UK / Ireland
Lion Capital to acquire Picard Surgelés for €1.5bn
Lion Capital is set to acquire frozen food retailer Picard Surgelés from BC Partners, according to Les Echos.
Virgin Active attracts private equity attention
Private equity investors are in talks with Sir Richard Branson over the sale of health and fitness chain Virgin Active, according to reports.
Yellow&Blue et al. inject €4.5m in Tri-O-Gen
Yellow&Blue Investment Management has led a €4.5m funding round for Dutch energy production specialist Tri-O-Gen.
Augmentum and Revere back SRL Global
Augmentum Capital and Revere Capital Advisors have led a £7.5m investment in SRL Global, a UK financial technology vendor.
Graphite Capital buys Teaching Personnel from RJD Partners
Graphite Capital has backed the £45m secondary buyout of teacher recruitment specialist Teaching Personnel from RJD Partners.
Longbow leads £1.7m Ambicare funding
Longbow Capital has led a £1.7m funding round in medical devices firm Ambicare Health.
The Carlyle Group acquires Companeo
The Carlyle Group will acquire a majority stake in B2B online lead generator Companeo SA.
Activa Capital to buy Selpro Sélection Professionnelle
Activa Capital has agreed to acquire French HR services provider Selpro Sélection Professionnelle from Randstad.
Oséo backs Cerenis and Novasep with €10.7m
The French government's venture arm Oséo has invested €10.7m in healthcare companies Cerenis Therapeutics and Groupe Novasep.
UK buyout value falls 14% in Q2
UK and Irish buyout value fell 14% during the second quarter of 2010, according to figures from the latest unquote” Private Equity Barometer.
Blackstone’s sixth fund on track with $13.5bn
Blackstone Group said it has raised $13.5bn so far for its sixth private equity fund, BCP VI. Last year, Blackstone had lowered its initial $20bn target to between $15bn-20bn.
Invest Equity completes management-buyout
Invest Equity has completed its own management-buyout, a process that started in 2004.
Qualium set to exit Exxelia
Qualium (formerly CDC Capital Investissement) is looking to sell electronics specialist Exxelia to LBO France.
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Lazard said to appoint new co-head of private equity division
Financial adviser Lazard has hired Bank of America's Fotis Hasiotis to co-head its private equity division, according to reports.
Wittur AG on the block again
Cerberus Partners and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners are looking for a buyer for German lift component supplier Wittur AG.
Notion Capital et al. invest $5.5m in Zattikka
Notion Capital and a group of individual investors have injected $5.5m in gaming company Zattikka.
Blackstone and PAI mull over United Biscuit sale
Blackstone and PAI Partners are looking to sell British food company United Biscuits, according to reports.
EPS Value Plus supports acquisition for FotoDesk subsidiary
EPS Value Plus has supported the acquisition of the online photo and business printing division of netservice.cc for the Colorplaza AG subsidiary of portfolio company FotoDesk Group AG.
LDC buys Easynet from BSkyB
LDC has backed the £100m buyout of UK specialist telecommunications business Easynet Global Services from BSkyB.
Ocado price cut highlights tough UK IPO market
Difficulties in UK IPOs were highlighted today, with food delivery service Ocado forced to slash its IPO valuation. The traditionally strong UK listing market has struggled in 2010, while European rivals have seen a significant upturn in their own IPO...
PAI Partners looking to sell Yoplait stake
PAI Partners has put its 50% stake in French yoghurt maker Yoplait up for sale.
Enterprise Investors provide €7m for Webmedia Group
Enterprise Investors has provided €7m for the Estonian software development company Webmedia Group.
AXA Private Equity acquires 50% stake in Autopista Trados 45
AXA Private Equity has acquired 50% of Spanish toll road operator Autopista Trados 45 from Cintra.