France
FRANCE - EUR 2bn Converteam deal provides partial exit for BPE
According to reports, Barclays Private Equity (BPE) has completed a partial exit of power conversion engineering company Converteam in what is set to be the largest secondary buyout of the year, with a value of around EUR 2bn, backed by LBO France.
FRANCE - LBO France to divest Cegelec
According to reports, LBO France and the management team have entered exclusive negotiations with Qatari Diar after seeing around ten offers tabled for electrical engineering group Cegelec. The asking price is thought to be around EUR 1.7bn.
EUROPE - Lazard recruits Wouter Gabriels
Lazard has recruited Wouter Gabriels as managing director in investment banking in Europe.
SWITZERLAND/FRANCE – Argos Soditic divests food companies after one month
Argos Soditic has agreed to sell Roland Murten AG and Cansimag France SA to Swiss food company Cornu SA for an undisclosed amount. This follows just one month after Argos Soditic acquired the two businesses, together with a third company, Kägi Söhne...
GLOBAL - 3i Infrastructure raises fresh funds
Despite the current sombre economic backdrop, 3i Infrastructure has launched a £114.6m new share issue to increase its warchest for investing in global infrastructure assets. The firm is issuing just over 108 million new shares at a price of 106 pence...
EUROPE - Industri Kapital re-brands as IK Investment Partners
Industri Kapital has changed its name to IK Investment Partners (IK) to mark the evolution of the firm’s investment and geographic focus.
GLOBAL - TPG en route to closing record buyout fund
TPG Capital's latest fund is well on course to top Blackstone Group's record USD 21.7bn offering last year, reports suggest. The news comes just a day after it was reported that China's State Administration of Foreign Exchange has invested more than USD...
GLOBAL - China invests USD 2.5bn in TPG fund
China's State Administration of Foreign Exchange has agreed to invest more than USD 2.5bn in the latest TPG fund.
GLOBAL - LPs concern over GP strategy shift
According to a global barometer by Coller Capital, global LPs are worried about recent GP strategy shifts as the credit crisis continues to bite.
FRANCE – 21 Investimenti acquires 80% stake in Club Med Gym
21 Investimenti has acquired an 80% stake in Club Med Gym in a deal valued at EUR 74m.
GLOBAL - Bear Stearns private equity arm to spin out
Bear Stearns Merchant Banking, the private equity arm of investment bank Bear Stearns, is to spin out into an independent company.
GLOBAL – Lime Rock closes fifth fund on USD 1.4bn
Lime Rock has closed its fifth fund, Lime Rock Partners V LP, on USD 1.4bn. The fund will continue the firms focus on global growth capital opportunities in energy projects.
FRANCE - Financière Agache Private Equity takes 37% of Paprec
Financière Agache Private Equity, part of Groupe Arnault, has taken a 37.74% stake in recycling business Paprec for EUR 100m. The founder and CEO Jean-Luc Petithuguenin has rolled over a 38% holding through holding company JLPP.
EUROPE - Carlyle closes third European real estate fund on EUR 2.2bn
The Carlyle Group has closed its third European real estate fund, Carlyle Europe Real Estate Partners III (CEREP III), on EUR 2.2bn, exceeding its EUR 1.5bn target. Including leverage, the vehicle will have an investment capacity of EUR 9bn.
FRANCE - Avenir takes a 28% stake in Tiger Wok
Avenir Entreprises has taken a 28% shareholding in the Tiger Wok restaurant chain.
GLOBAL - Intel defies economic downturn
Despite the global credit meltdown and resultant sombre sentiment in the investment markets, Intel Capital has invested more than $60m across ten deals in the last couple of weeks.
FRANCE - AXA PE closes fourth fund on EUR 1.6bn
AXA Private Equity has closed its fourth fund, AXA LBO Fund IV,on EUR 1.6bn.
EUROPE – Björn Savén as executive chairman of Industri Kapital
Industri Kapital has appointed Björn Savén as executive chairman.
FRANCE - Demeter et al invest EUR 10m in The Le Floch Group
Demeter Partners, Ouest Croissance and CM-CIC have invested EUR 10m in waste management business The Le Floch Group.
FRANCE - Demeter Partners set to launch EUR 200m fund
Demeter Partners is set to launch its new EUR 200m fund Demeter 2. According to reports the new fund is set to be launched before the start of the summer and is expected to close before the end of 2008.
FRANCE - Weinberg Capital Partners takes majority stake in Groupe Amplitude
Weinberg Capital Partners has acquired a majority stake in hip and knee implant specialist Groupe Amplitude alongside the founders and original investor Initiative & Finance.
FRANCE - AtriA divests Rivard
AtriA Capital Partenaires has exited its holding in portfolio company Rivard, a provider of industrial cleaning machines, in a trade sale to Alamo Group Inc.