France
Flexstone appoints new head of secondary investments
Flexstone closed secondaries and co-investment-focused Select Opportunities II on €300m in July 2019
Market braces for 12.6% drop in valuations by Q2 – report
NAVs expected to drop for Q1, with a steeper mark-down for Q2 as the crisis take its toll
Kartesia buys International Cookware from Aurora Resurgence
Sale ends a six-year holding period for Aurora, which acquired the company from Arc International Group
Audacia exits burger restaurant chain PNY
French PE firm Audacia invested in burger restaurants operator Paris New York in 2013
Unquote Private Equity Podcast: Fund financing in a fix
The Unquote team looks at how PE managers are turning to fund financing in a bid to shore up their portfolios
Chequers Capital carves out EBC from Econocom
GP is currently investing its Chequers Capital XVII fund, which closed on €1.1bn in May 2017
Oaktree backs Asacha Media, creates TV production group
With support from Oaktree, Asacha is currently in negotiations to acquire additional production companies
Essling refocuses on co-invest and LBO, as co-founder departs
Michele Mezzarobba leaves the firm having co-founded it in 2017
Hold or exit: how the previous crisis affected holding periods
The slow period of economic recovery after the GFC resulted in prolonged holding periods, increasing gradually and reaching a peak in 2013
KKR expects lower valuations for its portfolios due to Covid-19
GP forecasts that emergency restrictions will challenge its ability to market new funds and strategies
EC launches €300m platform Escalar
In its pilot phase, Escalar will provide up to €300m, backed by the European Fund for Strategic Investments
Parquest, BPI France back JVS in OBO; Apax exits
Apax Partners, UI Gestion and the company's founders exit the investment
Crescent European Specialty Lending Fund II closes on €1.6bn
CESL II invests in a diversified portfolio of private secured debt issued by European companies
Secondaries players hold fire despite copious dry powder
Market is likely to pause until Q2 2020 valuations are released, potentially leading to a flurry in Q4
StepStone closes fourth secondaries fund on $2.1bn
SSOF IV's investment strategy focuses on the inefficient segments of the secondaries market
Q&A: Cambridge Associates' Featherby on PE's time to shine
Very few managers will have net benefited from this crisis, says Featherby, but PE could still showcase its ability to outperform
How private equity is helping fight the Covid-19 outbreak
A round-up of initiatives by GPs across Europe – and their portfolio companies – to help their communities
Eurazeo to set up €10m Covid-19 solidarity fund
GP wants to suspend its 2019 dividend, and senior execs will contribute 10% of their bonuses to the fund
Five Arrows to take Harvest private
Holdco plans to file a proposed public buyout offer with French regulator AMF at €90 per share
Insight Partners XI closes on $9.5bn
Fund deploys equity tickets in the $10-350m range in startups operating across the software industry
Welcome aboard: PE recruitment amid coronavirus
PE-focused recruiters and some GPs themselves are figuring out ways to progress recruitment processes, but challenges remain
VC, growth activity collapses in March amid Covid-19 outbreak
European VC and growth capital dealflow was no more sheltered than its buyout counterpart
Unquote Private Equity Podcast: Covid-19 special
The team gathers for its first remote podcast, discussing how the early stages of the outbreak have disrupted the European PE landscape
Investors in €50m series-C for Dynacure
Headquartered in Strasbourg, Dynacure is a clinical-stage drug development company