $3m series-A round for Freenom, a Netherlands-based free domain name provider.
Deutsche Private Equity buys Zellbios from Ergon
Deutsche Private Equity (DPE) has acquired Luxembourg-based pharmaceuticals firm Zellbios from Ergon Capital Partners.