Nordics
SWEDEN - Gartner names VC-backed PacketFront as 'Cool Vendor'
PacketFront has been included in the list of "Cool Vendors" in the "Cool Vendors in Carrier Network Infrastructure 2006" report by Peter Kjeldsen et al of Gartner Inc. The vendors highlighted in this report are 'pragmatic innovators'.
SWEDEN - QuNano secures SEK 45m funding
Lund-based QuNano AB has received SEK 45m in series-A financing from Provider Venture Partners and Teknoinvest. In 2005, the company secured seed capital from Teknoinvest.
NORWAY - Northzone realises EUR 45m in NextGenTel exit
TeliaSonera AB has acquired 82.3 % of Norwegian broadband provider NextGenTel Holding ASA from Northzone, Geocapital, and the other major shareholders. The offer implies a total value for the entire fully diluted issued share capital of NextGenTel of...
SWEDEN - Novo and SEED Capital invest EUR 3m in Celltrix
The Swedish medical device company Celltrix AB has signed a EUR 3m agreement with Novo A/S and SEED Capital Denmark K/S. The new capital will finance completion of clinical trials and market introduction of Celltrix’s first product, the cosmetic filler...
SWEDEN - SEB's Klagsbrun to join EQT
EQT Partners has announced that SEB’s Harry Klagsbrun will join the firm as senior partner in the Stockholm office on 1 October 2006. Klagsbrun has been executive vice president and head of asset management within the SEB group. He has previously worked...
DENMARK - CVC to bid for Matas
CVC Capital Partners has issued a DKK 5.1bn bid for Matas, according to press reports. Matas has 291 stores in Denmark and more than 2,000 employees. The company sells medicines and healthcare products.
SWEDEN - Provider invests in digital music company
Swedish venture capital firm, Provider Venture Partners has invested SEK 30m in a leader of the digital music market, Musicbrigade. In a fast growing market, Musicbrigade has expanded its offering to the downloading of music, video and audio via the web...
FINLAND - Finnish Industry Investment invests EUR 1.5m in Vulcan
Finnish Industry Investment Ltd has invested EUR 1.5m in Vulcan Resources Ltd, a mining company listed on the Australian stock exchange but with a focus on eastern and northern Finland.
SWEDEN - Indap increases offer price for Gambro to SEK 113.70
Indap AB has announced it will be increasing the offer price on Gambro’s series A and B shares from SEK 109.7 to SEK 113.7 per share as well as extending the acceptance period until 31st May. This will give shareholders who have not already tendered their...
EUROPE - Apax Partners publishes report on the future of private equity
Apax Partners, together with the Economist Intelligence Unit, has produced a report on the future of private equity. This follows a 2002 report in which it accurately predicted deal sizes increasing significantly and liquidity improving.
FINLAND - 3i sells majority of Suomen Terveystalo shares
3i has sold the majority of its shares in Suomen Terveystalo to Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Company and Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Company.
NORWAY - Thomas Falck of FSV is appointed chairman of NVCA
Thomas Falck, partner at Four Seasons Venture (FSV), was appointed chairman of the Norwegian Venture Capital Association at the organisation's annual meeting yesterday. He will replace managing director of Teknoinvest, Bjørn Bjorå, who will continue as...
DENMARK - VC-backed Santaris Pharma launches DKK 19.6m budget research collaboration
Santaris Pharma and the Department for Medical Biochemistry at the University of Copenhagen have announced the creation of a new MicroRNA research consortium.
FINLAND - Inustri Kapital, Fortum and MB Funds sell Enermet
Industri Kapital, Fortum Oyj and MB Funds have signed an agreement with Bayard Group to sell Enermet Group Oy for an enterprise value of approximately EUR 90m. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals.
SWEDEN - EQT and Investor receive clearances for Gambro offer
Indap AB, indirectly jointly-owned by Investor AB and EQT IV, has received clearances from relevant competition authorities regarding the offer to the shareholders in Gambro AB, which was announced on April 3 2006. The offer acceptance period will expire...
SWEDEN - Mannheimer Swartling to open Moscow office
Swedish law firm Mannheimer Swartling plans to open an office in Moscow with both Swedish and Russian lawyers specialising in real estate, finance, M&A and establishment work. The firm expects to have at least ten lawyers at the office within one year....
SWEDEN - VC-backed Appear Networks opens offices in the Netherlands
Appear Networks has today announced the opening of an office in Utrecht in the Netherlands. Its new recruits will be focusing on the Dutch market, deploying Appear IQ to 10,000 mobile frontliners at Dutch Rail.
DENMARK - Agillic secures DKK 38m funding
Amadeus has led a DKK 38m first round of funding in Danish Agillic Aps. Vækstfonden and Mike Frayne also participated in the round.
NORWAY - Northzone's Owera to deliver system to Telenor
Owera has announced that it will be entering into an agreement with Telenor to upgrade their existing provisioning system, xAPS. Once improved, the system will include TR-069, a new and advancing protocol for provisioning.
SWEDEN - Industri Kapital reduces shareholding in Oriflame Cosmetics
Industri Kapital has sold 4.3 million Swedish Depositary Reciepts (SDRs) in Oriflame Cosmetics SA at an approximate price of SEK 280 per SDR. The shares, which represented 7.2% of the company, were sold primarily to Swedish and international institutional...
FINLAND - CapMan records rise in profits
CapMan Plc reports a significant EUR 3.7m increase in operating profits for Q1 2006. In the comparative period of 2005, CapMan Plc obtained an operating profit of EUR 1.5m now rising to EUR 5.2m.
DENMARK - Montagu buys LOGSTOR from Axcel, Polaris and FIH
Montagu Private Equity has agreed to acquire LOGSTOR for an undisclosed sum from Axcel, Polaris and FIH. The acquisition has been made in partnership with the company’s incumbent management team.
FINLAND - CapMan buys Helsinki property from Sitra
CapMan’s private equity real estate fund, CapMan Real Estate I, has bought Kiinteistöosakeyhtiö Erottajankatu 15–17 from Sitra for an undisclosed sum.
SWEDEN - Nordea to open private equity markets for personal customers
Nordea has started to offer its personal customers the opportunity to enter private equity markets via a new kind of bond. Traditionally, private equity funds have mainly been available to institutional investors and Nordea is the first Nordic bank to...