UK / Ireland
EUROPE - European private equity leaps on cleantech
The concern with environmental issues and the consequent demand for solutions related to the generation of renewable energy and waste management has made cleantech a sought-after sector for European GPs. Dealflow in the sector has seen a noteworthy increase...
UK - BOSIF backs secondary buyout of Polypipe
Bank of Scotland has provided an integrated debt and equity package to support the secondary management buyout of Polypipe, a manufacturer of plastic piping and sanitary systems for the UK and European construction markets. The deal represents an exit...
UK - Elderstreet and Frontiers provide weComm with £3m of funding
Existing investors Elderstreet Investments and Frontiers Capital have provided weComm, an interactive mobile data solutions business, with £3m of funding. The investment will be used to fund product development and geographic expansion around its innovative...
UK - New player Infinity has £50m to invest in North West businesses
Newly launched Infinity Asset Management has opened for business with £50m to invest in businesses in the North West. Manchester-based Infinity has been founded by three former BDO Stoy Hayward partners Daniel Finestein, Sarah Platt and Phil Vickers.
UK - Close Brothers announces senior management changes
Close Brothers Corporate Finance has made a number of changes to its senior management team. These changes are part of the company’s strategy to position itself for further growth over the next five years. Stephen Aulsebrook, currently head of European...
UK - Finance Wales and Biofusion lead £2m investment in Q Chip
Finance Wales and AIM-listed Biofusion have entered into their first partnership deal as part of a £2m funding round for Q Chip Ltd. Cardiff-based Q Chip is a developer of microencapsulation solutions.
UK - Grant Thornton handles the administration of Esporta
Grant Thornton has been appointed to handle the administration of Esporta, the gym chain acquired by the Halabi family from Duke Street Capital in 2006. Private equity firms are queuing up to buy the asset. Potential buyers include MidOcean Partners,...
UK - Delta Two prepares to boost equity in Sainsburys deal
Delta Two is preparing to boost the equity involved in its 600p per share indicative offer for supermarket chain Sainsburys. After reports that the Sainsbury family, who's stake in the business totals 18%, were unhappy about the level of leverage at play...
UK - Liverpool Seed Fund backs EditLite with £300,000 funding round
Liverpool Seed Fund has invested £300,000 in EditLite Ltd. EditLite has developed software called ‘YourView’ which uses simple graphic icons to edit video footage. The software, which has a number of worldwide patents, enables the user to filter...
UK - BVCA approaches ex-FT editor
According to The Sunday Times, the BVCA has offered Andrew Gowers, former editor of the Financial Times, the job of chief executive. The news comes just a few days after Mark Fox, director of communications, announced he was leaving to take up the role...
UK - Creative Ventures backs TNWA Group
Creative Ventures has invested in TNWA Group, a leading developer of a new online multiplayer gaming platform. The funding provided by Creative Ventures has enabled TWNA to acquire Enemy Down, a leading destination for Europe’s competitive PC gamers....
UK - Delta Two must inject more equity to have a chance with Sainsburys
Delta Two has been told it must be prepared to put in more equity if it wants to have a chance of acquiring Sainsburys, the UK supermarket chain. London-listed Sainsbury is 18% held by the Sainsbury family who are demanding assurances that Delta Two will...
UK - Somerfield £1bn refinancing scrapped
Apax Partners and Barclays Capital's intended £1bn recapitalisation of portfolio company Somerfield has been shelved due to stagnation in the debt markets. The deal would have enabled Apax, Barclays and property entrepeneur Robert Tchenguiz to realise...
UK - Oxford Capital Partners backs Glide Pharma with £2.3m
Oxford Capital Partners has joined existing investors on a £2.3m funding round for Glide PharmaTM, the specialty pharmaceutical company developing products based on its innovative needle-free Glide SDI™ drug delivery system. Existing shareholders include...
UK - Exponent acquires Cardsave from RJD, Morley Fund Managers and LDC
Exponent Private Equity has acquired Cardsave, a supplier of credit card terminals and services to independent retailers. The company was bought from a consortium of shareholders which included RJD Partners, Morley Fund Management and LDC. Lloyds TSB...
UK - Bowmark acquires Las Iguanas from Piper Private Equity for £27m
Bowmark Capital has acquired Las Iguanas, a chain of Latin American restaurants, in a £27m buyout. The transaction provided an exit for Piper Private Equity, which invested £3.4m in the business in July 2002. Piper has reaped returns of 6x its investment...
UK - MVM backs new spinout Heptares Therapeutics
MVM Life Science Partners has provided Heptares Therapeutics with an undisclosed sum of early-stage funding. Heptares has spunout of the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge.
UK - Moulton sets standard for charitable giving
Jon Moulton of Alchemy Partners has made a private investment of £12m in Winthrop Hall, a new centre for treatment and research into drug and alcohol addiction which is scheduled to open on 8th October. Winthrop will offer clients an initial six-week,...
UK - West Coast Capital loses out on Dobbies
Tesco looks set to secure Dobbies, the Scottish gardening chain listed on AIM. The £155.6m deal represents a 45x price/earnings multiple. The deal, subject to further Dobbies shareholders accepting the offer, is a blow for West Coast Capital which decided...
UK - Mark Fox to leave BVCA
Mark Fox, currently director of Communications & Public Affairs at the BVCA, is leaving the organisation in October 2007. He will take up the position of chief executive of the Business Services Association from November.
IRELAND - Amadeus, Balderton and Spark invest $17.75m in Intune Networks
Amadeus Capital Partners, Balderton Capital and Spark Capital have led a $17.75m investment in Intune Networks, a developer of technology for telecommunications networks. 3i and ICC Venture Capital are existing shareholders in the company having invested...
UK - Inflexion refinances Ilchester Cheese Company
Inflexion Private Equity has refinanced its portfolio company Ilchester Cheese Company, a Somerset-based producer of blended cheese. Lloyds TSB provided the £5m debt and working capital facility for the refinancing.
UK - Blackstones quits plans to delist FKI
Blackstone has ended talks with engineering group FKI about a possible £768m take-private deal. The London-listed group announced that it was in contact with a suitor in May this year.
UK - Modus completes second deal with £11.4m development capital investment
Modus Private Equity has backed insurance administrator Fish Administration Ltd with £11.4m of development capital. The deal represents MPE's second since being set up 12 months ago by Paul Newton, Mike Rogan, Paul Hogarth and Brendan Flood.