Southern Europe
Private equity LPs flock to the Nordic region
The Nordic private equity model is becoming increasingly attractive, according to industry experts. Rikke Eckhoff reports from the unquoteт Nordic Private Equity Congress in Stockholm.
SEB Venture Capital leads investment in Coresonic
SEB Venture Capital has invested тЌ1.5m in Swedish technology firm, Coresonic.
Swedish Central Bank chief warns on continued threats
Lars Nyberg, deputy governor of the Swedish Central Bank, said the Swedish economy is not out of danger, in his keynote speech at the unquoteт Nordic Private Equity Congress 2010. Viktor Lundvall reports.
Montagu and GIP look to build up Biffa
Montagu Private Equity and Global Infrastructure Partners have agreed to acquire waste management group Greenstar UK from NTR plc for ТЃ135m.
Avista commits $48.5m to OptiNose
US-based Avista Capital Partners has invested $48.5m in Norwegian medical company OptiNose.
Warburg Pincus sponsored Tornier applies for $205m IPO
Private equity-backed Tornier BV has plans to raise around $205m by listing on Nasdaq Global Markets.
Olicom files for bankruptcy
Danish venture capital firm Olicom today announced it has filed for bankruptcy.
Venture Capital: Corporates rev up their investments
US car giant General Motors has become the latest corporate to enter the venture fray, recently announcing it had established a $100m fund to invest in early-stage companies. Like traditional VC investors, this and other corporate funds will, no doubt,...
Kernel Capital invests €750,000 in Bioatlantis
Kernel Capital has made a тЌ750,000 investment in BioAtlantis Limited, an Irish biotechnology company based in the Kerry Technology Park in Tralee.
Truffle Capital et al. invest €4.8m in Pharnext
French biopharmaceutical company Pharnext has closed a тЌ4.8m series-A round of funding from Truffle Capital, Aurinvest Capital 2, FinanciУЈre Boscari and three individual investors.
Crédit Agricole PE, Galiléo Partners et al. invest $5m in Scality
Scality has secured a $5m in a first-round of funding from CrУЉdit Agricole Private Equity, GalilУЉo, business angels, management and employees of the company.
BNP Paribas Private Equity appoints two new investment directors
Alexandra Dupont and Nicolas Schwindenhammer have been appointed as investment directors for BNP Paribas Private Equity.
Italy: Bankruptcy Act improves private equity's position
Like other European nations, Italy has enacted a number of emergency measures to respond to the market crisis. This goes far beyond the тЌ24bn emergency budgetary measures: one particularly interesting addition by the Italian government is an attempt...
BlueBubbleLab injects €1m into SoGeo
Dutch company Sogeo has secured тЌ1m in funding from investor BlueBubbleGroup.
Qualcomm et al. invest in Anteryon
Qualcomm Ventures Europe, BNP Paribas Private Equity, Biggell Finance and Quest for Growth have taken an undisclosed stake in Dutch company Anteryon BV.
Nycomed requests further covenant relief
Swiss private equity-backed drug company Nycomed has asked its lenders for covenant relief as it looks at ways of managing its debts.
General Motors launches venture fund
General Motors has launched a $100m venture capital fund, targeting automotive-related technologies.
German industry: Getting the European economy working
Manufacturing is one of the most important sectors in the German economy, and the country's heavy industry base seems to be experiencing a revival as the global economy improves. As Europe's biggest manufacturer, the health of German industry is also...
AXA Private Equity's Sfinc acquires JADICO
AXA Private Equity's portfolio company Sfinc, a Belgian manufacturer of ingredients for the food processing industry, has acquired Netherlands-based JADICO.
CGS Management's Automatik in CHF 200m merger
CGS Management's German portfolio company Automatik Plastic Machinery has completed a CHF 200m merger with Swiss-based Maag Pump Systems, a gear pump manufacturer.
bcnHighgrowth invests €2m in Oonair
bcnHighgrowth has provided a тЌ2m investment to expand media content company Oonair.
WorldPay: Bidders line up for quality asset
While European buyout activity has been on the up in early 2010, it has been largely restricted to mid-market deals: larger buyouts have hardly been seen since the financial crisis erupted, which makes the bidding war for RBS Global Merchant Services...
Renewable energy: When will activity match the spin?
There is clearly a buzz around the cleantech space in general and the renewable energy market in particular. And why not? After all if we are to face up to the challenges presented by global climate change we will need to invest massively in this area...