UK / Ireland
UK - Cambridge Cluster data research
Library House, the high-growth private company research house, in association with Wilmer Hale and BDO Stoy Hayward, has announced the publication of the 2006 Cambridge Cluster Report – “The Supercluster Question”. The third report produced by Library...
UK - Bank of Scotland backs buyout of William Cook Defence
William Cook Defence Ltd (WCD), the North East-based specialist manufacturer of tracks and other engineering components, together with its subsidiary William Cook Intermodal Ltd have been acquired from William Cook Holdings Ltd, the Sheffield-based engineering...
UK - SiConnect receives £700,000 investment from Esprit
Esprit Capital Partners has led an investment round for SiConnect Ltd. The £700,000 is part of a first tranche of second fundraising which comes from Esprit's Prelude Trust Plc fund and follows earlier investments of £1.3m in March 2006 and £2.8m in...
UK - Gresham appoints new investment executive
Gresham has announced that Simon Hemley has joined the investment team as an investment executive. He will be based in London.
UK - South East Growth Fund commits £250,000 to Oxford English Training Ltd
SEGF has invested £250,000 as part of a £500,000 investment round to fund the continued expansion of Oxford English Training Ltd (OETL) in mainland China. OETL is a prestigious English Language and Business Qualifications training company servicing...
UK - New grouping of private equity investment trusts launched
At a time of rising interest in the private equity sector, iPEIT, the Initiative for Private Equity Investment Trusts, has been formed to improve awareness and understanding among retail investors, smaller institutions and investment managers not already...
UK - Signet wants to hang on to H Samuel and Ernest Jones
US jewellery company Signet has stated that it intends to hang on to its 590 outlets in the UK which trade under the H Samuel and Ernest Jones names. It is understood that the UK businesses are falling behind the fast-growing US businesses.
UK - Possible take-private of Inter Link Foods?
Reports suggest that the management of Inter Link Foods are in talks with private equity firms, including 3i, HgCapital and LDC, about the possibility of delisting the company. Its shares closed at 407.5p on Friday with management anticipating to demand...
UK - Clayton, Dubilier & Rice refinances Brakes
Brakes, a food service solution provider and portfolio company belonging to Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) is the subject of a £275m refinancing. The refinancing is lead-arranged by JPMorgan, Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank, with UBS as co-manager....
UK - Bank of Scotland Corporate invests in Sunseeker International
Bank of Scotland Corporate has provided luxury yacht builder Sunseeker International with an integrated finance and debt package, taking a minority stake in the business following the transaction.
UK - Risk Capital Partners acquires Patisserie Valerie
Risk Capital Partners has acquired a majority stake in London's famous upmarket patisserie chain Patisserie Valerie. The acquisition has been made with a view to expanding the business and taking it national. The company has revenues in excess of £8m.
UK - Bank of Scotland Corporate backs MBO of Conran Restaurants
Bank of Scotland Corporate Banking has provided a £47m integrated debt and equity package to support the existing management in the buyout of Conran Restaurants. The deal has enabled management, who have invested new cash, to significantly increase their...
UK - Sun Capital acquires Pearl Fittings representing partial exit for Endless
Endless has sold its majority stake in Pearl Fittings Ltd to Sun European Partners, the European adviser to Sun Capital Partners. The deal represents a partial exit for Endless, which first invested in the company in March 2006 since when turnover has...
UK - Apax launches bid to delist unquote" publisher Incisive Media
Apax Partners has made an offer to acquire global B2B publisher Incisive Media Plc. The deal, which has been recommended by the independent directors of the business, values the London Stock Exchange-listed company’s shares at £199m, and offers shareholders...
UK - Investec launches new asset-based lending proposition
Investec Private Bank’s growth & acquisition finance business has expanded its proposition with the establishment of a dedicated asset-based lending team to enhance its mid-market capability in growth & acquisition financing. Headed by Gary Edwards,...
UK - YFM Group appoints new investment manager
YFM Group, manager of the £25m South West Ventures Fund, has appointed Julian Dennard as investment manager. Dennard will join the SWVF team which make venture capital funding available to small- and medium-sized enterprises with high-growth potential...
UK - Barclays Private Equity takes stake in Jerrold Holdings for £113.5m
Barclays Private Equity has acquired a significant minority stake in Jerrold Holdings Ltd, a secured lender to the residential and commercial sectors, for £113.5m. The acquisition adds to Barclays Private Equity’s financial services portfolio, (which...
UK - Aberdeen Asset Managers Growth Capital appoints new investment manager
Aberdeen Asset Managers Growth Capital has appointed Jonty Hall as investment manager to its Northern team. Hall will focus on new investments involving smaller UK companies requiring up to £4m of equity finance, including MBOs/MBIs, expansion capital,...
UK - Penta Capital leads £10m equity funding round in retail chain’s 147 UK stores
Internaçionale Holdings Ltd, the Glasgow-headquartered retailer which owns 147 Au Naturale and Internaçionale stores throughout the UK, has been acquired in a management buyout worth £45m. Internaçionale’s senior management team of Norrie Stewart,...
UK - Barclays Private Equity invests £15m in powered machine hirers merger
Barclays Private Equity has invested £15m in the merger of AFI Aerial Platforms and Uplift Platforms, hirers of powered access machines. Barclays Private Equity will hold a significant stake in the enlarged business. AFI Aerial Platforms, based in Wakefield,...
UK - Deloitte brings in US transaction expert
Deloitte has announced today the joining of Gary Levinson, the former head of the US firm’s Mid West transaction services practice, to its London office.
UK - Bowmark Capital acquires Design Objectives
Bowmark Capital has announced the acquisition of Design Objectives Ltd, the UK’s leading supplier of products to the rapidly growing paper crafts market. Paper crafting is principally the design and decoration of home-made greeting cards, scrapbooks...
UK - NTL deal reportedly off
Market souces report that the £10.6bn bid for NTL by a consortium of private equity groups is no longer going to go ahead.
UK - HMV's Alan Giles to join Fat Face
Fat Face, the clothing group backed by Advent International has recruited Alan Giles as non-executive. Fat Face's sales rose to £81m for the year to May 2005 with an increase of 79% on operating profits to £13.4m.