Consumer
UK - Arts Alliance completes £50m exit from PrePay Technologies
Venture Capital firm Arts Alliance has fully exited its stake in PrePay Technologies Ltd through a ТЃ50m trade sale to Accor services, a subsidiary of quoted French company Accor.
UK - Close Growth Capital backs SBO of Killby & Gayford from 3i
Close Brothers Growth Capital (CGC), the hybrid equity and debt finance provider, has backed the secondary buyout of specialist building contractor Killby & Gayford Group, from 3i. CGC is reported to have invested ТЃ13.35m for a significant minority equity...
UK - Risk Capital Partners acquires UK subsidiary of Borders Group
Risk Capital Partners has purchased national book retailers Borders and Books etc., UK subsidiaries of Borders Group, in a deal worth up to ТЃ20m.
UK - Primary Capital sees 2x return from Elisabeth the Chef exit
Primary Capital has sold cake manufacturer Elisabeth the Chef (EtC) to Senoble, a France-based manufacturer of dairy deserts. The value of the deal has not been disclosed although it is reported that Primary recouped 2x its investment.
UK - LDC invests to fund expansion of drinks manufacturer
Mid-market private equity house LDC has invested an undisclosed amount to fund the continuing expansion of drinks manufacturer Intercontinental Brands.
UK - Matrix invests further £3.7m in Blaze to support acquisition
Matrix Private Equity Partners has supported existing investee company Blaze Signs Holdings in financing its acquisition of a complementary business, Active Sign Maintenance from its founders. Matrix Private Equity Partners has invested a further ТЃ3.7m....
UK - Sovereign Capital portfolio company acquires Orient Gold
Sovereign Capital-backed STL, a vocational training provider, has acquired Orient Gold, a national provider of apprenticeship and adult learning. The value of the deal has not been disclosed. The new combined group has over 240 employees and over 3000...
UK - LDC takes minority stake in security firm
LDC has invested in security firm Vision Security Group. The deal sees LDC take a minority stake in the business. The corporate finance team at Deloitte in Nottingham initiated and introduced LDC to the transaction. Debt funding was provided by RBS Corporate...
DENMARK - Polaris Private Equity acquires Hansen & Pedersen
Polaris Private Equity has acquired a majority shareholding in Hansen & Pedersen, a Danish gentlemen clothing retailer for an undisclosed value.
FRANCE - Osiris backs turnaround of cooperative retailer Camif Particuliers
Osiris Partners has invested EUR 25m in Camif Particuliers, a loss-making cooperative multi-specialist retailer.
UK - Bowmark invests in travel services provider JAC Group
Bowmark Capital has invested ТЃ11m in b2b travel services provider JAC Group. Royal Bank of Scotland provided an unspecified amount of additional senior debt to support the deal.
NORWAY - NorgesInvestor creates Nordic music chain
NorgesInvestor has together with Pål Asplin created a new retail chain for music instruments, Music Retail Holding (MRH). Pål Asplin presented the idea for NorgesInvestor to acquire the four largest stores and create one holding company. The investor...
SWEDEN - Protego opens Swedish office
Protego Real Estate Investors has opened an office in Stockholm to further expand its European operations. The opening of the office follows the launch of its EUR 1.65bn Nordic Retail Fund in June. The vehicle will invest in a diversified portfolio of...
UK - Beringea invests £2m in MBO of The Vending Corporation
Beringea has completed the management buyout of The Vending Corporation, a distributor of chilled beverage and snack vending machines. Beringea invested ТЃ2m through ProVen VCT and ProVen Growth & Income VCT, for a significant minority equity stake. The...
UK - Protego Real Estate appoints Alexandra McGhee
Protego Real Estate Investors has appointed Alexandra McGhee as associate - business development. McGhee joins from Bank of Scotlandтs Integrated Finance team. Prior to this, she worked at Henderson Global Investors as finance manager to its Pan-European...
CEE - Enterprise Investors' Sklepy acquires competitor
Enterprise Investors’ portfolio company Sklepy Komfort has acquired its trade rival in a PLN12m (EUR 3.2m) deal. Sklepy is Poland’s largest retailer of carpets and flooring, and was wholly acquired by Enterprise in April for EUR 64m. Topwert Œwiat Dywanów...
UK - Bridges Ventures invests £1.35m in Sealskinz
Bridges Ventures has backed the management buyout of SealSkinz, a Norfolk-based manufacturer of unique waterproof socks and gloves designed for bikers and hikers. Bridges is investing ТЃ1.35m alongside a management team to buy the company from its parent...
UK - Exponent acquires Cardsave from RJD, Morley Fund Managers and LDC
Exponent Private Equity has acquired Cardsave, a supplier of credit card terminals and services to independent retailers. The company was bought from a consortium of shareholders which included RJD Partners, Morley Fund Management and LDC. Lloyds TSB...
GERMANY - BayBG invests in B2B online retailer
BayBG Bayerische Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH has invested EUR 1m in Mercateo AG. The new capital will be used to further develop and optimise the company’s software. For this purpose it will employ 10 new software developers.
UK - West Coast Capital has three days to make rival offer for Dobbies
West Coast Capital has been given three days by the Takeover Panel to make a rival offer for Dobbies. The Scottish gardening chain is currently the subject of a ТЃ15 per share recommended bid by Tesco. The UK retailing giant owns 32% of the shares with...
UK - Duke Street Capital completes delisting of CI Traders
Duke Street Capital and Europa Capital, the European real estate fund manager, have completed the acquisition of CI Traders through Sandpiper, a newly incorporated Jersey-based company. Based on the offer price of 100p per share in cash, CI Traders has...
UK - FF&P takes majority stake in furnishings business Oka
Fleming Family & Partners Private Equity has acquired a majority stake in upmarket furnishings business Oka. The deal has enabled the founders of the Oxfordshire-based retailer to realise some value.
GREECE - Global Finance exits ice cream chain
Buyout house Global Finance has sold ice cream chain Dodoni to NBGI Private Equity. The divestment by Global Finance was the first ever secondary buyout to take place in Greece.
UK - Phoenix bags sailing clothes maker Musto
Phoenix Equity Partners has acquired a majority stake in Musto, the specialist clothes business which caters for the sailing, equestrian, shooting and fishing communities. The deal values Musto at ТЃ40m. Musto has also developed a range of casual clothing...