UK / Ireland
Sovereign-backed LM Funerals up for sale
Sovereign Capital portfolio company LM Funerals is up for sale, according to media reports.
State Street appoints head of private equity and real estate servicing
State Street Global Advisers has appointed Phil McGowan as senior vice-president and head of private equity and real estate services for Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Amazon UK chief joins SEP
Scottish Equity Partners (SEP) has hired Brian McBride, former managing director and vice president of Amazon UK, as venture partner.
Investec exits Big Bear Group
Investec has successfully sold Big Bear Group to Finnish food producer Raisio. The total value of the transaction is thought to be around €95.3m.
Private equity putting money in the banks
Private equity has touched on almost all of Europe’s major industries over the years. However, the financial services have historically represented a relatively minor target group for buyout houses, despite its prominence in Europe’s largest economies.
EdRIP et al. invest £30m in Cellnovo
A consortium of private equity investors led by Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners (EdRIP) has provided UK-based medical equipment company Cellnovo with a £30m series-B round of funding.
Endless sells Amco for £19.8m
Turnaround investor Endless has sold engineering business Amco Group to Renew Holdings for £19.8m.
Institutional cuts to PE: A mixed bag?
On Wednesday, it was reported that CalPERS is looking to sell another $800m of its private equity commitments. The news came the same week that PA SERS announced it was cutting its allocation to private equity to around 15%. This comes after CalPERS sold...
Northzone invests in BraveNewTalent.com
Northzone Ventures and business angels Pierce Casey and Mike Bourne have invested in social recruitment platform BraveNewTalent.com.
Partners Group et al. invest in Nord Anglia
Partners Group and Baring Private Equity Asia have invested in international provider of private schools Nord Anglia Education.
Kernel to manage Bank of Ireland MedTech fund
An Irish seed fund, the €10m Bank of Ireland MedTech Accelerator Fund, has been launched by Kernel Capital.
ISIS appoints four to investment team
ISIS Equity Partners has named four newcomers to its investment team.
Better Capital acquires Connaught division
Private equity group Better Capital has bought Connaught's compliance division with an investment thought to be worth around £15m.
Citigroup takes over EMI from Terra Firma
Terra Firma’s portfolio company EMI has been taken over by Citigroup after failing to keep up with interest payments.
NVM nears fundraising target
NVM Private Equity looks set to comfortably hit its £15m top-up target for its oldest VCT vehicle, Northern Venture Trust.
NVM leads £1.9m investment in Altacor
NVM Private Equity, Enterprise Ventures and Beringea have injected £1.9m into UK pharmaceuticals company Altacor.
HgCapital looking to sell Americana
HgCapital is reported to be looking for buyers for its portfolio company Americana Holdings, which owns fashion brands Bench and Hooch.
Acuity cedes management of VCTs to Foresight
Management shift is the second example of industry consolidation this year
Advent International backs Towergate
Advent International has backed Towergate Partnership Ltd, a financial services provider, with a £200m investment.
Industry pushes ahead with fundraisings
Fundraising is surging forwards in early 2011, with a raft of funds launching and reaching closes in the past month. Following news that Blackstone has raised $15bn for one of the largest private equity funds ever seen, how are other players responding...
Hawkpoint appoints Antony Mannion
Hawkpoint Partners has appointed Antony Mannion as managing director and head of healthcare.
Blackstone closes BCP VI fund on $15bn
Blackstone Group has announced the final close of its sixth buyout fund, BCP VI, on $15bn.
Carlyle and Palamon back UK dental care merger
The Carlyle Group has acquired Integrated Dental Holdings (IDH) from Bank of America Merrill Lynch Capital Partners, and merged it with Palamon-backed Associated Dental Practices (ADP).
Lonsdale Capital Partners makes first investment
Lonsdale Capital Partners has acquired a majority stake in UK financial claims management company EMCAS Ltd.