France
French SBO boom: no end in sight?
France’s booming buyout market is being fuelled by a glut of SBOs. However, more primary deal activity will be needed to maintain the market’s momentum. Greg Gille reports
Duke Street considers Biomnis exit
Mid-market GP Duke Street has appointed Crédit Suisse to review options - including a potential sale - for French medical analysis business Biomnis, according to a spokesperson.
Rethinking LP funds
Alternatives to LP funds, such as listed private equity and deal-by-deal, are all gaining in popularity as their merits become more obvious in today's backdrop. Kimberly Romaine reports
Argos Soditic appoints new analyst
French mid-cap firm Argos Soditic has hired Guillaume Lefebvre as an analyst, and promoted Jérémie Falzone to investment manager.
France Télécom and Publicis team up with Iris
French companies France Télécom and Publicis have partnered with VC firm Iris Capital Management to set up a €300m corporate venture initiative.
France unquote" March 2012
With a whopping 51% of all buyouts being sourced from other private equity houses, according to unquote” data, 2011 clearly was the year of the SBO in France. This figure trumps the previous year’s record high of 37% – gone are the days when SBOs accounted...
Nord Capital and Turenne back Kap Verre MBI
Nord Capital Partenaires, Turenne Capital and Alliance Entreprendre have backed the management buy-in of French glass specialist Kap Verre from its co-founders.
Colony Capital completes PSG exit
Colony Capital has sold its remaining 30% stake in French football club Paris St Germain (PSG) to Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) in a deal that reportedly values the club at €100m.
Alven et al. in $5m round for Commerce Guys
Alven Capital and Open Ocean Capital have joined existing investor ISAI in a $5m round of funding for French e-commerce solutions provider Commerce Guys.
KKR near final exit from Legrand
KKR has sold a further 12.7 million shares in listed French electrical equipment group Legrand, according to reports.
Creative industries perceived as risky business
Unquoteт data reveals that the volume of investments in the creative industries has fallen while their value has risen. Investor risk aversion amidst economic volatility could be behind the fall in volume in a sector commonly perceived as risky business,...
French mid-market continues steady climb
French mid-market buyouts staged a startling recovery last year, confirming that the 2010 uptick wasn’t a fluke – but can they keep climbing back to historical levels in the face of a tough environment? Greg Gille reports
Swiss tax treaties could open doors for further crackdowns
Sweden is the latest European country to sign a Rubik tax treaty with Switzerland. Sonnie Ehrendal reports
Regional investors vital for economic recovery
Regional devolution has been favoured by some private equity firms as a means of boosting dealflow. However, despite the merits of a regional presence, unquoteт data reveals that investments backed by regional players has fallen since 2005. Perhaps though,...
Spanish bolt-on for Alven's JolieBox
French online cosmetics retailer JolieBox, backed by Alven Capital, has acquired Spanish competitor Glamourum.
Fondations buys Buffet Crampon from Argos Soditic
Fondations Capital has entered exclusive negotiations to acquire French musical instruments maker Buffet Crampon from Argos Soditic.
VC-backed Deezer looking to raise €100m
French music streaming website Deezer is looking to raise a further €100m of funding, according to media reports.
Sweden tops EC innovation despite incomplete eco-chain
Sweden has ranked highest in the European Innovation Union Scoreboard, but one industry professional has expressed his surprise at this success due to an тobvious lack in strategy for innovationт and тa terrible taxing system for entrepreneursт. Amy King...
Chequers and Abenex looking to exit Salins
Chequers Capital and Abénex Capital have hired Lazard to manage the sale of French salt producer Salins International, according to media reports.
Stehlin & Associés appoints two partners
French law firm Stehlin & Associés has promoted Svetlana Tokoucheva and Cyrille Boillot as partners in its corporate/M&A department.
BC European Capital IX closes at €6.5bn hard-cap
BC Partners has closed its ninth European Capital fund at the vehicle's тЌ6.5bn hard-cap.
EU leaders call for pan-European VC regime
Ahead of a summit on 1st March, David Cameron has joined 11 other EU leaders in a letter calling for the EU's economic policies to shift their focus from tough austerity cuts to growth-stimulating measures.
NiXEN's Babeau Seguin makes first bolt-on
NiXEN's portfolio company, French home construction group Babeau Seguin, has acquired competitor Maisons et Jardins.
PE-backed EOS Imaging in €120m IPO
French medical devices business EOS Imaging, a portfolio company of Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners (EdRIP) and NBGI Ventures among other investors, has listed on NYSE Euronext.