UK / Ireland
UK - Seatwave raises $25m series-C led by Fideity Ventures
Fidelity Ventures has joined existing investors Atlas Venture, Mangrove Capital and Adinvest in a $25m series-C funding round for Seatwave, a ticket exchange website. The new capital brings the total raised by the company since it was founded in 2006,...
UK - London Seed Capital backs Magpie with £500,000
London Seed Capital has provided Magpie Ltd, the company behind social media analytics tool Brandwatch, with funding totalling £500,000. Led by London Seed Capital, the round includes a select group of business angels.
UK - Blackstone reported to be courting FKI again
Blackstone is believed to be taking a second look at London-listed engineering group FKI less than nine months after abandoning plans to launch an offer for the business. The news follows reports that heavily-indebted FKI last week received an approach...
UK - MSIF leads £360,000 investment in concrete mixing business
Merseyside Special Investment Fund (MSIF) has led a £360,000 investment in Nurock, a company which has developed an innovative hyrdraulic concrete mixing system.
UK - August Equity portfolio company makes £19m disposal
August Equity portfolio company Planit Holdings has disposed of its computer aided design (CAD) arm Fusion to 20-20 Technologies Inc for £19m. Fusion specialises in CAD solutions for the retail industry. The sale of Fusion is in line with the original...
UK - Clessidra acquires one third of Welsh woodchip power plant
Clessidra Capital Partners has acquired one third of a planned Wales-based woodchip power plant named Global Wood Holding (GWH). GWH is being built on a decommissioned steel plant in Port Talbot. Italian private equity investor Clessidra joins Taiwanese...
UK - Epi-V appoints ex-3i director as investment committee chairman
Oil and gas private equity fund Epi-V LLP has appointed Sue Hunter as its investment committee chairman. Hunter, who previously worked with 3i for 15 years, joins Epi-V’s six-strong team which invests between £2m and £10m in emerging technology and...
UK - LGV completes third realisation in a week with £300m dental disposal
LGV has sold Integrated Dental Holdings (IDH) to Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity for a reported £300m. Financing for the transaction has been provided by Bank of Ireland, Barclays, Merrill Lynch and RBS. LGV's exit from IDH represents its third in...
UK - Lyceum Capital closes second fund above target on £255m
Lyceum Capital has closed its second fund £55m above its £200m target on £255m. Lyceum Capital Fund II will invest, alongside management, in mid-sized UK-headquartered service companies. This is the first fund that Lyceum has raised since its buyout...
UK - Creative Ventures and Finance South West back online video platform
Creative Ventures Group, YFM-managed Finance South West Growth Fund and private investors have led a series-B round of funding for Coull, a provider of interactive online video publishing platforms. With this investment, Coull has launches two products...
GERMANY/UK - Riverside portfolio company acquires UK communications firm
The Riverside Company, along with several other investors, has backed Sage Holdings in the acquisition of UK-based financial communications firm – M:Communications, and of a leading global proxy solicitation firm – D.F. King & Co., Inc. Established...
Bowmark Capital Survey
UK lower mid-market defies the gloom
Divide to conquer
The BVCA has again met with the TUC to continue roundtable discussions begun last year. The dialogue in which the industry is now engaging is admirable. The BVCA is doing everything it can to ensure it is a successful lobby group for the British private...
UK - Montagu and GIP get go ahead from Biffa's board
Montagu Private Equity and Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) have had their 350p per share offer for waste group Biffa recommended by the company's board. The deal values Biffa, a former division of Severn Trent, at £1.2bn. Bank of Scotland and HSBC...
UK/FRANCE - AlixPartners appoints Helena Samaha as general counsel
AlixPartners, the global restructuring, consulting, and financial advisory firm, has announced the appointment of Helena Samaha as general counsel-Europe. She will be based in the firm’s Paris office.