Sector
ITALY - Doughty Hanson acquires Zobele for EUR 300m
Doughty Hanson has agreed to purchase Trento-based company Zobele from its founders for around EUR 300m, according to reports in the Italian press. Zobele is active in the development of products and solutions for pest control, healthcare and household,...
GERMANY – Intel Capital invests in BrainLAB
Intel Capital has acquired an interest in Munich-based medical technology company BrainLAB. The venture capital organisation invested $7.3m that will be used to accelerate the development of mobile point of care solutions to provide patient with consistently...
FRANCE - IPO leads AltéAd buyout
IPO, Synergie Finance and Ouest Croissanec have invested EUR 6m of equity, half of which in convertible bonds, in industrial machinery transportation and maintenance business AltéAd.
ITALY - Sanpaolo IMI Fondi Chiusi acquires shareholding in Blumen
Fund Centro Impresa, managed by Sanpaolo IMI Fondi Chiusi, has invested EUR 3m in return for a 32% stake in Blumen, a retailer of home and garden appliances. Blumen is based in Piacenza and had returns of EUR 15m last year. The business plan includes...
ITALY - BS Private Equity backs acquisition of Megatel and Gigatel
Mobile telephony retailer MIT Group, backed by BS Private Equity, has agreed to buy sector players Megatel and Gigatel for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition of the two companies is part of the development strategy of MIT, especially focused on growth...
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 - Primary sells Rhyme Systems to 3i-Infotech for £28m
Primary Capital has exited management software solutions company Rhyme Systems. The business has been acquired by 3i-Infotech Ltd, a global provider of IT solutions listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange, in a deal valued at £28m. The exit represents a...
SWEDEN - FSV aquires 15 unlisted holdings from Småföretagsinvest
FSV V, managed by Four Seasons Venture, has acquired 15 unlisted holdings from Småföretagsinvest AB. The newly-acquired portfolio is industrial focused, including, Caretech, Copiax, Nimo-Verken, Klippan Automotive and Segre. The portfolio’s 2005 aggregate...
UK - 3i invests in Giraffe restaurant chain
3i has invested £10m for a minority stake in the fast growing, family friendly restaurant chain Giraffe, valuing the business at £24m.
UK - Morgan Crucible talks falter, again
In the summer industrial ceramics and defence material maker Morgan Crucible was reported to have received a take-over approach from German trade buyer SGL Carbone. This news was followed by reports that Credit Suisse's private equity arm DLJ Merchant...
GERMANY - 3i reinforces infrastructure team
3i has strengthened its German infrastructure team with the appointment of Uwe Danziger. A chartered accountant and qualified banking clerk, Danziger will lead 3i's German infrastructure activities.
SPAIN - Avanza attracts private equity interest
Several private equity firms and industrial players are interested in acquiring transport group Avanza. It is rumoured that Dougthy Hanson, Advent International and Apax Partners are among the possible private equity bidders. One of the prospective purchasers...
UK - Lyceum Capital-backed Clinovia makes fourth acquisition this year
Clinovia, an independent home healthcare provider backed by Lyceum Capital, has acquired CCS Blackpool. The purchase of CCS Blackpool, a care agency specialising in providing quality community support services to individuals in their own homes, is Clinovia’s...
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...
ITALY - SG Capital buys majority stake in Co.Import
SG Capital Europe has agreed to purchase 80% of Co.Import, a retailer of accessories and small home furnishings, from its founding family for EUR 15m. The management is reportedly reinvesting EUR 3m for the remaining stake. Co.Import owns a network of...
UK - Promethean portfolio company DLG makes acquisition
Promethean portfolio company Data Locator Group (DLG) has acquired the business and assets of Wegener DM Group Plc (WDM) from the listed media group Koninklijke Wegener NV. WDM has created a database on UK consumers and their lifestyles and collects the...
UK - Merseyside Special Investment Fund backs SLR Technology Solutions
SLR Technology Solutions received almost £80,000 of funding from Merseyside Special Investment Fund to complete its proof of concept phase.
GERMANY - Corporate restructurings to increase, says Alix Partners
Research has shown that Germany is set to be at the forefront of restructurings in Western Europe over the next 18 months. The recent survey by AlixPartners LLC revealed that over 50% of bankers, lawyers, fund managers and other industry experts expect...
UK - Promethean keen on Media Square
Media Square, the listed marketing company which issued a profit warning last month, is reported to have rejected a bid by Promethean. The share price rose by 4p yesterday on the news of this bid.
NL - VNU completes sale of its stake in Solucient to Thomson
VNU, the information and media company which is owned by private equity consortium Valcon Acquisition BV, has announced that it has completed the sale of its 34.3% stake in Solucient, an information products company serving the healthcare industry, to...
NL - ING to sell speciality insurance unit to Hal and Egeria
ING Group has announced that it intends to sell its speciality insurance unit Nationale Borg to HAL Investments and Egeria as part of its strategy to focus on its core insurance, banking and asset management businesses. The intended sale is subject to...
UK - Icera closes $20m investment from 3i
Icera Inc, the cellular wireless semiconductor company, today announced that 3i has invested $20m in the company as an extension to its recent series-C funding round, which now totals $60m. 3i joins an investor group comprising Benchmark Capital Europe,...
UK - CBPE sells Minova for £357m
Close Brothers Private Equity has sold speciality chemicals manufacturer Minova for £357m to Orica Ltd, an Australian quoted company. Minova's products are used in the coal mining, metal mining and tunnelling industries.
NORWAY - CapMan to make voluntary offer for Polimoon
CapMan funds intend to put forward a voluntary offer to purchase all shares outstanding in Oslo Stock Exchange-listed Polimoon ASA for a total equity valuation of NOK 1.082bn. The offer price is NOK 27.50 per share.