UK / Ireland
Carlyle acquires Brintons Carpets
The Carlyle Group has bought carpet manufacturer Brintons Carpets for £36m from its private owners.
Regulatory fears weigh on Nordic market
Increased regulation will have a negative impact on private equity activity in the Nordic market, according to data from unquote” Research and Delphi.
Chris Hanna joins Electra Partners
Electra Partners has appointed Chris Hanna as an investment partner.
Altamar V holds first close on €120m
Altamar Private Equity has held a first close of its fifth fund-of-funds, Altamar V Private Equity Program, on €120m.
IMS Group adds three compliance consultants
Compliance and regulation consultancy IMS Group has hired Diana Stevens, Cynthia Griffith and Daniel Sharpe as compliance consultants.
Private equity 'unlikely to buy 3i's troubled Chorion'
Private equity firms are unlikely to show much appetite for struggling 3i-backed Chorion, the owner of the Mr Men franchise, corporate finance adviser Jeremy Rayment said today.
August-backed Lifeways acquires SLC
Lifeways Community Care, a portfolio company of August Equity, has bought SLC Group, thus completing its eighth bolt-on acquisition since 2007.
ISIS exits SLC via trade sale
ISIS Equity Partners has sold UK-based SLC Group, a provider of supported living and domiciliary care services.
F&C appoints associate director
F&C Investments has appointed Stuart Hastie as associate director for its Edinburgh office.
BGF adds new investment director
Duncan Macrae has joined the Business Growth Fund (BGF) as an investment director.
Clyde Blowers Capital sells Clyde Union Pumps for £750m
Industrial investment company Clyde Blowers Capital has sold its Scottish portfolio company Clyde Union Pumps to American Fortune 500 company SPX Corporation for £750m.
Q&A: The state of fundraising
Greg Gille talks to Antoine Dréan, founder, chairman & CEO of independent private equity placement agent Triago, about the current market.
Bridgepoint acquires four businesses from Hampson
Bridgepoint Development Capital (BDC) has acquired four businesses from Hampson Industries’ Aerospace Components & Structures division for $84m.
PE law firms look east for expansion
Large numbers of law firms are beefing up their private equity teams both in Europe and Asia, with fund formation specialists and Mandarin speakers in particular demand. Susannah Birkwood reports
Sofinnova leads £6m investment in Mission Therapeutics
Sofinnova Partners has led a £6m funding round for Cambridge-based drug development company Mission Therapeutics.
Phoenix prepares to sell ASCO
Phoenix Equity Partners has hired Lexicon Partners to advise on a possible sale or part sale of ASCO Group.
HIG Europe signs off Bezier MBO
HIG Europe, the European arm of private equity firm HIG Capital, has acquired a majority stake in UK marketing services provider Bezier as part of a management buyout.
Joseph Mukungu joins Neuberger Berman
Neuberger Berman has appointed Joseph Mukungu as senior vice president, head of client services for Europe and the Middle East.
Darwin in £50m Attenda SBO
Darwin Private Equity has backed the £50m management buyout of UK-based hosting services business Attenda from M/C Partners.
Syndication woes spell trouble for German buyouts
At a time when many GPs have finished divesting their vintage portfolios and are looking for fresh investments, the German leverage market is experiencing difficulties with loan syndication, threatening future buyouts. Diana Petrowicz investigates
Ludgate and Novusmodus invest £2m in Lumicity
Cleantech investors Ludgate Investments and Novusmodus have led a new £2m funding round for UK-based photovoltaic (PV) solar developer Lumicity.
Consortium invest £8m in KalVista
SV Life Sciences and Novo A/S have provided £8m in a series-A round for ophthalmology company KalVista Pharmaceuticals.
SVP sells IWP International for €180m
Turnaround investor Strategic Value Partners (SVP) has sold the remaining significant business units of IWP International. This brings the total sale value of the UK consumer goods group to €180m.
PE firms creating bidding wars over contingent forwards
Deal-contingent trades, which allow PE houses to hedge their FX risk, have seen a strong revival recently, creating stiff competition among banks.