CEE
CEE - Penta is interested in Polish press kiosk chain Ruch
It is widely reported that Penta Group is considering making a bid for Ruch, a Polish press kiosk chain. The Polish Treasury, which sold a minority stake in the company last year, plans to sell a 50% stake plus one share.
RUSSIA - Lion Capital acquires Nidan
Lion Capital has reached an agreement with the shareholders of Nidan Soki to acquire the Russian branded juice business. The transaction, which is conditional upon regulatory approval, is expected to close in September. Nidan was advised by Troika Dialog,...
CEE - AIG Investments sells Jetfinance International to BNP Paribas
AIG Investments has sold JetFinance International, a Bulgarian specialised consumer finance company, to Cetelem, a subsidiary of BNP Paribas.
CEE - GED and Caja Madrid launch private equity real estate fund for South Eastern Europe
Spanish private equity company GED and Spanish saving bank Caja Madrid have set up GED Real Estate Eastern Investments (GED REEI) with initial capital of EUR 25m. The fund will invest in 10-15 projects with an investment amount of EUR 5m - 15m per project,...
RUSSIA - Aurora Russia acquires 26% stake in Unistream Bank
Aurora Russia Ltd has completed the second stage of investment in Unistream Bank , bringing its total shareholding in Unistream to 26%. Aurora Russia first invested in Unistream in April 2007, acquiring a 17.7% stake for $13.3m. Following approval from...
RUSSIA - Great Circle invests $21.1m in STS Logistics
Great Circle Fund has invested $21.1m in Moscow-based STS Logistics, a Russian freight forwarding, warehousing and customs services provider. The expansion deal represents the first investment of the $190m Great Circle Fund, which targets transportation,...
CEE - Quinlan Private sells Polish shopping centre for EUR 128m
Quinlan Private and the Borgestad Group have sold the Forum Shopping Centre in Gliwice, Poland to German real estate investment company Deka Immobilien for EUR 128m. Quinlan Private is a Dublin-based private equity and real estate group and Borgestad...
RUSSIA - Mint Capital invests $8m in Russian beauty salons chain Mone
Mint Capital has agreed to make an $8m direct equity investment in Russian hairdressing and beauty salons chain Mone. The deal gives the private equity house a more than blocking stake in the company. Two of Mint Capital's representatives will join Mone's...
CEE - Equest Investment Balkans acquires stake in Romanian electronics retail business
Equest Investment Balkans has acquired a 75% stake in Domo Retail S.A., a Romanian consumer electronics and household appliances retailer, through its 75% owned subsidiary Lynx Property B.V. A shareholders agreement will require Domo's founding shareholders...
CEE - 3TS invests in Romanian Romprest Services
3TS has acquired a 30% stake in Romprest Services SA, the Romanian cleaning and facilities management group. The investment was made from the 3TS Central European Fund II in which 3i is the sole investor.
CEE - Mid Europa Partners buys Medycyna Rodzinna from Enterprise
Mid Europa Partners has agreed to acquire up to 100% of Medycyna Rodzinna S.A. from Polish Enterprise Fund LP, the fund managed by Enterprise Investors, and several individual investors. The deal, expected to close in the second half of 2007, will be...
EUROPE - Balderton Capital invests in TvTrip.com
Balderton Capital has invested EUR 3.5m in TVtrip.com alongside Partech International. Balderton Capital was formerly known as Benchmark Capital Europe.
CEE - 3i appoints Andrzej Szostak to CEE buyout team
3i has appointed Andrzej Szostak to its Central and Eastern Europe buyout team, led by partner Stuart McMinnies. Szostak will be primarily based in Warsaw, with the remainder of his time divided between London and other parts of the CEE region. He will...
CEE - DBG acquires Tomplast
It is widely reported that DBG Eastern Europe, a Central and Eastern Europe focused private equity firm, has acquired 100% stake in Slovenian plastic components producer Tomplast. Mark Stemberger has led the MBI team that partnered with DBG in the transaction....
CEE - BAF acquires Bulgarian ice cream company Darko
It is reported in Bulgarian newspaper Dnevnik that Balkan Accession Fund (BAF) has acquired a majority stake in Bulgaria's second biggest ice cream producer Darko. Company owner Petar Tsvetkov will retain all managerial functions and a minority stake...
EUROPE - EVCA defends private equity at European Parliament Forum
At the European Parliamentтs Financial Services Forum last night, EVCA secretary general, Javier Echarri, strongly defended the role and wider function of Private Equity. тThose who demonise Private Equity should consider the law of unintended consequences...
EUROPE - EVCA changes address
EVCA (the European Private Equity & Venture Capital Association) moves to the centre of Brussels, close to the Parliament and Commission offices, at the end of this week. EVCAтs new address will be: Bastion Tower Place du Champ de Mars, 5 1050 BRUSSELS....
EUROPE - H1 buyout deal volume up in UK and France, down in Germany
Buyout deal volume in France and the UK in H1 2007 was up on the figures for both 2005 and 2006, although German volume has slowed this year against 06. According to preliminary data from Unquote"/Private Equity Insight, 102 deals have been completed...
EUROPE - No end in sight for large buyouts
тDeal sizes are increasing more quickly than fund sizes,т said John Barber, managing partner at Citi Private Equity at a luncheon today. Though more prevalent in the US than in Europe, the phenomenon should allow the record fundraisings to find suitable...
CEE - MCI Management invests in Geewa
MCI Management, a Polish-listed venture capital company has invested EUR 1.5m in Czech online games software developer Geewa.
GLOBAL - KKR to float
KKR is to follow in the steps of its rival Blackstone by floating on the New York Stock Exchange. KKR filed an initial public offering registration with the SEC on Tuesday and will seek to raise $1.25bn in new capital from the flotation. However, unlike...
CEE – Mid Europa buys Lux-Med from Cornerstone-led consortium
Dedicated Central European investor Mid Europa Partners has wholly acquired Polish healthcare provider Lux-Med from its incumbent backers, Cornerstone Partners, Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH and Accession Mezzanine Capital. The...
POLAND – Krokus acquires Transsystem
Krokus Private Equity has acquired a 70% stake in Polish technological transportation system manufacturer Transsystem. Founded in 1991, the company is based near Rzeszow and posted revenues last year of EUR 40m. As a result of the deal, Krokus will assume...
GLOBAL - GE chairman keeps the pressure on private equity
In comments to the UK press, Jeffrey Immelt, the chairman of GE, has added his voice to the sceptical chorus surrounding private equity in recent months. His argument is based on a critique of the industry that sounded like the idiots guide to a buyout...