DACH
AUSTRIA - ATV up for sale
According to Austrian press reports private equity firms are expected to bid for Austrian Bank BAWAG PSK’s 43% stake in Austria’s only nationwide commercial broadcaster ATV. Following the acquisition of BAWAG in the beginning of 2007 by a consortium led...
EUROPE - EVCA stats show record 2006 fundraising and investment
Final figures for European private equity activity and performance were announced by EVCA today, confirming a booming buyout industry and continued UK dominance. The figures also showed something of a revival for European venture, with тЌ17bn allocated...
GERMANY - Alantos Pharmaceuticals sold to Amgen for $300m
Heidelberg Innovation, Earlybird and Forbion Capital Partners have exited their stakes in Alantos Pharmaceuticals Holding to US-based biotechnology company Amgen. Under the terms of the agreement, Amgen will pay $300m in cash to acquire Alantos.
GERMANY - Blue Lion receives multi-million financing
German mobile internet start-up Blue Lion mobile has closed a multi-million Euro financing round from Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments.
SWITZERLAND - Adveq establishes US presence
The Swiss fund-of-funds manager Adveq has announced it is to open an office in New York. A number of the firm's investment team will transfer from the Zurich office to New York, where they will be joined by two new members, Lee Gardella and Steven Yang....
GERMANY - Henderson sells Homann to IFR Capital
Henderson Private Equity has exited food manufacturer Homann through a sale to AIM-listed investment company IFR Capital. IFR has acquired 100% of the share capital of Homann, continuing its strategy of consolidation in the European retail food sector....
GERMANY - GMT buys construction information provider
GMT Communications Partners has acquired the construction information division from Springer Science + Business Media for an undisclosed amount. The financial investor currently owns Docu Group, another B2B information provider in the construction sector...
GERMANY - Bank of Ireland boosts Frankfurt team
Bank of Ireland has appointed Sebastian Osing and Jörg Tennemann to its Acquisition Finance team in Frankfurt. The new team members will focus on arranging funding opportunities in the German acquisition finance market. Osing joins from the M&A department...
AUSTRIA - Riverside exits PPC Insulators
The Riverside Company has sold insulators manufacturer PPC Insulators to the Italian Seves Group for an undisclosed amount. Following the transaction the Seves Group is expected to record revenues of more than EUR 400m.
GERMANY - 3i floats SFC Smart Fuel Cell
3i has floated its portfolio company SFC Smart Fuel Cell on the Prime Standard in Frankfurt. A total of 2,395,275 shares were placed at an issue price of EUR 37. The total placement comprises 1,317,990 shares from a capital increase and 726,073 shares...
AUSTRIA - New Segment at Vienna Stock Exchange
The Vienna Stock Exchange has announced it is launching a mid-market segment, designed specifically for smaller companies with lower financing requirements, as of mid-June. The mid-market will have two special features: firstly, it will enable companies...
GERMANY - GEKA Brush changes hands
In a secondary transaction Halder, alongside management, has acquired GEKA Brush GmbH from Equita Management for an undisclosed amount.
GERMANY - Transnorm changes hands
EQUITA has acquired the 80% stake of NORD Holding in Harsum-based Transnorm group for an undisclosed amount. The shareholding of the company’s management remains unchanged.
EUROPE - European venture performance takes off
The returns from European venture have never been better, with new performance figures now exceeding even the lofty heights seen in 2001. тThe GPs left in this space are the cream that has risen to the top,т says Charles Irving at Pond Ventures. тIt is...
GERMANY - AUCTUS acquires Abieta Chemie
AUCTUS Management has wholly acquired Abieta Chemie GmbH from Clariant Produkte Deutschland GmbH and Hercules GmbH. The transaction value has not been disclosed.
EUROPE - European venture performance takes off
The returns from European venture have never been better, with new performance figures now exceeding even the lofty heights seen in 2001. тThe GPs left in this space are the cream that has risen to the top,т says Charles Irving at Pond Ventures. тIt is...
GERMANY - TPG exits Freenet Stake to Vatas
TPG has sold its stake in German telecommunications provider freenet AG to a subsidiary of Berlin-based private investment firm VATAS for an undisclosed amount. TPG exited its 12.45% stake and at the same time TPG-Axon exited its 6.22% holding.
GERMANY - Palomon sells D.A.V.I.D. GmbH
Palomon Capital Partners has sold its stake in German software solutions provider D.A.V.I.D. GmbH to Silex Media GmbH for an undisclosed amount.
WORLD - Blackstone in $3bn Chinese coup
When Blackstone announced it was to list on the NYSE, it provoked much discussion, but few mused over its potential impact on Chinese-US relations. Unsuprisingly, no one foresaw China's announcement that it will invest $3bn of its $1.2 trillion foreign...
EUROPE - Private equity to take the stand
The Commons Treasury Select Committee in the UK has summoned five of Europe тs biggest private equity chiefs to attend a meeting on 20 June, which as been called a sort of тpublic hearingт in a report in todayтs Financial Times. The industry chiefs...
EUROPE - Bear Stearns joins iPEIT club
The Initiative for Private Equity Investment Trusts ( iPEIT ) now names Bear Stearns Private Equity Limited as one of its members, bringing the total number of PEITs under the umbrella organisation to 11. Bear Stearns is a listed fund of funds that...
GERMANY - Carlyle acquires real estate portfolio from Concordia
The Carlyle Group has acquired a portfolio of 19 properties from insurance group Concordia. The portfolio consists of assets distributed throughout Germany, with a total area of approximately 42,400 m2 which can be rented.
EUROPE - WINNERS ANNOUNCED for unquote" Central & Eastern European Awards
Unquoteт is delighted to announce the winners of the first ever awards for Central & Eastern European Private Equity, held last night at One Whitehall Place, London. The inaugural event, held in association with EBRD and sponsored by Clifford Chance,...
SWITZERLAND - BVgroup acquires Lonstroff Holding AG
BVgroup has backed a management buyout of Lonstroff Holding AG from 3i. The transaction value has not been disclosed, but BVgroup will take an 80% stake in the company with management holding the balance.