CEE
RUSSIA – Aurora Russia hires Dan Collison Koch
Aurora Russia has hired Dan Collison Koch as a non-executive director.
CEE - Capexit acquires Bread & Co
Capexit has wholly acquired Serbian bakery chain Bread & Co.
EUROPE - Earlybird closes new fund on EUR 127m
Earlybird has held a final closing of its new fund Earlybird IV, with investors from Germany, the US, Asia and the Middle East committing EUR 127m towards the early-stage financing of young, innovative companies.
EUROPE - Apollo and Lazard join forces
US buyout house Apollo Management and investment bank Lazard have announced a strategic partnership for private equity in Europe.
GLOBAL - Private equity investments drop 40%
A new report published by International Financial Services London has revealed that private equity investments have declined by approximately 40% in the first half of 2008 compared to the corresponding period last year.
CEE – Mid Europa consolidates Polish healthcare market
Mid Europa-backed LUX MED has acquired Polish healthcare business Promedis.
EUROPE - RBS et al sell ABN assets for £156m
Reports suggest that Royal Bank of Scotland, alongside Fortis and Santander bank, has sold a portfolio of seven private equity assets controlled by ABN Amro to a consortium led by Goldman Sachs in a deal thought to be worth around £156m.
GLOBAL - Secondaries market set to grow as credit crunch squeezes returns
The private equity secondaries market could see strong growth in activity in 2008 in the wake of fears of underperformance in large buyout funds, with US private company exchange Nyppex estimating that total value could reach a record breaking USD 18bn...
CEE - Advent sells Axtone to IK
Advent International has sold rail freight buffer manufacturer Axtone to IK Investment Partners.
CEE - EI acquires 60% of Wema for EUR 46m
Enterprise Investors (EI) has acquired a 60% stake in Polish bathroom retailer and wholesaler Wema for EUR 46m.
ESTONIA - Baltcap exits IT training firm
Baltcap has sold its majority stake in IT Koolituskeskuse OÜ, a Baltic IT training firm, to AS MicroLink Eesti for an undisclosed sum.
GLOBAL - Blackstone forms cleantech group
The Blackstone Group has formed a cleantech group, which will both make investments and advise Blackstone portfolio companies on renewable energy strategies.
A Pipe Dream Or Reality?
Andrew Carpenter and Mike Hinchliffe of Addleshaw Goddard on why PIPEs may make a lot of sense
GLOBAL - Syndicate eyes up Rio Tinto Alcan division
A private equity syndicate comprising Eurazeo, Apollo, AXA Private Equity, TPG and la Caisse des Dépots are considering an offer for mining company Rio Tinto Alcan’s aeronautics and automotive unit, Alcan Engineered Products, which could value the...
LITHUANIA - Martinson Trigon exits Norby Networks
Martinson Trigon Venture Partners (MTVP) has sold networking company Nordby Networks to Baltnetos Komunikacijos for an undiscolosed sum.
CEE - Alnair increases its stake in Kazkommertsbank to 25%
Alnair Capital has increased its stake in Kazkommertsbank to 25.15% following approval from the Kazakh regulation authority. This comes two months after its purchase of an 8% stake in the Kazakh bank.
WORLD - Blackstone opens Beijing office
The Blackstone Group will open a representative office in Beijing and has appointed Shan Fu, a former official with various economic bodies within the Chinese government, as its chief representative.
LITHUANIA - Martinson Trigon sells MTV Networks Baltic
Martinson Trigon Venture Partners has announced the sale of UAB MTV Networks Baltic to the Israeli company Ananey Communications.