France
EUROPE - Baird bolsters business services team
Baird has strengthened its investment banking advisory business with the hire of Jonathan Harrison as a director within its European business services sector team.
FRANCE - Blackstone appoints Errera as special adviser
The Blackstone Group has appointed former ambassador Gérard Errera as a special adviser.
FRANCE - TowerBrook to take over Autodistribution in French "pre-pack"
According to reports, UK-based private equity group TowerBrook Capital Partners is planning to take ownership of French auto supplier Autodistribution in a restructuring deal.
UK/ITALY - Candover writes off Ferretti investment
Candover is opting out of the restructuring of portfolio company Ferretti, an Italian yacht manufacturer, completely writing off its investment in the business.
FRANCE - Returning investors Banexi et al back Cleor with EUR 2.5m
Existing investors Banexi Capital Partners, BNP Paribas and Capzanine has completed EUR 2.5m round of financing for Cleor Boucle, a jewellery distributor.
SICAR amendments are good news for GPs
In October 2008, Luxembourg's dedicated regime for private equity funds was updated. The possibility to create subfunds and the significant enhancement of the Luxembourg Limited Partnership are the two key innovations
EUROPE - Commission holds hearing on PE regulation
The EU Commission is today in Brussels holding its hearing into private equity regulation and conduct in Europe, in what should be a significant step towards a conclusion of the long running political debate. Prior to the conference, an industry "task...
GLOBAL - Lehman sells venture capital arm
Lehman Brothers has fully divested its US-based venture capital arm Lehman Brothers Venture Partners through a sale to the current management team, backed by HarbourVest Partners.
FRANCE - Qualcomm provides further EUR 4m for Inside Contactless
Qualcomm Ventures has invested a further EUR 4m into semiconductor company Inside Contactless, bringing the third round of investment to a total of nearly EUR 32m.
FRANCE - ICSO PE backs Leyio with EUR 1.5m
ICSO Private Equity and IRDI have provided Leyio with EUR 1.5m in a first round of financing.
GLOBAL - GIC and Future Fund acquire 7.7% of Apax
Apax Partners has sold nearly 8% of it its management company and future carried interest to GIC Special Investments and Future Funds, two Asian-Pacific investors.
FRANCE - Pragma leads Leyton & Associés SBO
Pragma Capital has acquired a majority stake in consultancy Leyton & Associés as part of a EUR 130m secondary management buyout of the firm from iXEN Partners and Capzanine, with listed Belgian investor Gimv co-investing and taking a minority interest....
EUROPE – 3i Group acquires 3i Quoted
3i Quoted Private Equity today agreed to be acquired by 3i Group in a deal that values 3i QPEP at ТЃ355.2m. The acquisition will be effected through a solvent liquidation of QPEP, allowing 3i to acquire the 55% stake in 3i QPEP it did not already own....
EUROPE - 3i sells stake in Infrastructure
Listed private equity firm 3i has reduced its stake in its infrastructure fund to a third after selling 77 million shares. The placing raised ТЃ61m towards the ТЃ2bn debt pile the investor has accrued; half of which is due in the next three years.
EUROPE - Debt-free deals see sharp rise in Q4
According to unquote" data, more than a quarter of the 237 buyouts completed across Europe in the last three months of 2008 contained no acquisition leverage, while in the beleaguered UK a staggering 40% of Q4 buyouts were all-equity deals.
FRANCE - Creathor Venture invest in Mobiles Republic
Creathor Venture has invested an undisclosed sum into mobile internet start-up Mobiles Republic in a first round of financing.
FRANCE/US - AGF, Balderton and Partech invest $9m into TVtrip
New investors AGF Private Equity and historic backers Balderton Capital and Partech International have invested $9m into TVtrip.com, an online hotel viewing site, in a second round of financing.
EUROPE - Candover downsizes fund
UK buyout house Candover has become to latest large-cap investor group to succumb to the pressures facing firms at the top of the market by announcing a reduction in the size of its latest fund.
FRANCE/US - CAPE leads $8m Bizanga funding
Crédit Agricole Private Equity has led an $8m investment into US-based software company Bizanga, alongside returning investor Galileo Partners.
FRANCE/SPAIN - Elaia and Necotec form alliance
French venture capital firm Elaia Partners has formed a strategic partnership with Neotec Capital Riesgo, a Spanish investment fund that focuses on the technology sector through investments into Spanish and European venture capital funds.
FRANCE - CAPE and Alven back MonShowRoom with EUR 4.3m
Crédit Agricole Private Equity (CAPE) and Alven Capital have invested EUR 4.3m into online retail company MonShowRoom.com in a second round of financing.
EUROPE – Activist shareholder mulls 3i QPE takeover
AIM-listed investment group Crystal Amber has taken a stake in 3i's Quoted Private Equity and is reported to be in talks with management and 3i regarding delisting the fund.
UK/EUROPE - BNP Paribas and Northern Lights to partner
According to reports, BNP Paribas Investment Partners is to announce a strategic partnership with US-based Northern Lights Ventures, a private equity firm focused on the institutional asset management industry.
GLOBAL - KKR appoints Donohue as managing director
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts has announced that Suzanne Donohoe will join the firm's global capital and asset management group as managing director and global head of the client and partner group.