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:
UK & Ireland DACH Nordic France Southern Europe Benelux CEE
UK - Gresham's recommended offer for ICM in the balance
Gresham's recommended offer for business availability provider ICM Computer Group is facing competition from trade rival Phoenix. Gresham won a Close Brothers-run auction to lead the mangement buyout of the listed company last Friday since when Phoenix...
UK - Legal & General Ventures expands investment team
Legal & General Ventures is expanding its investment team with the appointment of Euan O’Sullivan as an Associate. O’Sullivan joins LGV from Close Brothers Corporate Finance where he advised on a number of company disposals as well as public company...
UK - Bain and Apollo to be Sainsbury's second suitors?
It is reported that Bain Capital and Apollo Management are to team up to launch a rival bid for Sainsbury's.
UK - Apollo's bid for Countrywide subject of investigation
Apollo's recommended offer for estate agency chain Countrywide is to be investigated by city regulators after complaints about hedge fund activity in the days leading up to the shareholder vote on 3i's bid.
FRANCE - Consortium wins Saur exclusivity
A syndicate led by state-backed CDC and including industrial company Séché Environnement and AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) has won exclusivity in an auction for water business Saur. According to reports in the French press, the price obtained by...
UK - Duke Street acquires Burton's Foods from HM Capital
Duke Street Capital has acquired Burton's Foods from HM Capital. Duke Street saw off competition from the likes of 3i and Legal and General Ventures to win the £287m-turnover company in an estimated £210m deal. HM Capital had held Burton's since 2000...
FRANCE - Global Private Equity hires US LP specialist
International placement agent Global Private Equity has appointed Gayle Jackson as senior consultant.
UK - LPs defend private equity
Following a month of private equity bashing from trade unions which has prompted GPs to defend their industry, a group of LPs have spoken out in private equity's defence.
SPAIN - Vista acquires pharma business for EUR 360m
Vista Capital has wholly purchased pharmaceutical business Laboratorios Indas from the Arochena family for around EUR 360m. It is understood that the private equity firm has faced competition from its peers Mercapital, Nmás1 and Ibersuizas, before signing...
GERMANY - Emerald Technology Ventures makes two exits
Emerald Technology Ventures, formerly SAM Private Equity, has exited two separate investments in German clean technology companies. The financial investor recently divested its remaining holding in Schmack Biogas, nine months after the company’s IPO...
GERMANY - Vita 34 to float end of March
SHS Gesellschaft für Beteiligungsmanagement mbH, has announced it will float its portfolio company Vita 34 International AG on the Prime Standard in Frankfurt on 27 March. Concord Effekten has been appointed as lead manager and Deutsche Apotheker –...
UK - CBPE exits UTI
Close Brothers Private Equity has announced the sale of United Transport International Limited to InterBulk Investments plc for £80m. The transaction is CBPE's third realisation in 5 months, its previous one being the EUR 311m sale of Moody International...
NORWAY - New listing opportunities with Oslo Axess
In May, new listing requirements will be implemented on the Oslo stock exchange. Oslo stock exchange received the concession to establish the new market place in 2006, responding to the need in the market for additional listing opportunities besides the...
SWEDEN - Industrifonden and Via Venture Partners invest SEK 20m in ComActivity
Industrifonden and Via Venture Partners have invested SEK 20m in ComActivity, an enterprise computing company. ComActivity supplies cost effective, future proof, web based, user-friendly and flexible enterprise solutions. The company has developed a new...
UK - Midven backs Alzheimer's disease testing company with £1.25m
Midven has lead a £1.25m funding round into Cytox, a Birmingham medical sciences company which is developing a diagnostic test to facilitate the early identification of Alzheimer’s disease. NESTA and a group of serial angel investors were the other...
UK/IRELAND - Madison Dearborn, CVC and Cinven in partial exit from Smurfit Kappa through IPO
Madison Dearborn Partners, CVC and Cinven are to reduce their combined stake in cardboard box manufacturer Smurfit Kappa following a joint listing on the London and Dublin Stock Exchanges. The pricing of the shares in the grey market ahead of the official...
UK - Synergis leads investment into heart disease diagnosis company
Synergis Technologies has led a funding round for Petrra Ltd.
SWITZERLAND - NEXThink received CHF 6m
Auriga Partners alongside Venture Incubator have invested CHF 6m in Swiss software developer NEXThink.
GERMANY - Cogentas portfolio company acquires gkk DialogGroup
Scholz & Friends Group, a Cognetas portfolio company, has acquired Frankfurt-based gkk DialogGroup (gkk), a provider of communication services. Scholz & Friends, an advertising and marketing group, established a joint venture with gkk in early 2005 called...
FRANCE - Atos Origin denies buyout rumours
Computer services company Atos Origin has announced it has not signed any agreement relating to financial operations on its shareholding.
FRANCE - Close Brothers creates small-cap team based in Lyon
Corporate Financier Close Brothers has created a team dedicated to small cap M&A for companies valued at less than EUR 30m.
FRANCE - Aurel Nextstage publishes FCPI performance
Small-cap private equity firm Aurel-Nextstage has published the latest performance figures for its FCPI funds.
UK - Tudor Investment Corporation backs software start-up with £3m
Tudor Investment Corporation has invested £3m in Trampoline Systems, a London-based enterprise software start-up. Trampoline is the first European Enterprise 2.0 software developer to receive major investor backing. The investment enables Trampoline...
UK - The Carlyle Group invests in world-scale bioethanol plant
The Carlyle Group and Riverstone Holdings, an energy-focused private equity firm, have agreed to acquire and invest in Ensus Ltd and provide funding for the development of the company’s first bioethanol plant in the UK. Ensus plans to establish itself...