UK / Ireland
UK - Blackstone linked to M&B
Blackstone's name has been linked to a possible offer for pub operator Mitchells & Butlers (M&B). It is reported that Blackstone will team up with either CVC or KKR to table a joint bid for the owner of the Harvester and the All Bar One pub chains.
UK - Skype-engineers ASI invest in Kindo
Ambient Sound Investments (ASI), Skype's founding engineers, have provided family network website Kindo with seed financing. ASI joins other seed investors including Saul and Robin Klein of The Accelerator Group (TAG), and Stefan Glänzer, first investor...
UK - HSBC Private Equity backs the buyout of Transmission & Distribution Group
HSBC Private Equity has supported the buyout of Transmission & Distribution Group (TDG). TDG specialises in providing condition monitoring systems for electrical utilities and heavy industry. TDG is the parent company of Diagnostic Monitoring Systems...
UK - DFJ Esprit and BOSGE provide PacketExchange with $12m series-B funding
Existing investors DFJ Esprit and Bank of Scotland Growth Equity have invested $12m in PacketExchange as part of a series-B funding round for the wide-area internet exchange service company. In conjunction with the funding, PacketExchange also announced...
UK - DFJ Esprit realises investment in buy.at through sale to AOL
DFJ Esprit has sold its interest in e-commerce marketing business buy.at through a sale of the business to AOL. buy.at will operate as a wholly-owned business unit of Advertising.com, part of AOL’s Platform-A organisation. buy.at, recently named the...
UK - LDC backs MBO of JCC Lighting
LDC has financed the management buyout of JCC Lighting, a global lighting fixtures group, for an undisclosed sum. LDC has invested a figure of less than £10m for a majority equity stake in the business. Royal Bank of Scotland provided a debt package...
UK - Balderton-backed LOVEFiLM acquires Amazon Europe DVD rental business
LOVEFiLM International Ltd, a DVD rental business backed by Index Ventures, Balderton Capital and DFJ Esprit, is to acquire Amazon Europe's DVD rental business in the UK and Germany. As part of this transaction, Amazon Europe will also make a cash investment...
UK - Octopus realises 2.3x from Gyro exit
Octopus Investments has sold its stake in Gyro, a B2B marketing services business. The exit has generated a return of 2.3x and an IRR of 57.7% on its investment. The exit has been facilitated by an investment of over £50m from a US private equity house....
UK - LDC boosts Bristol presence with new office and appointment
LDC has boosted its presence in the South West by opening a new office in Bristol and appointing Paul Oldham to its investment team. Oldham joins from Grant Thornton Corporate Finance where he built and led the firm’s eight-strong South West and South...
UK - SPARK's Kobalt Music Group signs agreement with Balderton
SPARK Ventures Plc portfolio company Kobalt Music Group Ltd, an independent music publisher has signed an agreement with Balderton Capital whereby Balderton will invest new equity in Kobalt. This transaction will result in a 60% uplift in the valuation...
UK - August Equity portfolio company makes acquisition
August Equity portfolio company Lifeways Community Care Ltd, has acquired Kentwood Ltd, a provider of care and support to adults in residential, domiciliary and supported living environments, for an undisclosed price. Kentwood is a care provider operating...
UK - IPES establishes Jersey office
The International Private Equity Services Group (IPES) has established a presence with the opening of a new office in Jersey under the name of IPES (Jersey) Ltd. The IPES Group was founded ten years ago in Guernsey and provides specialist fund administration...
UK - New music EIS fund seeks to raise £10m
Power Amp Music is seeking to raise £10m as an approved investment fund under the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS). The new vehicle, Power Amp Music Fund, will invest in a diversified portfolio of UK music talent, capitalising on the rapidly changing...
UK - MMC backs PharmAssess with £500,000
MMC Ventures has invested £500,000 in PharmAssess, an independent auditor which provides audit reports to the pharmaceutical industry.
UK - August strengthens investment team
August Equity has appointed David Lonsdale to its investment team. Lonsdale joins August Equity from British Sky Broadcasting Plc, where he worked in the corporate finance division. During his time at BSkyB, he was responsible for UK transactions across...
UK - SPARK Ventures leads seed round for mydeco.com
SPARK Ventures has led the financing of mydeco.com in what is reported to be one of the largest internet seed rounds in Europe. SPARK is the lead and largest investor in mydeco.com, an interior design website developed by the team behind lastminute.com,...
UK - LGV sells Classic Hospitals Group to Cinven-backed Spire for £145m
LGV Capital has agreed to sell Classic Hospitals Group, the UK’s sixth largest private acute hospital operator, to Spire Healthcare (formerly BUPA Hospitals), which is controlled by funds managed by Cinven, for £145m. Classic Hospitals owns and operates...
UK - BOSIF acquires Verna Group from LGV
Bank of Scotland Integrated Finance (BOSIF) has backed the secondary management buyout of healthcare manufacturing business Verna Group Holdings Ltd from LGV. The value of the deal is undisclosed. BOSIF takes a minority stake in the newco. Bolton-based...
UK - Apax, Cinven, CVC and Permira circle M&B
Pub operator Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) is being circled by large private equity players following the group's announcement of a strategic review earlier this week. Apax, Cinven, CVC, Permira and Texas Pacific Group have all been named as potential suitors...
UK - Grant Thornton strengthens Southampton team
Grant Thornton's Southampton office has recently recruited Nigel Le Bas as manager in the firm's corporate finance team.
European LPs: optimism, naivety or realism?
Despite the recent credit crisis, there appears to be relative optimism among European LPs compared with their North American and Asian counterparts. Would the immaturity and naivety of the European private equity industry be the cause of this so called...
UK - Altium makes three promotions
Altium has made three key promotions in its Manchester office. Mike Fletcher and Simon Lord have each been promoted to the position of managing director, while Steven Whitehead has become an assistant director.