CEE
GLOBAL - Bear Stearns acquires Macquarie arm
LSE-listed fund-of-funds Bear Stearns Private Equity (BSPEL) has offered A$115.5 for Macquarie Private Capital Group (MPCG), an ASX-listed private equity fund-of-funds.
RUSSIA - Great Europe Deep Value invests in Nord Timber
Great Europe Deep Value Fund together with a co-investor acquired, in a MBO/MBI, Nord Timber, a company consisting of two sawmills and the right to harvest forest land of 1m hectares. This investment was structured through a newco in Cyprus.
CEE - VCP increases its stake in FHB
Vienna Capital Partners has signed a forward agreement for 300,000 more shares of mortgage bank FHB, bringing its stake to 13.07%. The fund currently owns 6.5m FHB shares, equuivalent to a 9.86% stake. The transaction is conditional upon the approval...
CEE - BC Partners et al take a 51% stake in Migros
A consortium led by BC Partners has acquired 50.83% of Migros Turk, a supermarket chain listed on the Istanbul stock market. Koç Holding provided the debt for the transaction.
CEE - GIMV and KBC invest together in Russia
GIMV and KBC have entered a partnership agreement for private equity investments in Russia. They will set up a new company, Eagle Capital Partners, in which both partners will have an equal shareholding. They expect to invest around EUR 30m each over...
ITALY/CEE - Private Equity Partners launches in Poland
Italy-based Private Equity Partners (PEP) will begin operating in Poland with Private Equity Partners Polska, in co-operation with Miszerak & Associates.
Bowmark Capital Survey
UK lower mid-market defies the gloom
LATVIA - TeliaSonera challenges Blackstone’s Lattelecom bid
According to press reports, TeliaSonera yesterday challenged Blackstone’s bid for Lattelecom, the Latvian telecommunications company. Blackstone offered to acquire the business in September 2007 for $575m, but the new Latvian government (appointed after...
European LPs: optimism, naivety or realism?
Despite the recent credit crisis, there appears to be relative optimism among European LPs compared with their North American and Asian counterparts. Would the immaturity and naivety of the European private equity industry be the cause of this so called...
ESTONIA - Ambient Sound Investments invests $250,000 in EGeen
Ambient Sound Investments (ASI) had invested $250,000 in EGeen, an Estonian medical company.
CEE - ING appoints new director to CEE team
ING Leveraged Finance and Sponsor Coverage Business has hired David Ryba as a director of its CEE team. This addition takes ING's CEE team to five professionals.
CEE - GED acquires Plus GSM
Through its GED Eastern fund II for Eastern Europe, GED has acquired Plus GSM, a specialist in mobile telephone services.
CEE - Invest Equity buys Roltechnick
Invest Equity has acquired Roltechnick, a Czech sanitary company.
ESTONIA - Alta Capital Partners appoints two new partners
Alta Capital Partners has expanded its team with the addition of two new partners – Priit Põldoja, the current managing director of Hansapank Estonia, the Estonian arm of the leading Baltic banking group, and Patrick Querubin, previously the managing...
BALTICS - GILD Bankers plans to launch new EUR 50m fund
GILD Bankers is planning to launch a new private equity fund in Q2 2008 with a target of EUR 50m.
EUROPE - Investcorp Technology Fund exceeds target by $100m closing on $500m
Investcorp Technology Partners (ITP) has completed the fundraising for its latest vehicle Investcorp Technology Partners III (ITP Fund III) raising $500m. The final close exceeded the fund's initial target of $400m and beats the $300m raised for ITP Fund...
CEE - Advent International promotes Chris Mruck to managing partner
Advent International has promoted Chris Mruck to managing partner of its Central and Eastern European team in Prague.
EUROPE - Index closes first ventures growth fund on EUR 400m
Index Ventures has closed its latest fund Index Ventures Growth I LP on EUR 400m. The fund was formed to address the market opportunity created by the maturation of Europe’s start-up industry and the movement of traditional late-stage investors into...
The problem with sovereign wealth funds
Stuart Mills considers the impact of Sovereign Wealth Funds on the private equity market.
RUSSIA - Bessemer invests in Enforta
Bessemer Venture Partners has invested in Enforta, a Russian WIMAX network operator, in a $40m funding round.