France
Montefiore backs Groupe Premium
GP buys a 70% stake in insurance business Groupe Premium, investing alongside management
Lone Star backs €1bn carve-out of Imerys tiles division
Deal, the GP's third since 2016 in the building materials sector, is valued at 9x EBITDA
Carlyle in exclusivity for HGH Infrared Systems
GP is to draw equity from its €656m European technology fund to acquire the infrared systems company
IK backs Domia Group in SBO
Sale ends a five-year holding period for Metric, which bought the company in May 2013
Activa's Mecadaq acquires US-based Hirschler Manufacturing
Mecadaq gets additional funding injection from Activa to buy the hard-metal machining business
GA leads $60m series-B for OpenClassrooms
Existing investors Alven Capital, Citizen Capital and BPI France are also taking part
French fundraising on course for bumper year
Country has seen funds closing with a combined €6bn in commitments in Q1, more than half the total seen in 2017 as a whole
Turenne Capital announces raft of hires
French GP hires an investment director, two analysts and two chargés d'affaires
Draper Esprit leads $29m series-B for Aircall
Call centre software developer will make senior appointments in its US- and Europe-based teams
Idinvest holds €715m final close for Private Debt IV
Idinvest Private Debt IV surpasses its initial target of €600m and is already deployed at 60%
Alliance of equals: PE's evolving buy-and-build approach
Portfolio companies are increasingly making larger bolt-ons, as GPs look for new ways to boost returns in a market with high entry multiples
France Fundraising Report 2018
The first quarter of 2018 has set the tone for what is likely to be a busy year for fundraising in the region
BPI France et al. in €7m round for Welcome to the Jungle
Latest funding round follows on from a first held in January 2017, when the firm raised €2m
BNP Paribas Développement, BPI France sell Algonquin
Schroders wholly acquires Algonquin, a French equity investor and hotel operator with €1.8bn AUM
Five Arrows Direct Lending closes on €655m
Rothschild Merchant Banking's direct lending fund for mid-market firms exceeds its €400m target
Bridgepoint preps for first credit fund launch
Firm's first debt vehicle will invest in Bridgepoint's own deals as well as third-party ones
Ardian nets $800m for US infrastructure fund
Fundraising was completed in less than six months, according to Ardian
Carvest backs MBO of consultancy Algoé
GP Carvest, the PE arm of Crédit Agricole's regional branches, takes over from CIC
Elaia Partners et al. in €4.5m round for Uwinloc
Backing will help the French provider of asset location products to expand internationally
Alliance Ventures et al. invest €10m in Kalray
French microprocessors developer Kalray received €23.6m in funding in 2017
LBO France, LFPI sell underwear retailer Eminence to trade
Delta Galil Industries, with more than $1bn in revenues, buys French underwear specialist Eminence
Ardian's Solina bolts on Essential Cuisine
Deal is the second UK bolt-on acquisition for the France-based food products company
Activa Capital backs spa operator Be Relax
Capital increase of €20m will help the French spa operator open new facilities globally
LBO France launches new Digital Health 2 fund
Venture fund, with a €150m target, will invest in European medical technology startups
