DACH
UK/GERMANY - Merger of KPMG's UK and German firms
Subject to the approval of its partners, which is expected in early December, KPMG's UK and German firms will be merged to create KPMG Europe. This move will form the largest integrated accounting firm in Europe and is the first step of a wider merging...
GERMANY - Waterland acquires amusement arcade operator
Waterland Private Equity has backed the management buyout of Löwen Play, Germany’s second largest amusement arcade operator. The acquisition was made through Waterland Private Equity Fund III BV that closed on EUR 400m in April this year.
AUSTRIA - PONTIS Venture Partners leads financing round for Alumonte
Graz-based aluminium technology company Alumonte has received EUR 3.3m in a second financing round led by PONTIS Venture Partners. The Austria Wirtschafts Service and the Austrian Research Promotion Company(FFG) also participated in the deal.
GERMANY - Corporate restructurings to increase, says Alix Partners
Research has shown that Germany is set to be at the forefront of restructurings in Western Europe over the next 18 months. The recent survey by AlixPartners LLC revealed that over 50% of bankers, lawyers, fund managers and other industry experts expect...
GERMANY/SWEDEN – Benson Elliot appoints investment head Hansson
Private equity real estate firm Benson Elliot Capital Management has recruited Jan-Olof Hansson as an investment manager to direct German and Swedish operations.
GERMANY - Hellman & Friedman to off-load Springer shares
Hellman & Friedman has notified the management board of Axel Springer AG that it is considering a placement of approximately 10% of Axel Springer shares. A precondition for the placement will be a sufficiently attractive capital market environment. Springer...
AUSTRIA - Doughty Hanson sells IZD Tower to Matrix
Doughty Hanson & Co Real Estate has sold the IZD Tower in Vienna to Matrix Property Fund Management for EUR 247m. The building is a 30-storey landmark, comprising 63,400 square metres of office space with 1,250 underground parking spaces, adjacent to...
GERMANY - Wellington Partners to collaborate with KfW group
Wellington Partners has entered into a collaboration agreement with the KfW Banking Group to finance young companies within the framework of the ERP Start-Up Fund. As a Wellington Partners co-investor, KfW will provide up to EUR 3m per company. Wellington...
GERMANY - Investor consortium to take over renergys
A consortium of investors made up of Ramius Group, GermanCapital Morgan Stanley and Milan-based Sopaf, is to acquire renergys GmbH from venture fund GermanIncubator and a group of private investors. As part of the transaction the investors will provide...
GERMANY - GermanCapital takes stake in Alno AG
German Capital, alongside the Hellwig family, has made an offer of EUR 7.20 per share for a 45% stake in listed kitchen outfitter Alno AG. The investment will be made via Küchen Holding GmbH, a vehicle set up by German Capital. The offered share price...
GERMANY - Drillisch to bid for Mobilcom
Mobile network service provider Drillisch is likely to make a bid for Mobilcom, a company owned in part by Texas Pacific Group. The news appeared today in German newspaper Handelsblatt.
GERMANY / FRANCE - Quadriga acquires Coventya from Natexis
In a secondary transaction Quadriga Capital has acquired Coventya from Natexis Industrie. The deal is valued at more than EUR 100m, according to press reports.
GERMANY - TVM Capital exits TravelTainment to Amadeus
TVM Capital has exited its stake in TravelTainment, Aachen, to Amadeus, a global provider of travel and tourism solutions. TVM has backed the company since 2000, when it invested in a series-A financing alongside SWAN Private Equity and tbg. Amadeus was...
SWITZERLAND - Partners Group Secondary holds final close on EUR 1bn
Swiss-based alternative asset manager Partners Group has held a final close for its Partners Group Secondary Fund at EUR 1bn. Partners Group Secondary 2006 will make secondary investments in the US, Europe and Asia.
GERMANY - HBM BioVentures/ BioCapital leads series-C mtm investment
A consortium of investors has led a series-C financing of mtm laboratories. The round will enable the company to fund the clinical development and commercialisation of its proprietary diagnostic and screening devices in the field of cervical cancer. mtm...
GERMANY - Waterland Private Equity strengthens senior investment team
Waterland Private Equity has appointed Jörg Dreisow and David Zimmer to its senior investment team. The two men join as investment director and senior investment director respectively.
SWITZERLAND - MVM Life Sciences appoints Søren Mouritsen
MVM Life Science Partners LLP announced today that Dr Søren Mouritsen has been appointed as entrepreneur in residence. Mouritsen will be based near Zürich, which the investor considers to be one of the most promising biotech clusters in Europe.
GERMANY - BayBG invests EUR 30m in Mittelstand companies
BayBG Bayerische Beteiligungsgesellschaft has invested EUR 30m of hybrid capital in German Mittelstand companies via its programme 'Eigenkapital für den breiten Mittelstand' to date. The programme provides equity or mezzanine capital to companies in need...
GERMANY - Orlando Real Estate announces final close
Munich-based Orlando Real Estate GmbH has held a final close on its first fund, Special Situations Realty Partners I, on EUR 205m. The fund, which was launched in February 2006, has exceeded its initial target of EUR 150m and interest from investors was...
FRANCE/GERMANY- Astorg sells CIS to Ista International GmbH
CVC Capital Partners' portfolio company Ista International GmbH has acquired 100% of CIS from French GP Astorg Partners and the company's management.
SWITZERLAND - NGN Capital leads EUR 10m series-C for Santhera
Santhera Pharmaceuticals has raised EUR 10m in a series-C financing round, with the option of calling another EUR 5m. The oversubscribed funding round was led by NGN Capital, one of Santhera's largest current shareholders. New investors to the round include...
GERMANY - Aurelia Private Equity and business angels back JobTV24
Aurelia Private Equity, alongside business angels, has provided expansion funding to JobTV24 GmbH. Notable business angels investing alongside the private equity group include Dr Roland Metzger (founder of Jobpilot.de), Tim Schwenke and Daniel Wild (founders...
GERMANY - Polytechnos to differentiate fund strategy
Having raised two hybrid funds since 1998, PolyTechnos has decided to evolve from its hybrid fund strategy and offer separate dedicated ITC and Life Science investment vehicles for its third fund generation. This move, which has been taken by other European...