France
FRANCE - Blackstone and Lion agree EUR 2.6bn Orangina sale
Blackstone and Lion Capital have agreed the sale of Orangina Schweppes Group to Suntory Holdings, in a deal valued at around EUR 2.6bn.
FRANCE - BC Partners looking to float Medica
BC Partners is thought to be preparing a floatation of home care portfolio company Medica, expected before the end of the year.
FRANCE - AXA PE abandon Avera pursuit
AXA Private Equity has pulled out of a possible deal to acquire state-backed Areva's power distribution unit.
FRANCE - Ventech and Auriga invest EUR 2m into BonitaSoft
Ventech and Auriga Partners have invested EUR 2m into software company BonitaSoft.
FRANCE - PAI offers investors to halve commitment
PAI Partners has offered to return up to 50% of undrawn commitments back to investors in its fifth fund, following the departure of chief executive Dominique Megret and his right hand man Bertrand Meunier, which triggered a key man clause.
FRANCE - AXA PE subscribes to Carbone Lorraine capital increase
AXA Private Equity has participated in a EUR 63m capital increase for portfolio company Carbone Lorraine, a graphic solutions company, maintaining its 16% interest in the business.
EUROPE - ML Capital launches alternative assets advisory service
ML Capital has today launched an alternative assets advisory and business solution service, dedicated to advising private equity and hedge fund managers on how to meet current market expectations.
EUROPE - Growth Capital to take the lead in 2010
In a market starved for debt, growth capital investments are in line to become the favoured deal type of 2010, as highlighted in Nordic editor Rikke Eckhoff's interview with Louis Elson, co-founder and managing partner of Palamon Capital Partners. See...
EUROPE – Specialist or generalist ?
"We will see a shift from local generalist funds to global sector specialists," said Simon Havers, BVCA chairman and managing director of Baird Capital Partners Europe. He was speaking at this morning's Capital Creation panel, which debated the future...
EUROPE – Remuneration a hot topic
A central theme this morning at the Capital Creation event was remuneration: As bankers worldwide prepare for their compensation packages to shrink, many in the private equity industry are championing maintaining the high levels of salary and bonus paid...
US/EUROPE - Oak Hill closes distressed debt fund on $1.13bn
Oak Hill Advisors has surpassed the firm's $750m target for its OHA Strategic Credit Fund, holding a final close on $1.125bn.
FRANCE - HIG to take over Molex
According to reports, HIG Capital is in talks to acquire US automotive company Molex's Villemur-sur-Tarn factory for a symbolic EUR 1, given certain performance guarantees from US parent Molex.
FRANCE - 123Venture boosts team with three hires
Fund-of-funds 123Venture has appointed two associate directors, Jean-Philippe Olivier and Antonio Graça; while Claire Iribarne has joined as financial controller.
GLOBAL - Campbell Lutyens appoints new partner
Placement agent Campbell Lutyens has appointed Richard Allsopp as partner.
GLOBAL - CVC Capital appoints two senior advisers
CVC Capital Partners has appointed Robert Jenkins and Jim Sutcliffe as senior advisers on the firm's global financial institutions advisory board.
FRANCE - Gimv backs Made In Design with EUR 4.5m
Private equity firm Gimv has backed online furniture retailer Made in Design in a first institutional financing round worth EUR 4.5m.
GLOBAL - GI Partners completes sale of assets in first fund
Private equity and real estate investor GI Partners has sold the last remaining asset in its first fund, a Frankfurt data center, to Equinix Holding BV for $28m.
EUROPE - DFJ Esprit holds first close of third venture fund on EUR 70m
DFJ Esprit has held the first close of it latest venure fund, DFJ Esprit III, on EUR 70m.
GLOBAL - KKR to delay launch of next buyout fund
Reports suggest that KKR is delaying the launch of its next buyout fund until next year, after having already invested 70% of its previous $17.6bn vehicle that closed in 2007.
FRANCE - Astorg to take stake in EUR 500m Gras Savoye
It is understood that Astorg Partners is in exclusive negotiations with insurance broker Gras Savoye regarding the acquisition of a minority stake in the business, in a deal that would value the business at EUR 500m.
EUROPE - 3i sells venture portfolio to Coller-, HarbourVest-backed Encore
Secondaries specialists Coller Capital and HarbourVest Partners have teamed up with venture house DFJ Esprit to acquire a £130m portfolio of venture assets from 3i. The portfolio will be managed by a new division of DFJ, Encore Ventures.
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.