Sector
FINLAND - Via Venture Partnres and Inventure invests EUR 3m in Beneq
Via Venture Partners and Inventure Oy have together with previous investors invested EUR 3m in Beneq, a Finnish nanotechnology equipment supplier. The new round of financing enables development of the organisation and international growth.
CEE - Enterprise Investors’ Sklepy acquires competitor
Enterprise Investors’ portfolio company Sklepy Komfort has acquired its trade rival in a PLN12m (EUR 3.2m) deal. Sklepy is Poland’s largest retailer of carpets and flooring, and was wholly acquired by Enterprise in April for EUR 64m. Topwert Œwiat...
UK - Bridges Ventures invests £1.35m in Sealskinz
Bridges Ventures has backed the management buyout of SealSkinz, a Norfolk-based manufacturer of unique waterproof socks and gloves designed for bikers and hikers. Bridges is investing £1.35m alongside a management team to buy the company from its parent...
UK - NorthStar provides £750,000 funding for Broadband Computer Company
North-East focused NorthStar Equity Investors has backed the Broadband Computer Company with an equity investment of £750,000. The company has developed the hardware and software to provide PC users with a new platform for managing and maintaining a...
ITALY - Arca Impresa exits Diffusione Italiana Preziosi
Arca Impresa and Meliorbanca have sold their stakes in Diffusione Italiana Preziosi to industrial player Morellato & Sector. The sale value is understood to be EUR 60m and the deal is forecast to close by the end of September. Rothschild assisted...
UK - Elderstreet and Frontiers provide weComm with £3m of funding
Existing investors Elderstreet Investments and Frontiers Capital have provided weComm, an interactive mobile data solutions business, with £3m of funding. The investment will be used to fund product development and geographic expansion around its innovative...
CEE - Darby closes EUR 300m Central Europe mezzanine fund
Darby Overseas Investments, the private equity arm of Franklin Templeton Investments, has closed its Darby Converging Europe Mezzanine Fund (DCEMF) with total capital commitments of EUR 248m. After the expected refinancing of a EUR 65m bridge loan, the...
UK - Liverpool Seed Fund backs EditLite with £300,000 funding round
Liverpool Seed Fund has invested £300,000 in EditLite Ltd. EditLite has developed software called ‘YourView’ which uses simple graphic icons to edit video footage. The software, which has a number of worldwide patents, enables the user to filter...
SPAIN - New technology leads demand for seed capital
Around 40% of projects landing Spanish seed investment originate from the so-called "new technology" sector.
SPAIN - SRP invests EUR 3.4m in solar energy player
Government-backed agency Sociedad Regional de Promoción del Principado de Asturias (SRP) has led a funding round of EUR 3.4m for Rioglass Solar.
UK - Creative Ventures backs TNWA Group
Creative Ventures has invested in TNWA Group, a leading developer of a new online multiplayer gaming platform. The funding provided by Creative Ventures has enabled TWNA to acquire Enemy Down, a leading destination for Europe’s competitive PC gamers....
UK - Exponent acquires Cardsave from RJD, Morley Fund Managers and LDC
Exponent Private Equity has acquired Cardsave, a supplier of credit card terminals and services to independent retailers. The company was bought from a consortium of shareholders which included RJD Partners, Morley Fund Management and LDC. Lloyds TSB...
GERMANY - VTC Industrieholding exits TAKRAF
German industrial group VTC Industrieholding GmbH has announced the sale of TAKRAF GmbH to Milan-based Tenova, a fully-owned subsidiary of Techint Group. The deal value has not been disclosed and the transaction is subject to the approval by antitrust...
GERMANY - BayBG invests in B2B online retailer
BayBG Bayerische Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH has invested EUR 1m in Mercateo AG. The new capital will be used to further develop and optimise the company’s software. For this purpose it will employ 10 new software developers.
SPAIN – Clave Mayor leads buyout of Natural Food
Clave Mayor has wholly acquired Natural Food alongside industrial backer George Stravrakakis.
UK - Virgin Media auction delayed
The auction that would see Virgin Media taken private has reportedly been delayed. The communications group cited turbulence in the debt markets as the reason for the postponement. A deal may not now complete until early 2008.
UK - West Coast Capital has three days to make rival offer for Dobbies
West Coast Capital has been given three days by the Takeover Panel to make a rival offer for Dobbies. The Scottish gardening chain is currently the subject of a £15 per share recommended bid by Tesco. The UK retailing giant owns 32% of the shares with...
UK - Street Capital backs buyout of PCTI Solutions
Irish private equity investor Street Capital has backed the buyout of software business PCTI Solutions Ltd. PCTI is an electronic document management service provider to the UK primary healthcare sector.
GERMANY – AUCTUS acquires electronics GmbH
AUCTUS Management GmbH has acquired a majority stake in German electronic manufacturing services electronics GmbH. The transaction value has not been disclosed.
UK - Duke Street Capital completes delisting of CI Traders
Duke Street Capital and Europa Capital, the European real estate fund manager, have completed the acquisition of CI Traders through Sandpiper, a newly incorporated Jersey-based company. Based on the offer price of 100p per share in cash, CI Traders has...
UK - FF&P takes majority stake in furnishings business Oka
Fleming Family & Partners Private Equity has acquired a majority stake in upmarket furnishings business Oka. The deal has enabled the founders of the Oxfordshire-based retailer to realise some value.
GERMANY - 3i Infrastructure invests in Oiltanking
3i Infrastructure has acquired a 45% stake in Oiltanking Singapore Ltd, Oiltanking Amsterdam BV and Oiltanking Malta Ltd (the OT companies) for a total price of $305m. The investment comprises an equity consideration of EUR 115m and a debt package worth...
SWITZERLAND - BC Partners exits Hirslanden hospitals in $2.36bn deal
BC Partners is reported to have agreed the sale of its Swiss hospitals business Hirslanden. It is understood that South African company Medi-Clinic will acquire Hirslanden in a $2.36bn deal. BC Partners has held the company since December 2002, when it...
GREECE - Global Finance exits ice cream chain
Buyout house Global Finance has sold ice cream chain Dodoni to NBGI Private Equity. The divestment by Global Finance was the first ever secondary buyout to take place in Greece.