Media
UK - Charterhouse-backed Saga makes radio disposal
Charterhouse portfolio company Saga, the specialist service provider to the 50 plus age-group, has disposed of its radio assets. The three radio stations based in the Midlands and Scotland, plus another yet to be launched station, have been acquired by...
NL - 3i to acquire Business Media Europe from VNU
3i has announced that it has reached an agreement in principle to acquire substantially all of VNU Business Media Europe (BME), a Dutch careers classified and B2B magazines group, from VNU.
FRANCE - Canadian Telecom Media Fund invests EUR 8m in CheckPhone
Telecom Media Fund, a joint fund of Trio Capital and la Caisse de dépôts et placement du Quebec, has invested EUR 8m ($10.2m) in France-based VoIP security software developer CheckPhone.
UK - 3i sells Precise Media to Phoenix Equity Partners for £42m
3i has sold UK media monitoring agency Precise Media to Phoenix Equity Partners for ТЃ42m. The sale generated an IRR of 101% and a multiple of 3.2x for 3i, which backed the BIMBO of the company (then known as KBBI) in April 2005. During the holding period,...
GERMANY – KKR and Permira win auction for ProSiebenSat1
A consortium comprising Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co and Permira Advisers has acquired a 50.5% stake in German broadcaster ProSiebenSat1. The value of the transaction is believed to be over EUR 3bn. Following the acquisition, media analysts expect the...
UK - Electra Quoted Management backs new extreme sports publisher
Electra Quoted Management has provided newco Factory Media with an initial investment of ТЃ3.85m to enable it to acquire three leading specialist extreme sports publishers in the 16-24 youth market; Action Sports Media, Permanent Publishing and 4130 Publishing....
FRANCE - Eurazeo sells Eutelsat shares to CDC and confirms interest in Conforama
A few days after Abertis’ acquisition of Eutelsat’s new largest shareholding, Eurazeo announced it had sold its entire 25.5% shareholding to state-backed Caisse des Dépots et Consignations (CDC) for EUR 862.7m.
GERMANY – Cinven pulls out of ProSiebenSat1 race
It is understood that Cinven, which had joined the Apax and Goldman Sachs consortium, has withdrawn from the auction for a 50.5% stake in German media group ProSiebenSat1. The remaining potential buyers are believed to include Turkish media giant Dogan...
UK - Risk Capital Partners exits design and marketing company Loewy
Risk Capital Partners has made its fourth full exit in the past 15 months with the sale of its entire holding in the creative design and marketing services company Loewy. The Loewy disposal generated a 2.5x cash on cash return and an IRR of 41%.
UK - Ingenious Media invests £3m to enable Digital Rights Group to make acquisition
Ingenious Media Active Capital Limited has invested ТЃ3m in The Digital Rights Group Ltd (DRG) in order to enable it to acquire Portman Film and Television Ltd, a UK drama distributor.
UK - The Carlyle Group to acquire Bigmouthmedia to merge with Global Media
The Carlyle Group has acquired Bigmouthmedia, the digital marketing agency headquartered in Edinburgh and will merge the company with its existing portfolio company, Global Media GmbH, the web marketing company headquartered in Munich. As a result, Carlyle...
UK - Ingenious Music VCTs invest £2.6m
Ingenious Ventures, part of Ingenious Media, the specialist media investment and advisory group, has invested a total of ТЃ2.6m through its two Music VCTs. The money will support debut albums of up-and-coming bands Passenger and Apartment, and solo-artist...
UK – Esprit backs WAYN
Esprit Capital Partners has led a $11m series A round of funding for UK travel and lifestyle social network business Where Are You Now? (WAYN).
UK - New recruit joins MSIF's venture fund
Merseyside Special Investment Fund (MSIF)has appointed Jon Wormald as investment manager for its ТЃ40m venture fund. Wormald joins the fund from PricewaterhouseCoopers where he spent six years working in audit and transaction services in the entertainment,...
GERMANY – ProSiebenSat1 bidders down to three
Reports suggest that only three bidders remain in the race to acquire Germany’s largest commercial broadcaster ProSiebenSat1 after CVC is said to have dropped out. Remaining known bidders are the two consortiums comprising financial investors Permira...
GERMANY – nugg.ad receives growth capital
Bmp AG and IBB Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH have invested in Berlin-based media company nugg.ad. The financial investors each take a 17.5% stake, with nugg.ad founders holding the balance.
ITALY/GERMANY - Mediaset leaves competition for ProSiebenSat
Mediaset, the broadcasting giant owned by ex-prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, is no longer in the competitive process for German television network ProSiebenSat.1 Media.
BELGIUM - Clear2Pay raises additional EUR 2m from Iris Capital
Clear2Pay,a Belgian software vendor of next generation payment solutions for financial institutions, has received a EUR 2m capital increase from Iris Capital. In addition, the telco and media venture capitalist has purchased existing equity for the value...
ITALY/GERMANY - Berlusconi and private equity funds to compete for media giant
According to reports in the Italian press, Silvio Berlusconi's broadcasting empire Mediaset is planning to launch a bid for 50.5% of German television network ProSiebenSat.1 Media. It is understood that a decision will be made next Tuesday, when the group's...
UK - Ingenious appoints David Mansfield as a main board director
Ingenious, the media investment and advisory group, has appointed David Mansfield as a main board director. Mansfield joined the advisory board of Ingenious Media Active Capital Plc, the AIM listed fund, early this year and now joins the company in an...
UK - Ingenious Media takes stake in Apax target Incisive Media
Ingenious Media Active Capital Ltd part of Ingenious Media Plc, the entertainment and media-focused investor has acquired an 11% stake in Incisive Media Plc for ТЃ22m. Ingenious paid 195p per share which matches the price offered by Apax six weeks ago...
UK - Ingenious appoints Peter Shawyer as non-executive director
Ingenious, the media investment and advisory group, has appointed Peter Shawyer as a non-executive director to the board and a director of Ingenious Ventures Ltd. Shawyer was previously managing partner at Deloitte & Touche and is currently a non-executive...
UK - Mind Candy announces $7m in funding
Mind Candy, the UK based company behind the Alternative Reality Game (ARG) Perplex City, has raised $7m from Accel Partners and existing investor Index Ventures and NewMedia Spark. The funding comes in advance of a major expansion of new products to be...
UK - FTSE 250 Informa in talks with Candover and Cinven
Informa Plc, the FTSE 250 company which provides specialist information and services for the academic and scientific, professional and commercial business communities, is in talks with Candover and Cinven about going private. The deal would see Informa...