UK / Ireland
UK - Balderton invests in mobile betting service
Balderton Capital (formerly Benchmark Capital Europe) has provided start-up betNOW with a first round of funding. Mobile betting service betNOW will use the new capital to launch the service in the UK and accelerate product development, with the goal...
UK - Apax buys 19.4% stake in Emap in attempt to secure B2B deal
Apax Partners, together with co-investor Guardian Media Group, has acquired a 19.4% stake in London-listed publisher Emap. The stake-building by the Apax-led consortium follows the recommendation of its £1.26bn offer to acquire Emap's B2B division. Apax...
UK - BPE acquires Gardman Holdings for £85m
Barclays Private Equity has acquired a majority stake in Gardman Holdings Ltd, a supplier of wild bird care and garden products. The deal values the business at £85m. The corporate finance team at Deloitte in Nottingham initiated and introduced BPE to...
UK - YFM provides Mirifice with further £410,000
The South West Ventures Fund, managed by YFM Group, has provided Mirifice Ltd with further investment totalling £410,000. Bath-based Digital TV and Broadcast software and consulting company Mirifice has developed MirimonTM, a unique monitoring solution...
UK - Cinven promotes five
Cinven has promoted five employees across a number of teams.
UK - KKR completes £593m take-private of Northgate
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) has agreed to purchase listed IT solutions provider Northgate Information Solutions in a deal which values the company at approximately £593m.
UK - HgCapital and Montagu gain access to Biffa's books
HgCapital and Montagu have been granted access to Biffa to conduct due diligence after raising their offer by 20p per share. The revised 350p per share offer values the share capital of waste disposal company Biffa at £1.23bn.
UK - C.P.Eaton appoints Lars A. Linqvist to London office
C.P. Eaton Partners, a global independent placement agent, has appointed Lars A. Linqvist as a new professional in its London office.
UK - First Reserve secures agreement on £906m Abbot take-private
First Reserve Corporation has reached an agreement with the board of Abbot Group Plc to acquire the oil services group from the London Stock Exchange in a £906m deal. Specialist US-based energy investor First Reserve has offered 390p per share for Aberdeen-based...
UK - Foresight and Mouchel announce £50m cleantech collaboration
Foresight Group has announced the formation of a strategic partnership with consulting and business services group Mouchel, designed to develop cleantech infrastructure projects in the UK. The initial aim of the partnership is to invest up to £50m in...
UK - M&C Ventures repositions as Cornerstone Corporate Finance
Media and Communications Ventures Ltd (M&C Ventures) is rebranding and repositioning its business as Cornerstone Corporate Finance Ltd. Cornerstone is now an independent corporate finance boutique which focuses exclusively on advising management teams...
UK - Baird Capital Partners Europe invests £12m in ESS Steels
Baird Capital Partners Europe has invested £12m in ESS Steels Holdings Ltd, a manufacturer of engineered components for the oil industry. Alongside funds managed by Baird Capital Partners Europe, Yorkshire Bank provided facilities of £35m to support...
UK - YFM backs £6m buy-in of healthcare provider
YFM Private Equity has backed the £6m management buy-in of domiciliary care business Able Care. The deal was funded by investment from four funds managed by YFM Group – The Chandos Fund, North West Business Investment Scheme, The British Smaller Companies...
UK - Alvarez & Marsal appoint Merryck Lowe to lead European practice
Alvarez & Marsal (A&M), a global professional services firm operating in the US, Europe, Asia and Latin America, specialising in turnaround management and operational performance improvement, has appointed Merryck Lowe to head up its newly formed European...
UK - Palamon Capital Partners makes two appointments
Palamon Capital Partners has strengthened its team with two further appointments. Anthony Gardner joins as director of structured finance and Alexis de Dietrich joins as a vice president. Gardner was formerly at Bank of America, where he held the position...
UK - Matrix invests £3m to support MBO of environmental technology company
Matrix Private Equity Partners has invested £3m to finance the management buyout of Monsal Ltd, a specialist environmental technology company providing solutions for the water and waste sectors. Matrix Private Equity is taking a significant minority...
UK - Cognetas sells Global Solutions for £355m
Cognetas has sold Global Solutions (GSL) for £355m to London-listed G4S. The sale, subject to EU merger clearance and South African competition commission clearance, is expected to complete in 2008. Cognetas backed the management buyout of GSL in 2004...
UK - OCP backs Teepix with £800,000 investment
Oxford Capital Partners (OCP) has invested £800,000 from its Oxford Gateway Funds into Teepix, a technology which automatically captures golfers' action shots.
UK - Beringea acquires Donatantonio
Beringea has acquired food importer Donatantonio in a BIMBO deal.
UK - ICG backs MBO of Gaucho Grill from Phoenix
Intermediate Capital Group has invested minority equity and mezzanine capital to support Guacho's management team's acquisition of the company from previous backers Phoenix Equity Partners. The details of the deal were not disclosed. Phoenix considered...
UK - Sovereign completes 5.5x exit from schools and nurseries business
Sovereign Capital has recouped 5.5x its money from the sale of Alpha Plus Holdings Ltd, a group of independent schools, colleges and nurseries. The business has been acquired by Delancey, a specialist investment advisor, for an undisclosed sum. The investment...
UK - August Equity and Huveaux no longer in talks
August Equity and Huveaux, a specialist media company listed on AIM, have abandoned talks. August Equity was understood to have entered detailed discussions about a possible take-private of the company. The London-based business focuses on e-learning...
UK - 3i agrees £228.6m take-private of Inspicio
3i has reached agreement on the terms of a recommended cash offer with the board of Inspicio Plc to acquire the business. Inspicio is currently listed on AIM. The offer made at 225p per share values food inspection company Inspicio at approximately £228.6m.