Southern Europe
ITALY - Synergo Sgr buys 40% of Air Italy
Gianfilippo Cuneo's firm Synergo Sgr has recently agreed to invest an undisclosed amount of capital in return for a 40% stake in troubled low-cost airline Air Italy. The consideration has not been disclosed. The growth plan will see the expansion of the...
ITALY - Sinergia and Parà announce acquisition of Arquati
The fund Sinergia con Imprenditori, managed by private equity firm Synergo Sgr, and industrial player Parà have jointly acquired 100% of Arquati, a group specialised in picture frame moulding, wood drapery poles and tracks for the window covering industry....
SPAIN - Capital Health starts its activities
Spanish stock market regulator CNMV has recently authorised the launch of the first Spanish private equity firm completely focused on the health sector. Capital Health will back financing rounds between EUR 300,000 and EUR 4m in early-stage businesses...
GREECE - Apax and Texas to reap a fourfold return with TIM Hellas auction
Apax Partners and Texas Pacific Group have put a for sale sign on their portfolio company TIM Hellas, a Greek mobile services provider. According to press reports, the buyout firms have mandated Morgan Stanley and Lehman Brothers to begin an auction process...
ITALY - Carlyle to lead EUR 30bn bid for Telecom Italia businesses
According to reports in the Corriere della Sera, The Carlyle Group is planning a EUR 30bn bid for Telecom Italia's mobile telephony businesses. It will provide EUR 4bn of cash, while the other partners in the consortium, Permira and Blackstone Capital...
ITALY - All eyes on Telecom Italia's mobile telephony assets
According to reports in the Italian press, at least six private equity are interested in buying the mobile telephony businesses of Telecom Italia. It is understood that a consortium has been formed, which includes the likes of Texas Pacific Group, Blackstone,...
SPAIN - Diana Capital and ICO buy 12.7% of Guascor Group
Diana Capital and the Instituto de Credito Oficial (ICO) have acquired a 12.7% shareholding in Guascor Group, a company focused in the development of marine propulsion equipment and engines. Private equity firm Diana Capital and ICO, the state-owned...
SPAIN - Vista and Apax divest Itevelesa for EUR 500m
Apax and Vista Capital have sold their entire shareholding in Spanish vehicle inspection company Itevelesa to Australian investment bank Macquarie. The bank, which had been looking for opportunities in Spain since its divestment from road management company...
SPAIN - Permira secures Telepizza in EUR 850m deal
The five-month battle for Spanish pizza delivery chain Telepizza has come to an end with the winning bid of EUR 3.21 per share from Foodco Pastries and Medimosal, companies jointly owned by Permira and Telepizza founding family Ballve's investment vehicle...
ITALY - Candover opens office in Milan
Candover's Milan office is now officially open for business. The firm announced earlier this year that it intended to expand its activities in Southern Europe.
SPAIN - Doughty Hanson opens office in Madrid
Doughty Hanson & Co has recently announced the opening of its Madrid office. The launch has also seen the appointments of Francisco Gutiérrez Churtichaga (ex JPMorgan) as head of operations in Spain and Juan Barba Silvela (ex Arthur Andersen) as investment...
ITALY - Advent appoints new chairman
Advent International, has announced the appointment of Francesco de Giglio as chairman of its Italian office. De Giglio is focused on mid-market pan-European buyouts and has over 18 years of experience in the Italian market. Prior to joining Advent,...
ITALY/US - Texas Pacific Group hires Davide Croff as advisor for Italy
Davide Croff has been hired by Texas Pacific Group (TPG) as a senior advisor for the Italian market.
ITALY - BS Private Equity acquires majority stake in Motovario
BS Private Equity, through its fund BS Investimenti IV, recently acquired a majority stake in Motovario, a manufacturer of power transmission products, from Power Transmission Finance. The consideration has not been disclosed.
SPAIN - Nazca buys El Derecho Editores
According to press reports, Nazca has agreed to buy El Derecho Editores, a company that specialises in online and offline legal information services, from its founders and management team. The purchase, expected to complete before the end of this year,...
FRANCE/ITALY - AXA Private Equity backs purchase of Guaber Household
AXA Private Equity has recently backed the purchase of a 100% stake in Guaber Household. Spotless Group, the holding of French business Eau Ecarlate and owned by its management and AXA, wholly acquired the Italian household cleaning products arm of Guaber...
ITALY - Carlyle courts Telecom Italia
The Carlyle Group is thought to be considering a bid for Telecom Italia’s mobile phone units. Other possible bidders include Spain’s Telefónica, the BT Group and Deutsche Telekom. The newspaper La Repubblica reported that Telecom Italia is planning...
SPAIN - 3i divests stake in Kider
3i and minority shareholders have agreed to sell their combined stake of 47.4% in Kider to Caja Navarra for EUR 33.3m. The remaining stake will be held by the company’s management. The deal is part of the bank’s EUR 353m investment strategy, which...
SPAIN - Private equity misses out on Pullmantur deal
The long-awaited sale of Pullmantur, a Madrid-based cruise and tour operator, has finally reached an end with Royal Caribbean Cruises reaching an agreement to buy all of the capital stock of the company for a reported sum of EUR 430m, plus about EUR 270m...
ITALY /UK- Electra changes name and opens Milan office
The buyout firm Electra is set to open a new office in Italy and change its name to Cognetas.
ITALY - Fondamenta SSGI invests in Lux Vide
The closed-end fund-of-funds Fondamenta SSGI has purchased a 25% stake in film production company Lux Vide, via its vehicle Imperium SpA for EUR 15m. Fondamenta has acquired 10.7% ordinary shares from existing shareholders RML Comunicazione Srl and 14.3%...
ITALY - Cdb Web Tech sells its entire venture capital interest to Pantheon
Italian investment company Cdb Web Tech has signed an agreement to sell its entire interest in venture capital funds. The company will sell its holdings in 90 of the 98 venture capital funds in which it has invested to the London-based Pantheon Ventures...
SPAIN - 3i acquires shareholding in Sten
3i has agreed to buy a 30% stake in Sistemas Técnicos de Encofrados (STEN) from its founders and majority shareholders. The company develops formwork systems and solutions for construction projects and civil engineering work. The consideration has not...
ITALY - MPS Venture exits Moby and buys into Savino Del Bene
The asset management firm MPS Venture has sold its 3.47% stake in logistics player Moby in a deal worth EUR 6.4m to the Onorato family, which now wholly owns the company.