CEE
EUROPE - BioMedPartners holds first close of second fund on CHF95m
BioMedPartners has held a first close of BioMedInvest II on CHF95m.
GLOBAL - Blackstone to invest in South Korea
According to reports, Blackstone Group will open a unit in South Korea in January.
EUROPE - Unigestion to raise two funds in 2009
According to reports, Geneva-based Unigestion will raise two new funds in 2009: a secondaries fund targeting EUR 150m, and a sustainable development vehicle with a USD 250m target.
GLOBAL - Advent International promotes 18
Advent International has promoted 18 members of its global investment team.
EUROPE - Credit Suisse sets up restructuring advisory division
It is understood that Credit Suisse has established a new division to provide restructuring advice to companies and private equity firms in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
CEE – ARX names new team member
CEE-dedicated buyout house ARX Equity Partners has appointed David Marek to the position of partner focusing on the Czech and Slovak markets.
EUROPE - Value of buyouts plunges to five year low
The value of private equity-backed acquisitions across Europe fell to a five-year low in 2008 amidst continuing illiquidity in the debt markets and a worsening macroeconomic climate, dropping by 61% from 2007's record high of more than EUR 184bn to EUR...
EUROPE - Balderton holds $430m first closing of fourth fund
Balderton Capital has held the first close of its new $500m vehicle, Balderton IV, on $430m.
CEE - EBRD to commit EUR 50m into regional mezz fund
EBRD is to invest up to EUR 50m into Accession Mezzanine Capital III, a vehicle managed by Mezzanine Management Central Europe that focuses on Central and Eastern Europe and has a target size of EUR 350m.
CEE - EBRD considers EUR 40m commitment to 3TS CEE Fund III
The EBRD is studying the possibility of investing up to EUR 40m, but not exceeding 20% of total aggregate commitments, in 3TS CEE Fund III, a regional private equity fund with a target size of EUR 200m.
GLOBAL - LBPE agrees to buy back more shares
Lehman Brothers Private Equity Partners has amended the liquidition enhancement agreement from July 2008 to raise the amount of shares it can buy back.
GLOBAL - Secondaries pricing dips to five year low
Pricing of limited partnership interests on the secondaries market dipped to its lowest level for five years in H2 2008, with the average high bid falling to just 61% of NAV according to the Winter 2008 Secondary Pricing Analysis Interim Update , produced...
EUROPE - Shearman & Sterling promotes 12 to counsel
International law firm Shearman & Sterling has promoted 11 lawyers to counsel and one to European counsel.
Permira's plight
Permira is letting its investors scale back. Reactions are mixed
EUROPE – EIF’s Meyer seconded to EVCA
The European Investment Fund (EIF), Europe's largest venture fund investor, has seconded Thomas Meyer to the EVCA for a period of three years, commencing in January.
NORDIC/CEE - GILD launches EUR 50m second fund
Estonia-based investment bank GILD Bankers has launched its second private equity fund, GILD Long Haul II, with a target of EUR 50m.
EUROPE - LODH holds second closing of Euro Choice IV on EUR 409m
LODH Private Equity has reached the second closing of Euro Choice IV and its related investment vehicles on EUR 409m. The final closing is scheduled for 27 February 2009.
CIS - Generali interested in Ingosstrackh
Reports suggest that Russian insurer Ingosstrackh's owner Oleg Deripaska could sell the majority of his 60% stake in the company to Italian group Assicurazioni Generali SpA.
CIS - East Capital sells its 10% stake in Severnaya Kazna
East Capital Financials Fund has sold its 10% stake in Yekaterinburg-based Severnaya Kazna to the bank's new majority shareholder, Alfa-Bank, Russia, for EUR 27m.
CEE - Enterprise Investors backs Dystrybucja Polska
Enterprise Investors has acquired a 30% stake in non-addressed mail distributor Dystrybucja Polska (Polish Distribution) in a deal valued at PLN 6m (approx. EUR 1.5m).
CEE - Bancroft completes Frost acquisition
Bancroft Private Equity has acquired a 94.36% stake in Slovakia-based ice cream producer Frost.
CEE - Mid Europa Partners increases stake in Falcon Group
Mid Europa Partners has completed the acquisition of an additional stake in Falcon Group from Lehman Brothers, taking its ownership in the business to 74.6%.