UK / Ireland
UK - ECI acquires Aerial Facilities in £56m management buy-in
ECI Partners has acquired Aerial Facilities for £56m. Aerial, based in Buckinghamshire, is a market leader in the design, manufacture and installation of specialist products and solutions. ECI is backing a new management buy-in team led by Ian Brown,...
UK - Boyden strengthens team
Boyden Interim Management Ltd has strengthened its UK team with the creation of a key senior position. John Bloor has been appointed director of restructuring and turnaround, reflecting the gathering momentum of demand for Boyden's input to business recovery.
UK - Phoenix Equity Partners promotes Chris Hanna to partner
Phoenix Equity Partners has promoted Chris Hanna to the position of partner.
UK - Aberdeen spinout Zeus reaches £50m first close
unquote” has learned that Zeus Private Equity, a new firm formed by members of the team at Aberdeen Murray Johnstone Private Equity (AMJPE), has reached a first close of £50m towards its £100m maiden fund. Investors include institutional outfits,...
UK - Corbett Keeling appoints Vincent Thompson
Corbett Keeling has appointed Vincent Thompson as an associate. Thompson qualified as an accountant with Peat Marwick Mitchell in 1978 and has since worked for the corporate finance division of Morgan Grenfell and Hambros Bank. In 2003, he joined the...
UK - Bridges backs Birmingham-based School Stickers with £1.42m of funding
Bridges Community Ventures has invested £1.42m in School Stickers, a Birmingham-based manufacturer of customised motivational stickers and postcards for schools. This is Bridges 2nd investment from its new fund, Bridges Community Development Venture...
UK - Welsh biopharmaceutical company receives £1m investment
The Welsh Assembly Government has invested £1m through its SMARTCymru programme to Protherics Plc, a biopharmaceutical company which has its main manufacturing operations in Ceredigion. The grant will be used to support the manufacture of Protherics’...
UK - 3i and Esprit exit CPS for $35m
Cambridge Positioning Systems Ltd (CPS), a 3i and Esprit Capital portfolio company, has been sold to CSR Plc for a total consideration of $35m. 3i and Esprit, through the Prelude Trust, first invested in CPS via a £1.75m funding round in 1998. Two further...
UK - Extra time called in 3i's Countrywide bid
A vote which would have decided the fate of 3i's mooted £966m take-private offer for Countrywide was postponed yesterday. Sources reported that an unofficial vote saw less than the required 75% of shareholders accepting the offer and consequently the...
UK - North West Equtiy Fund invests £250,000 in medical communications company
North West Equity Fund has invested £250,000 into Cheshire-based CSF Medical Communications Limited (CSF).
UK - Carlyle in another defence deal
Carlyle is reported to have teamed up with BAE to acquire the Devonport naval yard in Plymouth from the Ministry of Defence. The yard, at which nuclear submarines are serviced, is likely to benefit from a £25bn proposal to replace the current submarine...
UK - Barclays Ventures acquires Christy Group in £21m deal
Barclays Ventures has backed the £21m management buyout of Christy Group Ltd, a designer, importer and distributor of children’s dress-up costumes based in Barnsley. Christy supplies major retailers worldwide such as Walmart/ASDA, Tesco, Marks and...
UK - Oak Hill to acquire United Utilities' outsourcing business
A private equity consortium headed up by Oak Hill, the US group, is to acquire the United Utilities' business outsourcing division, Vertex. The £220m deal follows United Utilities decision to sell Vertex due to falling profits within the division.
UK - Sovereign completes two recapitalisations
Sovereign Capital has announced a £37m recapitalisation of TRACSCARE Limited and a £16m recapitalisation of Truecare Holdings Limited. Both companies focus on providing specialist care to adults with learning difficulties and mental health needs in...
UK - Sovereign Capital announces promotions
Sovereign Capital has promoted two members of its team, Jose Rodriguez and Paul Egan, to the position of assistant director. Egan joined Sovereign Capital in June 2005 and has extensive experience of the business to business support services sector.
UK - Imperial Innovations invests in Equinox Pharma
Imperial Innovations Group plc has invested £250,000 in Equinox Pharma Limited, a company providing advanced software products to the pharma and biopharma industry. The investment in Equinox was part of a £500,000 seed funding round, which also included...
UK - Tate & Lyle Ventures makes first investment
Tate & Lyle Ventures, a fund launched with backing from the sugar refiner and ingredients producer to invest in next generation food ingredients, has completed its first deal. The fund has invested in food safety diagnostics company Lumora Ltd, a spin-out...
UK - Stockwell Capital Investments announces proposed admission to AIM
Stockwell Capital Investments Plc, a newly formed, closed-ended investment company which has been established to invest in diversified private equity situations, directly through co-investments and indirectly through fund investments, today announces...
UK - Barclays Ventures exits Ancyra in £22m deal
Barclays Ventures has realised its investment in Care Holdings Ltd, an operator of care homes for the elderly which trades as Ancyra Health Ltd. The investor made the exit via a trade sale to Aermid Health Care Ltd following a direct approach to the vendors....
UK - The Capital Fund provides instant messaging provider with £250,000
The Capital Fund has provided secure instant messaging service provider, Presence Networks, with £250,000 of expansion capital. One of a series of significant investments in Presence Networks, The Capital Fund’s backing will help take the company’s...
UK - Finance Wales invests £600,000 in animation company
Wales’ largest independent animation studio is planning further international expansion after securing a £600,000 capital investment from Finance Wales which will see it take a minority stake in the company. BAFTA award-winning company, Calon, will...
GLOBAL - SJBerwin loses three partners to Kirkland & Ellis
SJ Berwin LLP has announced that three private equity partners, Mark Mifsud, Richard Watkins and Justin Dolling, will move to rival law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP’s fund formation team.
UK - Mark Barrow leaves Close Brothers Corporate Finance
Unquote” can reveal that Close Brothers Corporate Finance has lost Mark Barrow, a director and head of Close Brothers' private equity coverage team. Barrow joined Close in 1996 and had been made head of the team in March 2005. Darren Redmayne, co-founder...
UK - Phoenix Equity Partners appoints John Rastrick
Phoenix Equity Partners has appointed John Rastrick to its team. Rastrick will have specific responsibility for Phoenix's activities and investments in the North of England, where he will be based.