UK / Ireland
Primary Capital backs £20m Güralp BIMBO
UK mid-market private equity investor, Primary Capital, has backed the £20m buy-in management buyout (BIMBO) of Güralp Systems - a manufacturer of geophysical instruments and networks.
Seventure lead £3.5m investment in PhosphonicS
Seventure Partners lead £3.5m second investment round in PhosphonicS, a cleantech company, alongside returning investors Regents Park Partners, a LBS venture capital fund, and private investors.
Biotech IPOs under investor microscope
The recent flurry of biotechs seeking to raise capital on the public markets could prove mistimed as question marks are raised over investor appetite. François Rowell investigates.
Wellington appoints new venture partner
Wellington Partners has appointed Mossadiq Umedaly as venture partner. Primarily based in the firm's Palo Alto, Umedaly is expected to be involved in cleantech investments out of Wellington Partners' London and Munich offices.
Blackstone and Wellcome team up for RBS branch bid
Blackstone and The Wellcome Trust are set to make a joint bid for Williams & Glyn’s, the small business network put on sale by RBS.
Better Capital acquires Reader's Digest UK for £13m
Better Capital has completed a second acquisition; the management buyout of the UK business of Reader's Digest in a transaction valued at £13m, which secures the future of the business.
KCP appoints former ISIS director
UK-based private equity house Key Capital Partners (KCP) has appointed former ISIS Equity Partners (ISIS) director Andy Gregory as a partner in its North of England team.
Candover to inject £15m into DX Group
Candover-backed UK and Ireland independent mail and courier business DX Group has agreed to a capital refinancing and a management buy-in led by Petar Cvetkovic and David Hoare.
The automotive sector: a stable proposition?
The news that beleaguered Stabilus has been taken over by Triton draws attention to the European automotive sector, which, for private equity, remains a dangerous proposition, according to insiders. Mareen Goebel reports.
Deutsche Bank launches PE fund of funds unit
Deutsche Bank is launching a new private equity fund-of-funds unit as part of its asset management business, according to reports.
Exponent-backed Durrants acquires Gorkana in £25m deal
Exponent-backed Durrants, a 125-year-old cuttings business, has agreed to buy Gorkana, an online jobs site, in deal worth just under £25m.
VSS appoints Hartfelder as head of IR
Veronis Suhler Stevenson (VSS) has appointed Jack Hartfelder as head of investor relations.
Riverside acquires Eska Implants for Summit Medical
The Riverside Company has acquired German Eska Implants AG as a bolt-on for its UK-based portfolio company Summit Medical Group Limited.
LPs & GPs benefit from mutual support
Emerging from the recessions, GPs are facing a new reality in their LP relations. Investors are becoming increasingly selective, and approach negotiations with more assertiveness. However, as Francinia Protti-Alvarez finds, the new GP/LP relationship...
CD&R appoints former Procter & Gamble chief as partner
Clayton, Dubilier & Rice has appointed former Procter & Gamble CEO Alan Lafley as special operating partner.
Gresham backs £12.3m MBO of LAS
Gresham has backed the £12.3m management buyout of claims manager Lanes Assistance Services (LAS) from existing shareholder Lanes Group plc.
UK FTF makes first committment to DFJ's third fund
The UK Future Technologies Fund (UK FTF), one of two fund-of-funds which effectively make up the UK Innovation Investment Fund, has made its first commitment into the DFJ Esprit III vehicle, bringing it closer to its £130m target.
unquote" 6 April 2010
LP/GP relationships are changing like never before as investors push for improved terms and increasingly look to bypass GPs and invest directly.
Energy Ventures in £7.5m round for Red Spider
Energy Ventures and Simmons Parallel Energy have invested £7.5m in Red Spider, a developer of downhole products and services.
Hermes and Gartmore deliver consolidation message
Hermes and Gartmore lead the consolidation of the fund-of-funds industry with the creation of Hermes GPE. Deborah Sterescu reports.
3i appoints two to global IR team
UK–based private equity player 3i has made two senior appointments to its fund investor relations (FIR) team as part of its focus to further enhance its relationships with its LPs around the world.
YFM exits Sheet Piling
YFM Private Equity has sold its stake in construction business Sheet Piling in a management buy-back deal, generating a return of 3.7x for the private equity firm and an IRR of 20.17%.
Octopus VCT closes at £50m
Octopus Investments has reached its £50m capacity for its limited life VCT - open since September 2009. The fund is now closed for new investments.
Lyceum Capital-backed Carewatch completes three bolt-ons
Lyceum Capital-backed Carewatch, a provider of domiciliary care services, has acquired three more businesses in the sector: Midlands-based homecare organisation All and Small and two current franchise businesses Carewatch North Tyneside and Carewatch...