Media
Survival of the fittest
Consolidation will continue as VCT firms without experience and scale get swallowed up, says Mark Wignall at Matrix Private Equity Partners
UK - Truphone raises £16.5m series-B funding
A group of investors has invested £16.5m in VOIP company Truphone. Backers include exisiting investors Burda Digital Ventures, Independent News & Media, Eden Ventures and Wellington Partners Venture Capital, as well as private investors.
EUROPE – DN Capital reaches EUR 50m first close
Unquote” has learned from a limited partner that European early stage and growth equity investor DN Capital has reached a first close of its second fund, Global Venture Capital II (GVC II). The fund raised just under half of its EUR 100m target and...
2008 DVCA Toplederconference
On 5 March, the Danish Venture Capital Association held its annual venture capital and private equity conference in Copenhagen. The day-long event included a number of high-profile speakers and a bit of controversy ... Linn Ronning reports
The sleeping giant stirs
For years, Germany has been viewed as the sleeping giant - at least in terms of potential for private equity investments. Many GPs see vast potential, but the country has so far not quite lived up to these expectations. Then came the credit crunch, and...
UK - South East Growth Fund injects £250,000 ino Lexara
The South East Growth Fund (SEGF) has invested £250,000 into educational media provider Lexara Ltd.
UK - Emap gets new chief executive
Apax and Guardian Media Group have appointed David Gilbertson as the new chief executive of recently acquired Emap.
UK - SEB Venture invests $12m in ShoZu
SEB Venture Capital has led a $12m series C round of financing in mobile social media services provider ShoZu Inc. Previous investors Atlas Venture, Crescendo Ventures and TTP Ventures also participated.
UK - New Enterprise Associates leads £2m round in advertising company
New Enterprise Associates has led a £2m funding round in mobile advertising company Rapid Mobile Media. Edinburgh-based Rapid Mobile Media was founded in February 2004 and has launched a white-label platform for mobile advertising.
ITALY – Batra brothers and Barclays acquire sports brand Fila
Indian brothers Rajiv and Rajesh Batra, alongside Barclays Ventures, have acquired sports clothing manufacturer Fila in a deal valued at approximately EUR 100m.
Carry on up
It seems things could be looking up for French private equity. We are only in the early months of 2008, a year which has been roundly touted as likely to be one of the toughest and most testing for the industry for some time, yet there has already been...
GERMANY - Neuhaus Partners finances Telcast
Neuhaus Partners has, together with business angels Stefan Wiskemann and Ulrich Brunet, invested an undisclosed sum in media company Telcast Media Group GmbH.
EUROPE - New fund Vitruvian closes on EUR 925m
New middle-market private equity firm, Vitruvian Partners, has closed its maiden fund, Vitruvian Investment Partnership (VIP), on EUR 925m, exceeding its EUR 900m target.
GERMANY – Index Ventures & Wellington Partners invest $80m in Adconion
Index Ventures led a series-C round of funding for online advertising networks business Adconion Media Group, and was joined by existing investor Wellington Partners, with the total sum amounting to $80m.
UK - Close Ventures invests £1.5m in Opta Sportsdata
Close Ventures has invested £1.5m into Opta Sportsdata Ltd (trading as Opta), a European provider of sports data and analysis to media companies. The investment will be used to help grow sales in the existing business in the UK and the rest of Europe.
FRANCE - Marc Devillard joins Crédit Agricole PE
Marc Devillard has joined Crédit Agricole Private Equity's Venture Capital team as investment director for the software and internet sectors.
PORTUGAL - Inter-Risco reaps 7.7x multiple on TvTel exit
Inter-Risco has reaped a 7.7x multiple and 30% IRR on its sale of broadcasting company TvTel to Portugal Telecom Media in a deal valued at approximately EUR 120m.
UK - London Seed Capital backs Magpie with £500,000
London Seed Capital has provided Magpie Ltd, the company behind social media analytics tool Brandwatch, with funding totalling £500,000. Led by London Seed Capital, the round includes a select group of business angels.
UK - Creative Ventures and Finance South West back online video platform
Creative Ventures Group, YFM-managed Finance South West Growth Fund and private investors have led a series-B round of funding for Coull, a provider of interactive online video publishing platforms. With this investment, Coull has launches two products...
Bowmark Capital Survey
UK lower mid-market defies the gloom
UK/FRANCE - AlixPartners appoints Helena Samaha as general counsel
AlixPartners, the global restructuring, consulting, and financial advisory firm, has announced the appointment of Helena Samaha as general counsel-Europe. She will be based in the firm’s Paris office.