Healthcare
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unquote" data reveals support services as the top-performing sector
GLOBAL - Google launches $100m venture fund
Search engine Google has set up Google Ventures, a $100m venture capital fund designed to invest in early-stage companies.
SWITZERLAND - Nordic Capital may fetch EUR 10bn for Nycomed
Nordic Capital portfolio company Nycomed, a Swiss drugmaker, has been put on the block and may fetch up to EUR 10bn.
UK - Foresight backs ICA Group buyout with £2m investment
Foresight Group has invested £2m to back the buyout of ICA Group Ltd, a document management solutions provider.
UK - New group Rockley launches EUR 100m fund
Rockley Group, a new technology-focused investor founded by two established business angels, has launched its inaugural third party fund, Rockley Follow-On Fund, which will have a target of EUR 100m.
The end of capital-intensive start-ups?
Biotechnology and pharmaceuticals represent the largest sectors for growth and venture investments in Denmark. But as funds become scarce, can these capital-intensive industries survive the downturn? Rikke Lilla Eckhoff takes a closer look at the statistics
UK - August-backed Enara makes further acquisiton
Enara Group, a home care provider backed by August Equity, has acquired fellow home care provider County Care Ltd and five of the six businesses of The Home Service group.
UK - Inflexion reaps 1.5x money from sale of CHKS
Inflexion Private Equity has wholly exited healthcare performance benchmarking specialist CHKS Limited in a trade sale to Capita Group Plc, generating returns of more than 1.5x the investment. Capita cites the price tag for the deal as £11.6m.
FINLAND - Bridgepoint to de-list Terveystalo
Pan-European buyout house Bridgepoint has received acceptance from approximately 96% of shareholders of listed Finnish healthcare provider Terveystalo Healthcare Oyj for its EUR 2 per share takeover bid.
UK/NETHERLANDS - HgCapital to close Amsterdam office and consumer team
HgCapital has announced that it is to close its office in Amsterdam and its London-based consumer and leisure team.
2009 already written off
Europe will not see signs of a return to economic health until 2010 at best, suggests a new survey
LUXEMBOURG - DEFI et al. back DS Care funding
Swiss investor DEFI Gestion SA, Luxembourg-based Luxempart and French fund Sinequanon have invested a combined EUR 20.2m into healthcare provider DS Care in a second round of funding.
FRANCE - AXA Private Equity increases stake in Spotless
AXA Private Equity has acquired a further 50% in portfolio company The Spotless Group, a producer and distributor of homecare and cleaning products, taking its holding in the business to 65.6%.
DENMARK - Essex-backed Symphogen raise EUR 33m; merges with Receptor BioLogix
Essex Woodland Health Ventures, together with existing investors, has raised EUR 33m for portfolio biopharmaceuticals company Symphogen A/S and simultaneously merged the business with fellow portfolio company, Receptor BioLogix, in an all shares transaction.
UK - August-backed Enara completes dual acquisitions
August Equity-backed care home business Enara Group has completed the acquisition of Companions Care and Freshfold Homecare Ltd, two providers of home care services to the elderly .
Buyout outlook - 2009 already written off
Europe will not see signs of a return to economic health until 2010 at best, suggests a new survey. By Mareen Goebel
UK - August portfolio company acquires Beech Care and Nursing
August Equity-backed Enara Group has acquired Beech Care and Nursing Agency Ltd, a provider of healthcare related services, for an undisclosed sum.
UK - Cognetas in restructuring talks
It is understood that Cognetas is in talks with lenders about restructuring the debts in four of its portfolio companies, namely: SGD, the 110-year-old French glassmaker; plastic surgery group Covenant Healthcare, owner of the UK's leading breast enhancement...