Media
Marketing investments: Privately-owned publicity
There is an old saying that any publicity is good publicity. This may hold true, but with several private equity investments in publicity-focused firms this year, is publicity good business? John Bakie investigates
Gimv and NPM advise V-Ventures on ANP acquisition
Gimv and NPM Capital have advised Dutch media organization, V-Ventures on their acquisition of news agency Algemeen Nederlands Persbureau (ANP) for an undisclosed amount.
EQT Partners makes bid for AcadeMedia
EQT Partners has secured a 75.2% stake in AcadeMedia following a tender offer in April.
Quilvest invests €4m in social media firm Vanksen
Luxembourg-based private equity firm Quilvest group has invested €4m into marketing communications agency Vanksen.
Next Wave-backed TORA invests in Simply Zesty
Next Wave Partners portfolio company The Oxford Research Agency (TORA) has acquired a minority share in Irish online public relations and social media agency, Simply Zesty.
Terra Firma 'confident' on EMI debt
Terra Firma says it is confident it will meet its debt obligations to Citigroup into the next year, according to reports.
Ziggo issues bonds to repay debts
Ziggo, the Dutch cable television operator owned by private equity investors Warburg Pincus and Cinven, plans to sell €1.2bn of high-yield bonds to finance the repayment of existing debts.
KKR's European music rights giant is taking shape
EMI's documented struggles to keep afloat may well lead to the overdue consolidation of the music rights industry. Mareen Goebel investigates
Finlombarda invests €1.5m in Microcinema
Finlombarda Gestioni SGR has invested €1.5m in Italian digital distribution network of film and digital content Microcinema, taking a minority stake in the business.
GCRPV invests €3.5m in Notro Televisión
Gestión de Capital Riesgo del País Vasco (GCRPV), the private equity arm of the Basque country, has invested €3.5m in broadcasting firm Notro Televisión taking a 9.94% stake in the business.
Atlas sells 34.4% Sporever stake
Atlas Venture has sold its 34.4% stake in Alternext-listed Groupe Sporever, an online content publisher, back to the founder and company president, Patrick Chêne.
UK - Bestport in £4.5m round for Intela
Bestport Ventures has led an investment in internet marketing company Intela, committing a little over ТЃ3m in a round totalling ТЃ4.5m. ETV Capital will provide the remainder in facilities and loans.
SPAIN - Providence-backed Ono to begin debt refinancing
Spanish cable operator Ono, which is backed by a private equity consortium including Providence Equity, Quadrangle Capital Partners, JP Morgan Partners and Thomas H Lee Partners, has began talks with its lenders to refinance its debt pile, which totals...
GERMANY - Permira exits remaining freenet stake in EUR 115m placement
According to press reports, Permira has divested its remaining 10% stake in telecommunications group freenet in a private placement on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, raising approximately EUR 115m.
GERMANY/US - Jordan's PRG acquires Procon
The Jordan Company's portfolio company Production Resource Group has acquired Frankfurt-listed live events business Procon Multimedia.
FRANCE - AGF PE and Innovacom sell Steek in EUR 27.5m deal
AGF Private Equity and Innovacom have wholly exited their respective stakes in Steek, a software provider, in a trade sale to F-Secure Corporation worth EUR 27.5m.
SWEDEN - Creandum and Viking join EUR 12.5m round for Nanoradio
Scandiavian venture firms Creandum and Viking Venture has joined existing investors Ferd Venture, Industrifonden, Innovacom, Nordic Venture Partners, and Teknoinvest in a EUR 12.5m financing round for semiconductor developer Nanoradio AB.
UK - PROfounders Capital holds first close of new venture fund
London-based PROfounders Capital has held a first close of its inaugural VC fund. No financial details were disclosed.
GERMANY - Private equity firms to re-submit Springer bid
According to press reports, TPG Capital, Carlyle and Providence have been asked to re-submit their bids to acquire a 49% stake in Cinven-backed and Candover-backed academic publisher Springer Science and Business Media.
UK - MMC Ventures further invests £1.3m into Clash-Media
MMC Ventures has completed a follow on investment worth more than ТЃ1m into digital media company Clash-Media.
GERMANY - KKR & Bertelsmann launch EUR 250m rights management business
According to reports, KKR has joined forces with media concern Bertelsmann to develop a music rights management business, with the buyout giant thought to have invested EUR 250m into the venture.
UK - Index Ventures appoints partner in London
Index Ventures has hired Mike Volpi as a partner in the firm's London office.
FRANCE - IDI- and BV Capital-backed Hi-Media acquires AdLINK
IDI- and BV Capital-backed internet business Hi-Media has acquired AdLINK Media, the display advertising network of Germany-based AdLINK Internet Media AG.