UK / Ireland
EUROPE - Debt-free deals see sharp rise in Q4
According to unquote" data, more than a quarter of the 237 buyouts completed across Europe in the last three months of 2008 contained no acquisition leverage, while in the beleaguered UK a staggering 40% of Q4 buyouts were all-equity deals.
UK - Inflexion reaps 1.5x money from sale of CHKS
Inflexion Private Equity has wholly exited healthcare performance benchmarking specialist CHKS Limited in a trade sale to Capita Group Plc, generating returns of more than 1.5x the investment. Capita cites the price tag for the deal as £11.6m.
UK - Golden Gate sells stake in Micro Focus
Reports suggest that Golden Gate Capital is to sell its 22.3% stake in business software developer Micro Focus International Plc, in a deal that is thought to be worth approximately £117.1m.
UK - Gresham’s London chief leaves
Gresham's London head Mike Henebery has left the firm "and will be taking a break before deciding what route his career will take in future" according to a statement.
EUROPE - Candover downsizes fund
UK buyout house Candover has become to latest large-cap investor group to succumb to the pressures facing firms at the top of the market by announcing a reduction in the size of its latest fund.
IRELAND - Novartis et al. invest EUR 18m into Opsona
Novartis Venture Fund, Foundtain Heathcare Partners, Inventages Venture Capital and Seroba Kernel Life Sciences have invested EUR 18m in a second round of funding for biotechnology company Opsona Therapueutics.
UK - Oaktree in Countrywide talks
Restructuring specialist Oaktree Capital is reportedly in talks with Apollo Advisers regarding the acquisition of a controlling stake in Apollo portfolio company Countrywide, a residential estate agency.
EUROPE – Activist shareholder mulls 3i QPE takeover
AIM-listed investment group Crystal Amber has taken a stake in 3i's Quoted Private Equity and is reported to be in talks with management and 3i regarding delisting the fund.
UK - 3i-led consortium drops out of Gatwick bid
According to reports, the 3i-led consortium, which includes two Canadian pension funds, has pulled out of the bidding for London's Gatwick airport.
UK/EUROPE - BNP Paribas and Northern Lights to partner
According to reports, BNP Paribas Investment Partners is to announce a strategic partnership with US-based Northern Lights Ventures, a private equity firm focused on the institutional asset management industry.
GLOBAL - KKR appoints Donohue as managing director
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts has announced that Suzanne Donohoe will join the firm's global capital and asset management group as managing director and global head of the client and partner group.
UK - Shakleton makes follow-on investment into NanoSight
Secondaries venture capital firm Shackleton Ventures has completed an undisclosed follow-on investment into portfolio nanotechnology company NanoSight Ltd, through the acquisition of a significant shareholding from the National Endowment for Science,...
UK - Coller acquires SVG stake
It is understood that Coller Capital has acquired £50m of shares in SVG Capital Plc's heavily discounted£70m private placement - making the secondaries specialist the largest shareholder the listed fund.
UK - Directorbank appoints account director
Private equity recruitment specialist Directorbank has appointed Simon Thomas as account director for the Midlands & South West region.
UK - Alium made corporate partner of IFT
Interim management specialist Alium Partners has been named as a new corporate partner of the Institute for Turnaround.
UK - Augusta makes three senior appointments
Merchant Bank Augusta & Co has made three senior appointments in London to strengthen its debt advisory, restructuring, and renewable energy businesses.
UK - VC-backed businesses face funding shortfall
A new survey, conducted by Populus on behalf of the BVCA, has found that the majority of UK-based venture capitalists expect deal activity to decline in 2009, with more than half of those surveyed anticipating a significant slide against 2008.
GLOBAL - Permira bulks up Technology team
Permira has strengthened its technology team with the appointments of Brian Ruder and Bruce Chizen as a partner and senior advisor, respectively.
UK /RUSSIA - Ivory transfers to BLP's Russian office
International law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has announced that Ian Ivory, a London-based corporate finance partner, is to join the it's new Russian subsidiary office in Moscow.
GLOBAL - LPs 'will find a way out'
"There's no question, that on our new deals, we'll have the availability to get out," said Rafael Stone of Washington State University's Board of Regents, speaking at the unquote" South African Private Equity Congress in Cape Town this morning.
UK - MMC makes £2m Small World investment
MMC Ventures has invested £2m into retail financial services provider Small World Financial Services Group.
UK/NETHERLANDS - HgCapital to close Amsterdam office and consumer team
HgCapital has announced that it is to close its office in Amsterdam and its London-based consumer and leisure team.
GLOBAL - Aladdin launches DIP fund
Aladdin Capital Holdings has launched a new fund designed to invest in Debtor-in-Possession facilities.
UK - 3i-backed Civica makes two acquisitions
3i-owned software solutions provider Civica, through its subsidiary Civica Pty Ltd, has acquired Queensland-based Practical Computer Services Pty Ltd and the local government business of electionz.com, based in New Zealand.