Media
NETHERLANDS - 3i-backed VNU risks creditor take over
It is understood that 3i Group Plc is facing a possible creditor takeover at VNU Business Media Europe, the b2b publisher it acquired at the height of the buyout boom.
NORWAY - Investinor hires ten
Investinor, the Norwegian government-backed venture fund established in the autumn of 2008, has now completed the formation of its investment team with ten new hires.
Some sunny day...
Following a near barren second half of 2008, which saw an almost complete drying up of debt financing amidst a collapse in the global banking sector, buyout houses will now be looking optimistically to the year ahead. However, it may be some time before...
GLOBAL - Advent International promotes 18
Advent International has promoted 18 members of its global investment team.
EUROPE - Balderton holds $430m first closing of fourth fund
Balderton Capital has held the first close of its new $500m vehicle, Balderton IV, on $430m.
CEE - EBRD considers EUR 40m commitment to 3TS CEE Fund III
The EBRD is studying the possibility of investing up to EUR 40m, but not exceeding 20% of total aggregate commitments, in 3TS CEE Fund III, a regional private equity fund with a target size of EUR 200m.
The year of the portfolio
The numbers are in for 2008 and the picture is bleak across Europe. Only countries such as Italy or Portugal posed (small) exceptions to the overall trend. Remembering the beginning of 2008, when the effects of the credit crunch had already taken hold...
UK/US - Accel raises more than $1bn
Global venture capital firm Accel Partners has closed two news funds, Accel London III and Accel Growth Fund, on $480m and $525m respectively.
UK - Cyrte Investments backs RDF Media acquisition
Dutch investor group Cyrte Investments, through its fund Dasym Investments III BV, has backed the management buyout of AIM-listed television production company RDF Media Plc.
GLOBAL - Allocation concerns dominate LPs
According to the latest Coller Capital Global Private Equity Barometer , produced in association with private equity consultancy IE Consulting, limited partners are increasingly concerned about their private equity allocation, with two-thirds of respondents...
UK - OpenGate Capital acquires stake in Models 1
US private equity house, OpenGate Capital has acquired a strategic equity stake in model management company Models 1 Limited.
FRANCE - BNP PE et al. support AwoX with EUR 4m
BNP Paribas Private Equity, Innovacom, CIC Capital Privé, Soridec and Devtec have invested EUR 4m into AwoX, an electronics middleware company.
UK - Catalyst promotes Clapp
Growth capital firm Catalyst Investors has promoted Todd Clapp to general partner.
GERMANY - T-Online Venture Fund backs myON-ID
T-Online Venture Fund has invested an undisclosed seven-figure sum into myON-ID Media GmbH, a platform for online reputation management, in a second round of financing.
SWEDEN - 3i divests stake in Boxer
3i has sold its 30% stake in Nordic digital television company Boxer TV-Access AB to majority stakeholder Teracom, the Swedish government-owned media operator, for an undisclosed sum.
UK - Brown Rudnick appoints Richard Penfold
Brown Rudnick has appointed Richard Penfold to its corporate group in London.
UK - Thule and Blue Run make £1.5m Muzicall investment
Thule Investments, through Bru II Venure Capital Fund Sicar, and Blue Run Ventures have participated in a ТЃ1.5m funding round for ringback tone service provider Muzicall.
GERMANY - Target leads EUR 3m investment into Ubitexx
Target Partners has made the first investment from its second fund, Target Partners Fund II; leading a EUR 3m funding round for software developer Ubitexx GmbH, alongside incumbent backers BayBG and KfW.
SWEDEN - Ledstiernan defies market and delivers positive result
Swedish private equity company Ledstiernan presented a strong cash position and a positive result in its interim report for January-September 2008.
SWITZERLAND - Creathor Venture supports Diva
Creathor Venture has invested in Diva AG, the developer of a B2B publishing hub for digital media assets.
UK - LDC appoints director
LDC has appointed Daniel Sasaki as director in its London office.
DENMARK - Vækstfonden backs DKK 6m Bjerre Media funding
Government-backed Vækstfonden has invested DKK 3m as part of a DKK 6m funding round for Bjerre Media, a Danish publisher that has developed a customer service system for publishing houses, alongside five business angels.
UK - MMC invests a further £1.5m into Clash-Media
MMC Venture has made a follow-on investment of ТЃ1.5m into marketing company Clash-Media.
EUROPE - Carlyle raises EUR 530m for European technology
The Carlyle Group has closed its second European technology fund, Carlyle Europe Technology Partners II (CETP II), on EUR 530m, exceeding its initial target of EUR 500m.