France
Ardian buys minority stake in Uptoo
Ardian will support the recruitment platform in completing strategic acquisitions
Revenue trumps earnings as PE mops up B2B SaaS firms
Private equity is helping to drive rapid consolidation in the B2B software-as-a-service market
PE-backed Briconord bolts on Mac Lean
France-based Briconord buys a Dutch peer, and the combined business should post €30m turnover
Future Positive holds first close for debut fund on $57m
Future Positive Capital was founded in 2017 by former Index Ventures executive Sofia Hmich
Seventure Partners invests €3.5m in Domain Therapeutics
Paris-based VC typically provides up to €20m per company, from early to late stage
White Star et al. back €8.9m series-B round for Destygo
Partech Venture, AccorHotels and airports operator ADP reinvest in chatbots developer
GP Profile: Partech Partners
Venture veteran Partech prepares to leverage its digital experience to take on the buyout world
Naxicap's Stelliant to buy GM Consultant
TGS, a subsidiary of Stelliant, will merge with insurance consulting firm GM Consultant
TA Associates' Solabia Group buys Algatech
TA has been a minority investor in natural active ingredients manufacturer Solabia since 2018
Elaia holds €65m close for PSL Innovation
Fund provides seed investments to AI development, deep-tech and deep learning startups
Investors inject €300m in Tikehau Capital Advisors
TCA forms part of the shareholding of France-headquartered asset manager Tikehau Capital
Sofinnova closes MD Start III Fund on €48m
MD Start, which is a group of three funds, was started by Sofinnova Partners in 2010
123 IM, Sigma Gestion back L'Usine
GPs acquire a majority stake, investing €4m in the France-based high-end gym operator, L'Usine
Entry multiples heating up further in Q1 – research
Average value for PE-backed transactions increased by nearly 15% versus Q4 2018, says Clearwater
Idinvest closes ISIA fund on €340m
ISIA, dedicated to the modernisation of production tools for SMEs, surpasses €300m target
IK-backed Questel acquires Brandstock
Following the transaction, the combined company will have sales of €150m and will employ 700 people
Unquote Private Equity Podcast: Sector selectors
Listen to the latest episode of the Unquote Private Equity Podcast, in which the team discusses sector specialisation strategies
Impact investment demand outstripping supply – research
LP demand is high but met with a lack of high-quality offerings, according to a Rede survey
PAI's sale of B&B Hotels to Goldman Sachs nears €2bn
Merchant Banking Division of Goldman Sachs to buy a majority in the French budget hotel chain
LSP et al. back $38.5m series-B for DNA Script
Illumina Ventures, M Ventures, Sofinnova, Kurma and Idinvest recommit to DNA Script
Oakley set to close fourth fund on €1.4bn hard-cap
Vehicle was registered in Luxembourg in September 2018 and held a first close earlier in the year
Unexo, BPI France, NCI, Nord Capital back Sofrino
France-based Sofrino manages the brand Sofrilog, a specialist in the storage of cold products
LGT closes Crown Co-investment Opportunities II on $1.3bn
Closed-ended vehicle that focuses on co-investments in Europe, the US and Asia, was oversubscribed
Andera, Omnes buy majority stake in Spherea
Company management and existing shareholders Ace and Irdi-Soridec Gestion reinvest in the business