DACH
EUROPE - EVCA reports 2005 a record year for private equity
EVCA has announced the final fundraising, investment and divestment figures for European private equity in 2005 at its annual Symposium in Monte-Carlo. The annual figures show records for all three stages of activity in the industry. After three years...
GERMANY - Carlyle Group invests in Global Media
The Carlyle Group has obtained a significant minority stake in Global Media GmbH, a web marketing company. The firm delivers a range of online services including search engine optimisation, key word advertising and online media planning.
GERMANY - Capvis acquires 52% in listed kitchenwares producer
Capvis Equity Partners has acquired a 52% stake in DAX-listed WMF AG. The company is a supplier of kitchen- and tableware. Capvis paid EUR 19.05 per share for stakes held by Deutsche Bank AG, Münchener Rückversicherungs-Gesellschaft AG and Württembergische...
GERMANY - inge AG receives fresh funds
A syndicate of investors has supplied EUR 6m in growth financing to Clean Technology company inge AG. Siemens Venture Capital, SAM Strategic Asset Management, Stone Fund N.V. and strategic investor Taprogge Watertech GmbH all participated in the round....
GERMANY - KKR sells mannesmann plastics machinery
KKR and Siemens have agreed to sell Munich-based mannesmann plastics machinery to Madison Capital Partners. US-based Madison, together with the company's management, will purchase 100% of the shares in the world's largest plastics and rubber processing...
GERMANY - Deutsche Telekom could bid for BT
According to a report published in the FT today Deutsche Telekom, in which The Blackstone Group recently acquired a minority stake, might consider an offer for British Telecom.
GERMANY - BMG auction to attract private equity
Bertelsmann has announced that it will put its BMG Music Publishing unit up for auction and hopes to receive upwards of EUR 1.5bn.
GERMANY - Q-Cells nominated World Entrenpreneur of the Year
Reiner Lemoine and Anton Milner, who founded Q-Cells in 1999, will be representing Germany in the World Entrepreneur of the Year awards run by Ernst & Young in Monte Carlo. The maker of photovoltaic cells currently employs a staff of more than 700 in...
GERMANY - U3 Pharma raises EUR 27m in third round
The translational medicine-focused oncology company, U3 Pharma AG has raised EUR 27m in its third financing round, led by Life Sciences Partners (LSP) as well as existing investors. The funding will be used to accelerate the further development of antibody-based...
GERMANY - VTC acquires Soudronic Automotive
Munich based investor VTC Industrieholding GmbH has announced the acquisition of the shares of Soudronic Automotive AG from Capvis and Gilde. Soudronic Automotive is based in Neftenbach, Switzerland and makes annual sales of approximately CHF 60m. It...
GERMANY - capiton announces latest divestment
capiton has announced a further divestment following its exit from Hettich in January this year. The financial investor has sold its stake in Essener Hochdruck Rohrleitungsbau (EHR) to Bilfinger Berger AG.
GERMANY - Warburg Pincus in renewables double
Funds advised by Warburg Pincus have acquired Vital Fettrecycling GmbH & Co. KG, along with its subsidiary Petrotec GmbH. Vital is active in the disposal and recycling of meat fats, whilst Petrotec produces biodiesel. The vendors, Ulrike Petershagen and...
GERMANY - Advent acquires RWE Solutions Gruppe
Advent International has taken over RWE Solutions Gruppe from RWE Energy. The group consists of SAG, Nukem, RWE Industrie-Loesungen, RWE Space Solar Power and Lahmeyer International. The group is engaged in energy provision and assoiated applications....
SWITZERLAND - Candover acquires EurotaxGlass's for EUR 480m
Candover has acquired EurotaxGlass’s (ETG) from HM Capital Partners LLC for an enterprise value of EUR 480m, which includes an undisclosed cash element.
GERMANY - Caledonia leads MBO of Tractebel Gas Engineering GmbH
Caledonia Investments Plc has committed to provide Euro 18m to back the MBO of Tractebel Gas Engineering GmbH (TGE) from Tractebel Engineering, a member of the Suez Group.
GERMANY - Coca-Cola acquires Blackstone-backed Apollonaris
It was announced last week that Coca-Cola had bought Apollonaris, a German mineral water bottler, from its private equity backers. The Blackstone Group and Lion Capital bought Apollinaris earlier this year as part of the EUR 1.85bn deal for Cadbury Schweppes’...
AUSTRIA - Zumtobel lists 95% of stock on Wiener Boerse
Vorarlberg-based lighting producer Zumtobel has listed on the Viennese Stock Exchange at a price of EUR 20.49 per share.
EUROPE - Apax Partners publishes report on the future of private equity
Apax Partners, together with the Economist Intelligence Unit, has produced a report on the future of private equity. This follows a 2002 report in which it accurately predicted deal sizes increasing significantly and liquidity improving.
GERMANY - CBCM boosts corporate finance team
Commerzbank Corporates and Markets has appointed Rolf Betz as co-head of ECM and M&A. Betz joins Commerzbank following three years with DVB Bank AG, where he was a member of the board of managing directors, with responsibility for the bank's corporate...
GERMANY - Nordsee sees return of private equity cash
Jersey-based ACP Capital has acquired an approximate 12% stake in Kamps Food Retail Investments, a holding company owned by German food and drink entrepreneur Heiner Kamps. The investment will assist Kamps in raising his majority stake in fish restaurant...
GERMANY - Towerbrook Capital Partners acquires Fine Chemicals
Towerbrook Capital Partners LP has backed the buyout of Clariant's Fine Chemicals business. The value of the transaction is approximately EUR 70m.
GERMANY - Texas Pacific Group defends Grohe PR disaster
In a dinner speech at the Handesblatt Private Equity Conference, Frankfurt on 9 May, Andrew Dechet of Texas Pacific Group justified the investor's much criticised restructuring of the beleaguered Grohe. Dechet, from the US, delivered his speech in German,...
UK/GERMANY - Commerzbank strengthens leveraged finance unit
Commerzbank Corporates and Markets (CBCM) has today announced five new appointments to its leveraged finance group in London and Frankfurt.
GERMANY - Peter Schwanitz appointed managing director of VCM.
Peter Schwanitz, has been appointed as managing director of VCM Capital Management, Germany’s longest-established fund-of-funds management group for venture capital, mezzanine and buyout investments. He will be responsible for the group’s buyout segment,...