France
AGF Private Equity takes 24% stake in ZEturf
AGF Private Equity has acquired a 24% stake in Maltese online betting company ZEturf, for an undisclosed amount.
Azulis Capital acquires Optimum from GMS Investissements
Azulis Capital has acquired French closet doors manufacturer Optimum from GMS Investissements.
Earlybird Venture Capital recruits Jason Whitmire
Earlybird Venture Capital has recruited Jason Whitmire as partner to expand the firmтs leadership team.
Carlyle buys B&B Hotels from Eurazeo
Eurazeo has entered into exclusive negotiations with Carlyle for the sale of hotels chain B&B Hotels.
Bridgepoint interested in Histoire d'Or
Bridgepoint is said to be in exclusive talks to acquire French jewellery retailer Histoire d'Or from Silverfleet Capital, according to reports.
Nokia Siemens looking for private equity support
Nokia Siemens is looking for a potential $1bn capital injection in exchange for a minority stake in the company, according to reports.
Lion Capital looking to sell Wagamama
Lion Capital is looking to divest its 88% stake in restaurants chain Wagamama, according to reports.
Emerging markets: Tapping into lucrative revenue streams
Emerging markets are increasingly becoming a source of high returns for private equity investors. With some not able to invest in companies domiciled in these regions because of their fund structure, some are looking to back companies in the developed...
Triton acquires Tyco Waterworks from Tyco
Triton has agreed to buy water equipment business Tyco Waterworks from the Tyco group for $245m.
Private equity munches on food sector
A recent string of deals and announcements show the food industry to be firmly back on the private equity investment agenda. Furthermore, the high valuations witnessed are in stark contrast with a recovering but still relatively modest buyout market....
Scottish Equity Partners hires Malcolm Thoms
Scottish Equity Partners has appointed Malcolm Thoms to its advisory board where he will bring knowledge from the energy sector.
Trilantic exit MW Brands in trade sale worth £566m
Trilantic Capital Partners has agreed to sell MW Brands to Thai Union Frozen Products in a deal worth ТЃ566m.
Report sparks debate over 'disappointing' returns
The debate over the ability of private equity funds to outperform public markets has been reignited, following claims by the Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation (CSFI) think tank. The CSFI says leverage buyouts produce тdisappointingт returns,...
Permira acquires eDreams from TA Associates
Permira has acquired a majority stake in the Spanish online travel agent eDreams in a deal valued between тЌ250-300m.
Bank stress tests: Private equity puts faith in finance
Despite much hype, the European Unionтs bank stress tests, published at the end of last week, were something of a non-event. With just a handful of banks failing the test, Europeтs banking institutions can perhaps be more confident in their business models...
Firms will not pay too much despite pressure on funds
Half of private equity professionals say they are under pressure to deploy funds, but say they will not acquire assets at multiples higher than the industry average, according to Grant Thornton.
FSI et al. invest €40m in Cerenis Therapeutics
The Fund for Strategic Investment (FSI) and existing investors have provided French biopharma Cerenis Therapeutics with a тЌ40m series-C round of funding.
Riverside acquires Celvitae to boost Crioestaminal
The Riverside Company has acquired Spanish private cord blood bank Celvitae BiomУЉdica S.A. which will join its portfolio company Crioestaminal.
Demeter et al. inject €4.5m in Semco Engineering
Demeter Partners and Soridec have invested тЌ4.5m in French alternative energy specialist Semco Engineering.
European buyout value quadruples in 2010
The value of European buyouts has quadrupled in the first half of 2010, according to the latest unquoteт Private Equity Barometer.
Lion Capital to acquire Picard Surgelés for €1.5bn
Lion Capital is set to acquire frozen food retailer Picard SurgelУЉs from BC Partners, according to Les Echos.
Yellow&Blue et al. inject €4.5m in Tri-O-Gen
Yellow&Blue Investment Management has led a тЌ4.5m funding round for Dutch energy production specialist Tri-O-Gen.
Longbow leads £1.7m Ambicare funding
Longbow Capital has led a ТЃ1.7m funding round in medical devices firm Ambicare Health.
The Carlyle Group acquires Companeo
The Carlyle Group will acquire a majority stake in B2B online lead generator Companeo SA.