Media
GERMANY - BMG auction to attract private equity
Bertelsmann has announced that it will put its BMG Music Publishing unit up for auction and hopes to receive upwards of EUR 1.5bn.
NETHERLANDS - VNU receives more than 80% of support for IPO
Industry sources suggest that more than 80% of VNU's share capital has been tendered, following Valcon's announcement that it declared its offer unconditional at 78.80%.
UK - Exponent Private Equity acquires Magicalia for £13m
Exponent Private Equity today announces the £13m acquisition of Magicalia, a leading UK online publishing group which was launched in 1999 by joint managing directors Adam Laird and Jeremy Tapp.
FRANCE - CVC Capital Partners makes two senior appointments
CVC Capital Partners has bolstered its Paris office with two senior recruits.
NL- NPM-Capital sells stake in Keesing Group
NPM Capital and management have reportedly agreed to sell all shares in Keesing Group, a Dutch publishing house, to Telegraaf Media Groep for EUR 81.3m. The debt component is understood to be around 40%.
NL- LPs to congregate in Amsterdam
Following the huge success and positive feedback we received from attendees of the Limited Partners Private Equity Congresses held in London and Stockholm earlier this year, Benelux unquote’’ is delighted to announce the launch of the Benelux Limited...
UK - Singer & Friedlander lose five investment managers to Ingenious Media
According to the FT, Singer & Friedlander, the specialist banking and investment management group owned by Icelandic bank Kaupthing, has lost five investment managers to Ingenious Media. Peter Clark, Tim Howe, Richard Sargent and Francis Clarke are amongst...
UK - Matrix midlands motoring challenge
Yesterday Matrix Private Equity entertained a group of Midlands corporate financiers (and Kimberly Romaine of Incisive Media, publishers of unquote” and Private Equity Europe) at Prestwold Hall in Loughborough, where guests were treated to a day of...
FRANCE - Possible buyout will not be discussed at Thomson's general assembly today
Thomson SA has made it clear that the potential de-listing of the company would not be discussed at today's annual general assembly of shareholders.
NETHERLANDS - Valcon raises bid for VNU
Valcon Acquisition BV, has raised its bid for Dutch media giant VNU NV to EUR 29.50 per share in an effort to overcome shareholder resistance to the deal.
NORWAY - PE groups prepare bids for Orkla Media
Candover, Apax Partners and Providence Equity Partners plan to bid for Norwegian Orkla Media, according to press reports. It is understood that the potential buyout could be worth over £700m.
UK - Tom Wrenn joins ECI Partners
ECI Partners has announced the appointment of Tom Wrenn as investment executive.
UK - Ingenious Ventures exits Lionhead Studios
Ingenious Ventures, the private equity arm of Ingenious Media, has realised its investment in Lionhead Studios, a leading video game developer, through a sale to Microsoft Game Studios.
UK - Primary backs FoneStarz in £4m development funding
Primary Capital has backed mobile content specialist FoneStarz Media Group Ltd with £4m of development funding and taken a 50% stake in the company.
UK - Ingenious Media Active Capital Ltd announces its flotation on AIM
Ingenious Media Active Capital Ltd has announced its successful fundraising of 150 million ordinary share at a price of £1 each to raise £150m before expenses. Admission of the ordinary shares to trading on AIM is expected to occur on 11 April 2006...
FRANCE - Wendel looks beyond France
As Wendel Investissement finalises its flotation of Legrand, which it acquired for EUR 3.63bn from Schneider in December 2002, it has announced its move to acquire companies outside France. It currently has some EUR 1.03bn in equity to dedicate to potential...
UK - IBIS Media VCTs attract investment
IBIS Capital, the specialist media corporate finance and investment business, has announced that its VCT focusing on smaller private UK media companies has attracted support from leading figures from the media and financial services industries.
UK - August Equity sells Durrants to Exponent for £82m
August Equity, previously know as Kleinwort Capital, has agreed the sale of one its portfolio companies, Discovery Group Ltd, which trades as Durrants Media Monitoring, to Exponent Private Equity in a £82m deal.
UK - Barclays Ventures exits Media Audits Group Ltd
Barclays Ventures has realised its investment in Media Audits Group Limited, a market leader in measuring returns on advertising investment.
NETHERLANDS - PGGM to invest in Cyrte
Press reports suggest that Dutch pension fund PGGM will invest EUR 500m in the recently launched TMT fund managed by Cyrte Investments.
UK - UHY Hacker Young appoints new head of corporate finance
Peter Petyt has been named the new Head of Corporate Finance at the London office of top twenty accountancy firm UHY Hacker Young.
FRANCE - Amboise Investissement to float
Amboise Investissement has announced the filing, on 24 February 2006, of its reference prospectus with AMF, the French financial markets authority (Autorité des Marchés Financiers).
FRANCE - Eyeka announces $5m Series-A round
Eyeka, a provider of mobile video and image service applications, announced today that it has completed a $5m Series-A round. Ventech Capital, based in Paris, invested $3.2m and DN Capital, based in London, provided $1.8m. This marks the second partnership...
UK - Darlington wins Rainmaker award
Christopher Darlington of Hawkpoint Partners has won HgCapital’s Rainmaker of the Year award. During 2005 Darlington completed four deals.