DACH
GERMANY - S-Refit sells DRONCO stake
S-Refit AG has sold its stake in abrasives company DRONCO AG to the wife of the firm's majority shareholder and CEO for an undisclosed sum.
EUROPE - BioMedPartners holds first close of second fund on CHF95m
BioMedPartners has held a first close of BioMedInvest II on CHF95m.
SWITZERLAND - Cross acquires Schwab Verkehrstechnik AG
Cross has acquired rolling stock technology company Schwab Verkehrstechnik AG from Schwab Holding AG for an undisclosed sum.
GERMANY - Alster Equity Partners and WMS back GEMAC MBO
Alster Equity Partners GmbH (AEP), alongside Wachstumsfonds Mittelstand Sachsen (WMS) and company management, acquired micro electronics company GEMAC Gesellschaft für Mikroelektronikanwendung Chemnitz mbH (GEMAC).
SWITZERLAND - HS LifeSciences launches QureInvest AG fund
HS LifeSciences has launched QureInvest AG fund, which will invest in biotech start-ups.
GERMANY - HTGF supports HiperScan GmbH with EUR 500,000
High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) has acquired a minority stake in near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) analytic company HiperScan GmbH for EUR 500,000.
GERMANY - K&L Gates opens in Frankfurt
K & L Gates has established its second office in Germany and the firm's 29th worldwide with the opening of a Frankfurt location, which includes the addition of partners Dr Mathias Schulze Steinen and Dr Frank Thomas.
GLOBAL - Blackstone to invest in South Korea
According to reports, Blackstone Group will open a unit in South Korea in January.
GERMANY - Private equity said to be interested in HeidelbergCement
According to reports, Goldman Sachs, TPG, Bain Capital and PAI partners are among several large buyout firms considering an investment in building materials company HeidelbergCement, which is said to be struggling with its debt after the takeover of British...
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.
SWITZERLAND/GERMANY - Ventizz boosts St Gallen team
Ventizz Capital Partners has hired Christian Sarwa as investment professional for its St Gallen-based team. This brings the group's combined headcount of its Duesseldorf and St Gallen offices to 13.
GERMANY - eCapital et al inject EUR 8.5m in Novaled
eCapital, TechnoStart, KfW and Tudag, Credit Agricole Private Equity, TechFund and CDC Innovation have injected EUR 8.5m into OLED company Novaled AG.
NORWAY/SWITZERLAND - Consortium invests EUR 10m in ReVolt Technology
NorthZone Ventures, SINTEF, SOFINNOVA Partners, TVM Capital, Verdane Capital, Viking Venture and new corporate venture investor RWE Innogy have raised EUR 10m for a B-round investment in ReVolt Technology.
GERMANY - HTGF partially exits InterMed Discovery
High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) has sold a significant part of its interest in natural product lead-discovery company InterMed Discovery GmbH to Malaysian Life Science company Biotropics Malaysia Berhad, achieving a high single-digit multiple.
DACH - Sal Oppenheim Private Equity Partners strengthens sales team
Sal Oppenheim Private Equity Partners, a merger of CAM Private Equity, VCM Capital Management and the alternative investment division of the Sal Oppenheim Group, has expanded its sales force with the addition of Jan Graf von Bassewitz and Sabine Rummel.
GERMANY - 3i to cut Frankfurt staff
According to reports, 3i has undertaken measures to cut staff in its Frankfurt office.
GLOBAL - Advent International promotes 18
Advent International has promoted 18 members of its global investment team.
GERMANY - Aheim acquires Remy & Geiser
Aheim Capital has acquired pharmaceutical packaging Remy & Geiser GmbH, together with the new CEO, Christoph Hanschke, and the existing management team, for an undisclosed sum.
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).
AUSTRIA - Global Equity Partners sells I&T GmbH
Global Equity Partners has sold its stake in automotive components I&T GmbH in a secondary management buyout for an undisclosed sum.
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.