France
FRANCE - Siparex and FCPR lead EUR 6.5m Labellemontagne investment
Siparex and FCPR CERAE, the private equity arm of the Caisse d'Epargne Rhone-Alpes, have led a EUR 6.5m investment into ski station operator Labellemontage.
FRANCE - Apax-backed Financière Hélios granted further sauvegarde protection
Apax Partners-backed Financière Hélios, a holding vehicle that controls 43% of engineering company Séchilienne-Sidec, has been granted another month of protection by the Parisian courts under the 'sauvegarde' procedure.
FRANCE - Blackstone and Lion Capital to sell Orangina
Blackstone and Lion Capital have announced that they are in discussions with Japanese drinks company Suntory regarding the sale of soft drinks producer Orangina Schweppes.
FRANCE - Ventech strengthen team
Venture investor Ventech has appointed Karl Naegler as a general partner in the firm's life science division.
FRANCE - EPF invests EUR 8m into EMG
EPF Partners has invested EUR 8m into online marketing company Etoile Media Group, taking a minority share in the company. The transaction was supported by debt provided by Société Générale and HSBC.
GLOBAL - IPEV publishes updated valuations guidelines
The International Private Equity and Venture Capital Valuation (IPEV) Board published its updated version of the Private Equity Valuations Guidelines today. Significantly, the updated version highlights the importance of consistency with international...
GLOBAL - KPS tops up third fund by USD 800m
Turnaround specialist KPS Capital Partners has increased the size of its Fund III from its original USD 1.2bn to USD 2bn.
FRANCE - Investors discuss future of PAI fund
PAI partners' investors are meeting up today in Paris to discuss the future of the investment house. The meeting follows the departures of chief executive Dominique Mégret and executive committee member Bertrand Meunier which triggered the key-man clause...
FRANCE - Serena Capital purchases 30% of Selectron
Serena Capital has completed its first LBO deal with the acquisition of a 30% stake of Selectron, a company focused on train applications, from Schneider Electric.
FRANCE - Siparex invests in Canifrance
Siparex has invested an undisclosed amount in Canifrance, a producer of pet accessories, alongside Jean-Yves Tréanton and Pascale Meunier in an MBI deal.
GLOBAL - Advent International appoints three new partners
Advent International has hired three operating partners to advise the firm on investment opportunities in the technology and telecoms sector: Richard Atkins, Sergio Giacoletto and John Hughes.
EUROPE - Entertainment Capital Advisers launched
Premila Hoon, former global head of media and entertainment structured finance at Societe Generale, has co-founded Entertainment Capital Advisors (ECA), a specialist media and entertainment strategic and financial advisory firm.
FRANCE - EdRCP strengthen team
Edmond de Rothschild Capital Partners has hired Francois Pallier as a partner.
EUROPE/UK - OMERS appoints senior MD from 3i
OMERS Private Equity has appointed 3i's Mark Redman as senior managing director of Europe.
FRANCE - 123Venture back EUR 4m renewables investments
123Venture, alongside renewable energy business Frey Nouvelles Energies, has invested EUR 2.5m into Solar Mimizan, an integrated solar power plants constructor and operator, and EUR 1.5m into Mariagaz, a biogas power plants operator.
FRANCE – Auriga invests EUR 3m into Convertigo
Auriga Partners has provided Convertigo, an internet company, with EUR 3m in a first round of financing. The investment round took four months to complete.
FRANCE - AXA PE invests EUR 2m into Aviccia
AXA Private Equity has injected Aviccia, a solar turn-key company, with a EUR 2m investment.
FRANCE - Siparex invests EUR 1m into Groupe OZ
Siparex, via its funds Siparex Proximité 3 and Franche-Comté PME 3, has provided marketing business Groupe OZ, the parent company of TB Com' and its subsidiaries Galapagos and Aladin, with a EUR 1m investment.
FRANCE - Crédit Agricole PE backs EUR 450,000 Sens-Innov funding
Crédit Agricole Private Equity and Bretagne Jeunes Entreprises (BJE) have provided Sens-Innov, a diagnostics solutions company, with a EUR 450,000 investment.
Strange bedfellows
Not so long ago, corporates and private equity firms were arch rivals in many hotly contested auctions. Could the lack of liquidity in today's market, volatility and poor visibility encourage erstwhile contenders to consider joining forces?
Divesting distress
A recent legal case has revealed a renewed focus by French courts on vendor liability post-sale, which has strong implications for private equity firms looking to divest troublesome assets. Ashley Wassall reports