Southern Europe
European direct lending up 9% but turbocharged growth wanes
Rate of growth in alternative debt deals slows from 32% in 2017, according to Deloitte's Alternative Lender Deal Tracker
HIG buys Cadica from Gradiente, builds new group
In addition to Cadica, HIG also buys Tessilgraf and Bernini, which will be merged into a new group
Consilium, Progressio buy Gelit
GPs deploy capital from their funds Consilium Private Equity III and Progressio Investimenti III
Unquote Private Equity Podcast: Karmic balance sheets
Listen to the latest episode of the Unquote Private Equity Podcast, in which the team discusses recent developments in the impact investment space
Blackstone-backed Cirsa carves out Giga Games
Blackstone acquired Cirsa from its founder, Manuel Lao Hernández, in April last year
Artá Capital exits Mecalux in €122m deal
Sale ends a nine-year holding period for the GP, which backed the company alongside Corporación Alba
Oakley Capital invests in Spanish insurance broker Acierto
Oakley, Admiral Group and Mapfre will form a joint venture by combining Acierto with Rastreator
Lakestar leads €150m series-D for Spanish startup Glovo
Idinvest Partners and Korelya Capital also took part in the round, alongside Papa John's owner Drake Enterprises
Figuring out the ESG middle-ground
How can managers draft a policy that does not result in paralysis by over-analysis?
Indaco, Invitalia in €8m round for rental startup Sweetguest
Indaco invests via its Indaco Ventures I fund, while Invitalia deploys capital from Italia Venture I
HIG WhiteHorse invests in Italian retailer Risparmio Casa
HIG intends to support the company in further strengthening its market position in Italy
EQT launches €631m takeover bid for Parques Reunidos
Offer is made via a bidco controlled by EQT, Miles Capital and Corporación Financiera Alba
PE-backed Garda Plast sells division to trade
Gruber Logistics buys the transportation and logistics activities of Progressio's Garda Plast
Buy-and-build opportunities thrive in Italian market
In addition to the strong activity recorded on the buyout side, 2018 was also a busy year for Italy in the consolidation space
Alpha acquires ceramics specialist Laminam
GP invests via its Alpha Private Equity Fund 7, which held a final close on €903m in June 2017
Alto Partners buys OFI
Italian GP Alto Partners buys a majority stake in dermo-cosmetic business via its fourth fund
Dunas Capital hires two for new fund-of-funds
New vehicle, Rainforest Dunas Iberia Fund I, has been registered in Spain and has a target of €100m
Unquote Private Equity Podcast: Ready, debt set, go
Listen to the latest episode of the Unquote Private Equity Podcast, dedicated to the latest developments in the private debt market
LP Profile: Munich Private Equity Partners
Unquote catches up with MPEP, which has committed approximately €750m to 70 funds and is currently raising a fund with a target of €100m
Abac Capital backs building materials specialist Isolana
GP invests via its Abac Solutions I fund, which held a €320m final close in 2016
Nexi raises €2.3bn in IPO
Initial listing gives Nexi a market capitalisation of €5.7bn and an enterprise value of €7.3bn
Bet the farm: reaping the rewards in agri-food investing
Investments in the agri-food tech space have bloomed in the past few years, while an increasing number of new players have entered the sector
MIP leads €2m series-A for flower delivery startup Colvin
New injection of capital brings the total funding raised by the Spanish company to €11m
ING Ventures leads €19m series-C for banking app Fintonic
Round also sees participation from 10 other investors, including Spanish insurance group PSN