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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GERMANY - Hellman & Friedman to off-load Springer shares
Hellman & Friedman has notified the management board of Axel Springer AG that it is considering a placement of approximately 10% of Axel Springer shares. A precondition for the placement will be a sufficiently attractive capital market environment. Springer...
SPAIN - Arturo Cantoblanco courts 3i's Provimar
Grupo Arturo Cantoblanco is reportedly negotiating the acquisition of Provimar, a service provider to cruise ships and duty free stores, from 3i for EUR 18m. Property of the private equity firm for five years, Provimar reported a turnover of EUR 100m...
AUSTRIA - Doughty Hanson sells IZD Tower to Matrix
Doughty Hanson & Co Real Estate has sold the IZD Tower in Vienna to Matrix Property Fund Management for EUR 247m. The building is a 30-storey landmark, comprising 63,400 square metres of office space with 1,250 underground parking spaces, adjacent to...
ITALY - Blackstone to buy Gardaland from Investindustrial
According to sources, Investindustrial is to sell leisure complex Gardaland to the Blackstone Group for a sum reported to be over EUR 500m. Gardaland is Italy's largest amusement park with approximately 3 million visitors per year and over 250 shareholders....
FRANCE - AFIC publishes promising new figures
The French Venture Capital Association, AFIC, has today published figures for the country's private equity activity in the first semester of 2006.
NL - VNU completes sale of its stake in Solucient to Thomson
VNU, the information and media company which is owned by private equity consortium Valcon Acquisition BV, has announced that it has completed the sale of its 34.3% stake in Solucient, an information products company serving the healthcare industry, to...
GERMANY - Wellington Partners to collaborate with KfW group
Wellington Partners has entered into a collaboration agreement with the KfW Banking Group to finance young companies within the framework of the ERP Start-Up Fund. As a Wellington Partners co-investor, KfW will provide up to EUR 3m per company. Wellington...
UK - Plant Impact listed on AIM
Plant Impact Plc, a company backed by the RisingStars Growth Fund which is managed by Enterprise Ventures, has been admitted to AIM. The placing at the start of the first day of trading was 38p per share, giving a market capitalisation of approximately...
NL - ING to sell speciality insurance unit to Hal and Egeria
ING Group has announced that it intends to sell its speciality insurance unit Nationale Borg to HAL Investments and Egeria as part of its strategy to focus on its core insurance, banking and asset management businesses. The intended sale is subject to...
UK - Streetcar looks for private equity backing
Streetcar, the company which allows members to use its cars across London and then bills them for the use, is hoping to raise up to £7m of funding.
UK - Hotbed appoints former Knight Frank partner as new head of property
Hotbed, the private investor network which supplies commercial property and private equity investment opportunities to high net worth individuals, has appointed Andy Taylor as its new head of property.
GERMANY - Investor consortium to take over renergys
A consortium of investors made up of Ramius Group, GermanCapital Morgan Stanley and Milan-based Sopaf, is to acquire renergys GmbH from venture fund GermanIncubator and a group of private investors. As part of the transaction the investors will provide...
GERMANY - GermanCapital takes stake in Alno AG
German Capital, alongside the Hellwig family, has made an offer of EUR 7.20 per share for a 45% stake in listed kitchen outfitter Alno AG. The investment will be made via Küchen Holding GmbH, a vehicle set up by German Capital. The offered share price...
UK - Icera closes $20m investment from 3i
Icera Inc, the cellular wireless semiconductor company, today announced that 3i has invested $20m in the company as an extension to its recent series-C funding round, which now totals $60m. 3i joins an investor group comprising Benchmark Capital Europe,...
UK - CBPE sells Minova for £357m
Close Brothers Private Equity has sold speciality chemicals manufacturer Minova for £357m to Orica Ltd, an Australian quoted company. Minova's products are used in the coal mining, metal mining and tunnelling industries.
UK - 3i establishes venture capital board
3i has set up a new board of technology executives and entrepeneurs. The purpose of the board is to mirror the the venture capital boards that have been instrumental in helping US venture capitalists find promising investments.
NORWAY - CapMan to make voluntary offer for Polimoon
CapMan funds intend to put forward a voluntary offer to purchase all shares outstanding in Oslo Stock Exchange-listed Polimoon ASA for a total equity valuation of NOK 1.082bn. The offer price is NOK 27.50 per share.
DENMARK - Nordic Venture Partners invests in mobile data back-up company
Nordic Venture Partners has invested several million euros in ZYB, a free mobile back-up and sharing service operating on a global level. ZYB was founded in 2005 and it is doubling its number of employees before entering into next year.
UK - Macquarie bids £8bn to win Thames Water auction
RWE, the German energy group, has sold Thames Water to a consortium led by Macquarie's European infrastructure fund. The £8bn deal involves £3.2bn of debt. It is expected to close before the end of the year.
UK - Permira pair form new mid-market group
Market sources report that two principals from Permira are leaving the large buyout house to focus on the lower end of the mid-market.
SWITZERLAND - Partners Global Opportunities acquires mezz portfolio
Listed fund Partners Group Global Opportunities Ltd has acquired a warehoused mezzanine portfolio consisting of 10 investments. The deal was facilitated through a warehouse agreement with Merrill Lynch International and Credit Suisse International. The...
NL - Rabo Private Equity announces new investment approach
Rabo Private Equity, since 2002 the captive arm of the Rabobank Group, has announced a new investment approach. From now on, it will operate with three labels: Rabo Capital, Rabo Participaties and Rabo Innovatiekapitaalfonds.
ITALY - Apollo Management buys Jacuzzi for $ 1.25bn
According to press reports, US firm Apollo Management has agreed to buy Jacuzzi, the manufacturer of baths, showers and hot tubs in a take-private valued at $1.25bn, including $257m in debt.
SPAIN - Atitlan Capital completes its first investment
Private equity firm Atitlan Capital has recently completed its first investment in Dafsa, a company producing juices, soups, broths and creams. The expansion deal is valued at EUR 6m. Atitlan is based in Valencia and it is dedicated to the management...