UK / Ireland
UK - Oxford Capital Partners and Imperial Innovations in £3.1m second-round funding
Oxford Capital Partners and Imperial Innovations have co-led a £3.1m second round of funding for Veryan Medical Ltd, a developer of medical devices to improve the long-term effectiveness of medical care in patients with vascular disease. Existing investor...
UK - PAI hungry for Big Brother-maker
Production company Endemol, the name behind Big Brother and Deal or No Deal is on the block with bids expected to fetch EUR 3bn. Spanish group Telefónica announced its plans to sell its 75% stake earlier this year.
UK - JC Flowers sniffs out Friends Provident with AXA
Shares in Friends Provident climbed yesterday amid speculation that JC Flowers is considering working on a bid for the UK life assurer with insurance giant AXA.
UK - 3i takes stake in Foster + Partners
3i has taken a minority stake in architecture practice Foster + Partners. The deal has enabled the company behind the Gherkin and the Millau viaduct in France to restructure management and broaden its shareholder base to include more employees. Equity...
UK - TPG and Warburg Pincus team up to acquire New Look for £2bn
Texas Pacific Group and Warburg Pincus have teamed up to bid for low-cost fashion retailer New Look. Press reports suggest the TPG consortium is currently front runner to acquire the Weymouth-based retailer in a Merrill Lynch-run auction. CVC, Cinven...
UK - 3i announces results
3i has confirmed its intention to return £800m to shareholders. The move, which is subject to shareholder approval, comes on the back of its annual results to 31 March 2007, which were announced today. 3i invested a total of £1,576m and realised £2,438m...
UK - ICG appoints Garland Hansmann
Intermediate Capital Group has appointed Garland G. Hansmann as portfolio manager for its fund management subsidiary Intermediate Capital Management Ltd.
UK - Bank of Scotland supports McColl acquisition of Weir with £30m equity bridge
Weir Pumps has been acquired by Jim McColl's Clyde Blowers group of companies in a £100m deal. Bank of Scotland provided a £3 0 m equity bridge to ensure the swift completion of the deal. An Entrepreneur Fund will be established by the management...
UK - Sovereign in £11m buyout of living care company
Sovereign Capital has backed the £11m institutional buyout of Parallel Options Ltd, a provider of supported living care services to adults with learning disability or mental health needs in Gloucestershire.
UK - Babcock edges out Carlyle in Devonport deal
An initial agreement between the vendors of naval dockyard Devonport and Babcock International indicates that Babcock has edged out rival bidder Carlyle. The £350m deal would be subject to approval from the Ministry of Defence and competition authorities,...
UK - YFM's Chandos Fund completes first deal with £2.3 investment
YFM Private Equity's latest fund, Chandos, has completed its first buyout. Chandos's first deal, a £2.3m investment in fitted kitchen specialist Harvey Jones, follows its first close on £23m in January. The fund is targeting a final close of £40m,...
EUROPE - Later stage rounds dominate European venture activity in Q1 2007
Recent research into European venture investing in Q1 2007 shows that later stage rounds have dominated activity. 40% of the rounds in the first quarter were later-stage rounds, the largest percentage since 1999. In total, Q1 2007 recorded EUR 1.07bn...
UK - Alchemy interested in Torex Retail
Alchemy Partners is reported to be interested in acquiring struggling software retailer Torex Retail. Aim-listed Torex hit trouble earlier this year with a profit warning and a suspension in the trading of its shares. It is currently under investigation...
UK - 3i portfolio company announces agreement with defence company Thales
3i portfolio company Light Blue Optics (LBO), a developer of miniature projection systems, has announced a joint agreement to develop a range of display products with aerospace & defence company Thales. Under the agreement, LBO will provide Thales with...
UK - BC Partners wins £400m auction for Foxtons
It is understood that BC Partners has reached exclusivity in its bid to acquire estate agency chain Foxtons. The deal values the primarily London-focussed agency at £400m. In a process run by Credit Suisse, BC Partners beat off competition from other...
UK - University of Sheffield spin-out sold to US medical technology company
Plasso Technology UK has been acquired by US medical technology company BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company). The deal represents an exit for Plasso investors, White Rose Technology Seedcorn Fund and East Hill Management Company. White Rose provided Plass...
UK - Bridges provides The Office with £2.2m of additional funding
Bridges Community Ventures has provided managed office business The Office with a further round of funding totalling £2.2m. The new capital has enabled The Office to purchase a fourth building.
UK - Advent International acquires Lloyds TSB Registrars in £550m deal
Advent International has acquired the share registration arm of Lloyds TSB for £550m. The deal came about after Lloyds TSB appointed Lehman Brothers to run a sale process. Advent beat off competition from Australian company Link Market Services which...
UK - CVC reported to be interested in Jessops
London-listed camera retailer Jessops is the subject of takeover speculation. The company's shares are trading at a fifth of what they were worth last year following a series if profit warnings. CVC is reported to be interested in the company.
UK - Morrisons latest supermarket to attract private equity interest
Morrisons is the latest UK supermarket chain to have attracted private equity interest. The Bradford-based chain is the fourth largest supermarket in the UK following its takeover of Safeway in 2004. A private equity bid could value Morrisons at up to...
UK - One Equity encounters new competition for EMI takeover approach
One Equity is facing competition in its bid to acquire London-listed music publisher EMI. EMI is reported to have opened its books to US hedge fund Cerberus and Fortress Investment Group as well as One Equity, the private equity arm of JP Morgan that...
UK - Bridges leads SBO of Triage from 3i
Bridges Ventures has led the secondary buyout of IT repair company Triage Services. The deal represents an exit for 3i which backed the original £9m management buyout of the company in 1997. Kaye Enterprises and Calculus Capital also participated in...
UK - 3i to buy into architectural firm
3i is reported to be buying a minority stake in Foster & Partners, the architectural business behind the Gherkin. The deal is expected to value the company at between £400-500m.
UK - Christiian Marriott joins BPE from Mezzanine Management
Christiian Marriott has joined Barclays Private Equity as head of investor relations. He was previously at Mezzanine Management.