UK / Ireland
UK - Cambridge Consultants restarts venturing business
Cambridge Consultants, one of Europe’s leading technology-based design and development companies, has announced plans to reactivate its spin-out business with the creation of a new venture fund.
UK - Bank of Scotland backs £119.5m acquisition of Adare Group
Adare Group, a leading UK print management, mailing and packaging solutions company, has announced that a team of seven current directors, led by Robert Whiteside, has acquired the business with the backing of Bank of Scotland Corporate.
UK - No Hit to 3i on Chorion
It has been confirmed that Hit Entertainment has pulled out of moves to buy Chorion, the intellectual property group that owns Noddy and Mr Men.
UK - Cazenove to spin off private equity business
Cazenove is spinning off its private equity business, a fund with about £230m of assets, through a merger with Prelude Ventures, according to the FT.
UK - Kirkland & Ellis makes two private equity appointments
Kirkland & Ellis International LLP has announced the appointment of two partners from Linklaters' private equity team.
UK - Close Brothers Growth Capital backs £9m MBO of Allen & Heath
Close Brothers Growth Capital Ltd (CBGC)has backed the £9m secondary buyout of Allen & Heath, a designer of professional sound mixing equipment. The move represents a successful exit for 3i, which backed the original MBO in 2001.
UK - Empower Interactive secures $18m private equity funding
Empower Interactive has secured $18m in a new round of funding headed by Scottish Equity Partners (SEP) and existing investors Argo Global Capital, Cazenove Private Equity, DN Capital and IDG Ventures Europe.
UK - 3i invests £21m in MKM Building Supplies
3i has invested a further £21m into MKM Building Supplies (MKM), the fifth largest independent builders’ merchant in the UK. The existing management of David Kilburn and Bill Acton retains an interest in the business and is investing alongside 3i.
UK - Consortium hasn't given up on ITV
The private equity consortium stalking ITV is to propose a cash sweetener in a second and final approach to the commercial broadcaster, according to press reports.
UK - Thames Valley Investment Network celebrates third year
Thames Valley Investment Network (TVIN), a business angel network that matches investors in Reading and surrounding areas with entrepreneurs seeking funding to grow their companies, is celebrating three years of successful operations.
UK - Permira considering Travelodge IPO
Weekend press reports suggest that Permira has held talks with three financial advisors about a possible flotation of Travelodge.
UK - Oxford Capital Partners and Noble Fund Managers invest £1.25m in TXT4
Oxford Capital Partners and Noble Fund Managers have announced their investment in London-based TXT4 Ltd, a pioneer and leader in the provision of mobile response technology to advertisers. Oxford Capital Partners, acting as lead investor, and Noble Fund...
UK - August Equity sells Durrants to Exponent for £82m
August Equity, previously know as Kleinwort Capital, has agreed the sale of one its portfolio companies, Discovery Group Ltd, which trades as Durrants Media Monitoring, to Exponent Private Equity in a £82m deal.
UK - Sloan moves from Maclay Murray & Spens to Latham & Watkins
Latham & Watkins has appointed Maclay Murray & Spens private equity partner Graeme Sloan.
UK - Coalfields Enterprise Fund invests in Durham Pipeline Technology
The Coalfields Enterprise Fund, the venture capital fund managed by Enterprise Ventures on behalf of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, has completed an investment in Durham Pipeline Technology Ltd, as part of a syndicated investment with the North...
UK - NPI Ventures announces partnership with Biofusion
NPI Ventures, the technology investment business of Nikko Principal Investments Limited (NPIL), has today announced that it has entered into a new partnership with Biofusion Plc to commercialise university intellectual property.
UK - Granville Baird rebrands in UK
Granville Baird Capital Partners (GBCP) has announced that it is rebranding itself Baird Capital Partners Europe in the UK.
UK - Chancellor reduces VCT tax relief
In revealing his 2006 Budget earlier today, Gordon Brown announced that tax relief for VCTs would be cut from 40% to 30% in the next financial year.
UK - Bridgepoint sells Hydrex for £106m
Hydrex Group, the specialist supplier of mobile operated equipment and associated support services for the UK rail and materials handling sector, has been sold by Bridgepoint to Quilvest and Shoaibi Group in a transaction totalling £106m.
UK - Apax and Goldman Sachs court ITV
Press reports suggest that ITV has received, and rebuffed, an approach from Apax Partners and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners to acquire a controlling stake in the business.
UK - Barclays Ventures exits Media Audits Group Ltd
Barclays Ventures has realised its investment in Media Audits Group Limited, a market leader in measuring returns on advertising investment.
UK - SJ Berwin private equity partner takes TDR COO role
Private equity house TDR Capital has hired SJ Berwin corporate finance partner Blair Thompson as the group’s chief operating officer (COO).
UK - Permira abandons HMV bid
Shares in HMV Group have fallen following the decision by Permira to pullout of talks to buy the firm. Last week HMV rejected the private equity house's 210p a share bid for the company, which valued it at £842.7m and followed an earlier bid of 190p....
UK - Imperial Innovations takes stake in ParOS Plc
Imperial Innovations Ltd, the technology commercialisation company of Imperial College London, has announced that Oak Prospects Plc, an investment company formerly trading on OFEX, has completed its acquisition of Imperial’s spin-out company Parametric...