Region
Unquote has a long history of delivering in-depth coverage for each European market, from individual deals to fundraising and region-specific trend analysis. Click on the following links to access content for a specific region:
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SPAIN - Vector Capital buys minority stake in security business
Shortly after its launch , Vector Capital has purchased a 14.7% stake in Blindados Grupo Norte, a business active in the security and transport of valuable goods.
FRANCE - Global IRR of French private equity since 1988 is 12.1%
New figures published by the French private equity trade body AFIC and Ernst & Young reveal details of the industry's overall performance since 1988.
UK - Balderton Capital appoints new partner
Venture firm Balderton Capital (formerly Benchmark Capital Europe) has announced the appointment of Tim Bunting as partner.
UK - Sovereign Capital appoint Tim Whittard to investment team
UK Private equity buy-and-build specialist Sovereign Capital has announced the appointment of Tim Whittard to its investment team.
UK - Monument Group hires Janet Brooks
Monument Group (UK) Ltd, a London affiliate of Boston-based private equity placement agent Monument Group, Inc., has appointed Janet Brooks.
UK - Graphite backs gas portfolio company's £22m acquisition
Graphite Capital has backed the ТЃ22m acquisition of Global Gas Supplies by Dominion Gas, an independent supplier of industrial gases to the offshore industry. Graphite supported the ТЃ30m BIMBO of Dominion in June 2007. Funding for the latest deal includes...
GERMANY – Granville Baird sells TEAM BS for EUR 71m
Funds advised by Granville Baird have fully exited their stake in TEAM BS Management Holding to Randstad Group for a total consideration of EUR 71m. Minority shareholder and CEO Dirk Schmitt also exited his stake.
UK - LDC invests to fund expansion of drinks manufacturer
Mid-market private equity house LDC has invested an undisclosed amount to fund the continuing expansion of drinks manufacturer Intercontinental Brands.
UK - Hermes acquires Symington's food manufacturers
Hermes Private Equity has acquired food manufacturers Symington's from. Hermes backed management buy-in vehicle BPG Acquisitions Ltd which was led by new Symington's new CEO, David Salkeld, former CEO of Arla Foods Plc. The deal was supported by debt...
UK - Octopus invests over £600,000 in internet technology company
Octopus Investments has completed an investment of more than ТЃ600,000 in the development of internet technology firm True Knowledge Ltd. The deal represents the first round of funding for the company.
UK - Kennet Partners appoints new director
International growth equity investor Kennet Partners has promoted Evan Frank to the position of director.
FRANCE - Argos Soditic acquires Orgasynth subsidiaries
Argos Soditic has completed the management buy-in of all of the five fine chemical and dye subsidiaries of industrial group Orgasynth.
FRANCE/ITALY - Truffle Capital takes GoAdv public
Truffle Capital has simultaneously led a capital increase and public listing of web-based media company GoAdv, in a deal which values the company at EUR 34m.
UK - NVM recoups 3x investment from Ithaca exit
NVM Private Equity has sold Ithaca Business Media in a ТЃ14.25m trade sale to United Business Media Plcтs UK-based business information division, CMP Information. The deal realised a return of 3x NVM's original investment, with an IRR of over 60% achieved...
UK - Matrix invests further £3.7m in Blaze to support acquisition
Matrix Private Equity Partners has supported existing investee company Blaze Signs Holdings in financing its acquisition of a complementary business, Active Sign Maintenance from its founders. Matrix Private Equity Partners has invested a further ТЃ3.7m....
IRELAND - Trinity Venture Capital et al. exit Havok
Trinity Venture Capital and other investors ICC Venture Capital and Iona have realised their investments in Havok, an Irish Gaming Middleware company. The business has been acquired by Intel for an undisclosed sum.
UK - Sovereign Capital portfolio company acquires Orient Gold
Sovereign Capital-backed STL, a vocational training provider, has acquired Orient Gold, a national provider of apprenticeship and adult learning. The value of the deal has not been disclosed. The new combined group has over 240 employees and over 3000...
FRANCE - Astorg refinanced Geoservices in late July
Astorg Partners secured a EUR 90m refinancing of oil exploration services company Geoservices on 20 July 2007.
NL - Candover withdraws EUR 1.5bn Stork bid
Candover has withdrawn its EUR 1.5bn offer for Stork after LME Holdings, a holding company of Icelandic food processing group Marel, declined to tender its shares. LME Holdings has recently raised its shareholding to more than 43% to block the bid,...
RUSSIA - Mint Capital invests in Russian chocolate sweets brand Fruzhe
Mint Capital has signed a $9m direct equity investment agreement with Naturalnye Produkty (Natural Products), the Russian manufacturer of chocolate sweets under the Fruzhe brand. The investment will be used to improve the company's marketing, sales and...
NORWAY - Ferd could realise historic returns if Pronova Biocare is up for sale
Ferd Private Equity is reported to be in the process of putting Pronova Biocare up for sale. Ferd acquired the pharmaceutical company in Jannuary 2004 for NOK 530m. Artic Securities, the newly established Norwegian ivestment bank, has now valued the company...
LATVIA - Blackstone leads $575m management buyout of Lattelecom
The Blackstone Group has invested $178m (Lt 90m), as part of a $575m management buyout and privatisation of Latvian telecom company Lattelecom. The sellers are the Latvian government (51%) and TeliaSonera (49%), the Swedish telecom operator. At the completion...
ITALY - Sofipa makes 40% IRR on Teckal sale
Italian mid-market house Sofipa has sold energy services provider Teckal to Manutencoop Facility Management. The enterprise value of the exit is EUR 88m, with an implied equity value of EUR 61m. The IRR on the investment is approximately 40% with a cash...
UK/US - Blackstone consortium bid for Cadbury drinks arm rejected
The Blackstone corsortium bidding for the US beverages arm of Cadbury Schweppes has had its offer rejected. Blackstone, together with KKR and Lion Capital are understood to have offered in the region of ТЃ6.5bn for the drinks business which includes the...