DACH
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. “The GPs left in this space are the cream that has risen to the top,” says Charles Irving at Pond Ventures. “It...
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. “The GPs left in this space are the cream that has risen to the top,” says Charles Irving at Pond Ventures. “It...
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 ’s biggest private equity chiefs to attend a meeting on 20 June, which as been called a sort of ‘public hearing’ in a report in today’s Financial Times. The industry...
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
Unquote” 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.
EUROPE - Carlyle in Euronext placing
The Carlyle Group is to place shares of its Guernsey-based affiliate Carlyle Capital Corporation on Euronext Amsterdam later this year, the buyout house said in a statement.
EUROPE - Male gender prevails in venture-backed companies
Around 95% of the CEOs in venture-backed companies across Europe are men, according to a study carried out by Library House. However, the data shows that companies run by women appear to perform ahead of their male peers. Out of 600 venture-backed companies...
WORLD - KKR cashes in with 44% of global deal volume
KKR has eclipsed its rivals so far this year, claiming a 44.1% share of global deal volume, over double its 20% share since the beginning of 2004. The value of these deals was more than it recorded in 2005 and 2006 combined. This includes the £10.1bn...
SWITZERLAND - Allianz acquires vending machine company Selecta
Allianz Capital Partners has beaten competition from Terra Firma to acquire vending machine business Selecta for £772.5m. The operator of 150,000 vending machines in 22 countries, Zug-based Selecta became part of London-listed food service company Compass...
GERMANY - Chrysler sold to Cerberus for EUR 5.5bn
DaimlerChrysler has agreed to sell its Chrysler division to US private equity firm Cerberus for EUR 5.5bn. Cerberus will take an 80.1% stake with Daimler retaining 19.9%. The transaction has been supported by American unions. In 1998 Daimler paid $35bn...
GERMANY – Earlybird invests in smava
Earlybird has led a EUR 4m financing round in German internet company smava. This represents Earlybird’s second investment from the next-generation fund Earlybird IV. Other investors committing to the round are business angels Lukasz Gadowski, Stefan...
SWITZERLAND - Advanced Power AG receives EUR 31.5m financing
3i together with members of the Advanced Power board have invested EUR 31.5m in Swiss company Advance Power AG. The company is active in the development of electricity generation plants in Europe and the US. It currently has 10 ongoing projects in different...
GERMANY - Halder exits PRÜM-GARANT Holding
Halder Beteiligungsberatung GmbH has sold PRÜM-GARANT to Swiss industrial company Looser Holding AG for an undisclosed amount. Halder acquired PRÜM-Türenwerk GmbH in August 2004, and merged the company with its other acquisition GARANT Türen- und...
GERMANY - ING expands its leveraged finance team
ING Wholesale Banking has made a further addition to the German division of its Leveraged Finance and Sponsor Coverage group based in Frankfurt with the appointment of Dr Heinz Staake as director. Staake joins from Bank of Scotland’s Frankfurt office,...
GERMANY - Latham & Watkins strengthens Munich office
Volkmar Bruckner has joined Latham & Watkins as partner in the Munich office. He joins from Dechert where he was responsible for both corporate/M&A and private equity activities.