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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UK - Reed Elsevier expects private equity interest in its education business
Reed Elsevier has hired UBS to advise it on the disposal of its education division.
UK - Apollo closer to making Countrywide offer
Apollo is one step closer to making a formal bid for UK estate agency Countrywide after arranging the financing for a possible deal. It is expected to offer approximately 597p per share trumping 3i's rejected bid of 570p earlier this year.
FINLAND - CapMan announces promotions
CapMan has promoted Markku Hietala to senior partner and Johan Bennarsten, Björn Nordenvall and Tommy Valther Hansen to partners as of 14 February 2007.
SPAIN- Codere flirts with private equity again
According to market sources, gambling business Codere has hired Credit Suisse to find a partner to provide extra muscle for further acquisitions.
UK - Porton Capital portfolio company Acolyte Biomedica sold to 3M
Porton Capital has sold Acolyte Biomedica, a developer of technology to combat hospital acquired infections to 3M. Porton Capital first invested in Acolyte in 2004, participating in a £3.7m expansion round. In 2002, BioProjects International led a £2.6m...
UK - MTI, Hotbed and BASF Venture Capital invest £4.9m in DataLase
MTI Partners, Hotbed and BASF Venture Capital GmbH have invested £4.9m in series-B funding to support technology company DataLase. The company has developed a revolutionary high-quality method for applying laser-induced images for product identification,...
UK - Risk Capital Partners invests in APT Controls
Risk Capital Partners has made a significant investment in access technology company APT Controls Ltd. Risk Capital has bought around 45%, valuing the business at over £10m. APT is part of a buy-and-build strategy in the access control and security industries,...
IRELAND - Private equity backed-Smurfit Kappa in EUR 1.3bn IPO
Paper and packaging company Smurfit Kappa is to be listed on the Irish Stock Exchange in a EUR 1.3bn IPO. The company is backed by Madison Dearborn Partners, which owns a 47% stake and CVC and Cinven which own 21% each.
PORTUGAL - Inter-Risco backs car inspection business
Inter-Risco, the private equity arm of bank BPI, has invested EUR 17m in MasterTest in return for a 30% stake. The company provides car inspection services and it is based in Porto.
UK - Lion Capital set to dispose of Burton's Foods
Lion Capital is considering disposing of Burton's Foods, the maker of Wagon Wheels and Maryland Cookies which it acquired in 2000 for £130m in its former guise Hicks Muse Tate & Furst. This would be the second divestment in as many weeks for the investor,...
SPAIN - Mercapital, Ibersuizas and Vista compete for Indas
Reports in the Spanish press suggest that Mercapital and Ibersuizas have joined Vista in the competition for pharmaceutical business Laboratorios Indas. The deal is valued at around EUR 360m.
UK - BUPA next private equity target?
Market sources report that Temasek, the Singapore government investment group, is weighting up a bid for private healthcare provider BUPA. It is understood that at least one other private equity group may also be involved in a Temasek-led bid.
UK - Pantheon strengthens client services team
Pantheon has made two appointments to its client services team. Marcus Alexis joins as US head of client services and Josephine Defty joins the European client services team. Alexis was formerly at Wellington Management Company.
UK - Ingenious backs dance act the Prodigy in £2m deal
Ingenious' two music VCTs have made a joint investment of £2m to support the release of dance act the Prodigy’s fifth studio album. With a further six deals in the final stages of negotiation, Ingenious Music VCT Plc is now approaching full commitment,...
UK - CBI chief praises private equity model of business
Richard Lambert the director-general of the Confederation of British Industry praised private equity houses in a speech today. Hitting back at the recent trade union criticism which has also stirred senior Labour Party voices, Lambert asserted that private...
ITALY - Permira and Private Equity Partners exit Marazzi Group
Permira and Private Equity Partners have sold the 8.47% stake it had in tile business Marazzi. The shares were sold at the price of EUR 10.3 each.
UK - West Coast Capital offer for Blooms accepted
West Coast Capital will shortly add Blooms of Bressingham to its garden centre assets after the nursery chain's board accepted its offer. West Coast Capital led a consortium comprised of Baugur, HBOS and property entrepeneur Nick Leslau to bid £30.2m...
SPAIN - Catalan entrepreneurs create new firm
A group of Catalan managers, connected to industrial players Sacresa, Simon and Nutrexpa, have joined forces with Privat Bank to establish two private equity funds with investment capacity of EUR 20m each.
ITALY - Siena Venture backs local furniture business
Closed-end fund Siena Venture, managed by MPS Venture, has acquired a 41%stake in furniture business Segis SpA.
UK - Smedvig Capital appoints David Mills to portfolio company
Smedvig Capital has appointed David Mills as the new non-executive chairman of portfolio company My Home Move Plc, the home conveyancing company. Smedvig backed the £5m management buyout of My Home Move in December 2005. In 2006 the business grew 42%...
UK - 3i makes high profile appointment in gas & power sector
3i has strengthened its gas and power team with the appointment of Ian Russell, the former CEO of Scottish Power Plc, as an industrialist in residence. Russell brings a wealth of experience and knowledge of the energy and finance markets to 3i, having...
SWEDEN - Industrifonden invests SEK 7m in scuba diving company
Industrifonden has invested SEK 7m in Gothenburg-based scuba diving company Poseidon in a funding round also including Start Invest. Start Invest and Industrifonden will hold close to 50% of the shares in the business.
UK - LDC strengthens its Midlands team with appointment of Tony Nash
LDC has strengthened its Midlands team with the appointment of Tony Nash as investment director.
UK - The Capital Fund makes two investments
The Capital Fund has completed two investments. It has provided Iconium, a corporate governance and compliance software solutions-provider based in Horsham, with expansion capital of an undisclosed value.