UK / Ireland
UK - Noble Fund Managers leads £2.6m investment in Optasia Medical
Noble Fund Managers has led a £2.6m investment in Optasia Medical Ltd alongside Saffron Hill Ventures. The new capital will be used to accelerate the introduction into clinical practice of Optasia's radiography-based CAD tools for musculoskeletal diseases.
UK - New secondaries firm Shackleton Ventures makes acquisition
Shackleton Ventures Ltd, a new venture capital firm formed in November 2006, is to acquire the secondaries business formerly owned by AIM-quoted Strathdon Investments Plc. The business comprises the general partner and manager of the Strathdon Secondaries...
UK - TDR Capital in bid to delist portable accommodation company
TDR Capital has made a recommended cash offer for Wraith Plc, a supplier of portable accommodation and related site services based in Lincolnshire. The 105p per share offer represents a market capitalisation of £30.29m and a 15.4% premium to the closing...
UK - Dunedin leads MBO of WFEL Ltd
Dunedin Capital Partners has led the £48m management buyout of WFEL Ltd, a designer and manufacturer of mobile bridging systems and related products. Dunedin provided £21m of equity, for a majority stake, alongside a debt package of £27.5m provided...
UK - Gresham sells Busy Bees for £71m
Gresham Private Equity has agreed to sell childcare provider Busy Bees to Australian company ABC Learning Centres Ltd in a deal worth £71m. The exit generated a 3.6x return on Gresham's investment. Gresham first backed Busy Bees in February 2000 with...
UK - Alchemy bids for Floors-2-Go Plc
Alchemy Partners has tabled a £52.4m bid for AIM-listed real wood and laminate flooring specialist Floors-2-Go Plc. The offer of 40p per share through a bid vehicle advised by Close Brothers Corporate Finance represents a 53.8% premium to the closing...
UK - GI Partners makes new appointment
Kristen Mary has joined GI Partners' London office as director of investor relations. Prior to joining the firm, she was a Partner at placing agent MVision Private Equity Advisers.
EUROPE - EVCA publishes 2006 benchmarking study
EVCA has published its third annual benchmarking study, a piece of research which compares the tax and legal environments for private equity and venture capital across 25 European countries.
UK - Jefferies expands European team
Jefferies investment bank has hired senior investment professionals formerly of HSBC to the firm's transportation, oil service and infrastructure group.
UK - Accel, Amadeus and Index lead $26.5m fundraising for Artimi
Accel Partners, Amadeus Capital Partners and Index Ventures have led a $26.5m series-B investment in Artimi Inc, a developer of wireless semiconductors for portable certified wireless USB consumer electronics that is based in California, with research...
UK - Barclays Ventures backs £24m MBO of MSW Suspended Flooring
Barclays Ventures' Manchester team has backed the management buyout of MSW Suspended Flooring System Solutions Ltd (MSW). MSW is an installer of steel deck flooring systems into multi-rise new build projects, including the redevelopments at Twickenham...
UK - Cineworld calls off talks with VUE
It is understood that Cineworld has called off talks with VUE about a possible merger between the two private equity-backed companies in favour of an IPO. Cineworld, backed by Blackstone since 2005, has twice called off a flotation in the last year citing...
UK - Formal 3i bid for Countrywide due soon
It is understood that 3i will make a formal bid for listed estate agency company Countrywide in the coming days. The two have been engaged in talks since mid-October.
UK - Electra Quoted Management backs new extreme sports publisher
Electra Quoted Management has provided newco Factory Media with an initial investment of £3.85m to enable it to acquire three leading specialist extreme sports publishers in the 16-24 youth market; Action Sports Media, Permanent Publishing and 4130 Publishing....
UK - Veritas Capital acquires Pearson's Government Solutions
Government Solutions, a division of Pearson specialising in business process outsourcing, systems integration and consultancy services has been acquired by Veritas Capital for a reported $660m.
UK - Doughty Hanson leads EUR 315m cash injection for Sentanta
Doughty Hanson & Co has led a EUR 315m cash injection in the form of equity and preferred securities in Sentanta Sports Holdings Ltd. Goldman Sachs International, Davy Stockbrokers and Adams Street Partners have also invested in the deal. The new capital...
UK - Lyceum Capital backs SPI Group Ltd
Lyceum Capital has invested in SPI Group Ltd, a building services company which provides installation, repairs, maintenance and support services to the social housing sector.
UK - ABN AMRO Capital sees 3x return on Dennis Eagle sale
ABN AMRO Capital has sold Dennis Eagle Group Ltd for an undisclosed sum to Ros Roca SA a Spanish-headquartered European leader in the refuse sector. ABN AMRO Capital’s investment in Dennis Eagle has generated a money multiple of 3x with an IRR of 50%.
UK - Investcorp's Polestar in crisis
Polestar, the printing group formed by Investcorp's £700m buyout of two printing groups in 1998, is reported to be on the threshold of a financial restructuring.
UK - Permira closer to securing EMI deal
Market reports suggest that Permira is close to securing the estimated £2bn buyout of music giant EMI.
UK - 3i generates 100%+ IRR on exit from Domantis to GlaxoSmithKline
3i is to sell its stake in Domantis, a developer of next generation antibody therapies to GlaxoSmithKline in an all cash deal valuing the company at £230m. The exit is generating an IRR in excess of 100% on 3i's investment. Other investors in Domantis...
UK - MidOcean Partners acquires Birmingham-based packaging company
MidOcean Partners, the group which recently realised its investment United Biscuits through a £1.6bn secondary buyout, has acquired Europackaging for a reported £190m.
UK - Risk Capital Partners exits design and marketing company Loewy
Risk Capital Partners has made its fourth full exit in the past 15 months with the sale of its entire holding in the creative design and marketing services company Loewy. The Loewy disposal generated a 2.5x cash on cash return and an IRR of 41%.
UK - North West Equity Fund in £500,000 fundraising for Into Technology
The North West Equity Fund, alongside Liverpool Seed Fund, has invested in a £500,000 fundraising round for Into Technology Holdings Ltd.