Sector
UK - Alliance Boots buys £400m of distressed debt
Alliance Boots, the retailer that was taken private by executive chairman Stefano Pessina and KKR almost two years ago, has reportedly bought back more than ТЃ400m of the debt used to acquire the business.
FRANCE - I-source and OTC invest further EUR 3.5m into Rhapso
I-Source Gestion and OTC Asset Management have invested EUR 3.5m into Rhapso, a software company, in a third funding round.
FRANCE - Wellington and Icso lead EUR 6m SuperSonic investment
Wellington Partners and Icso Private Equity have led a EUR 6m investment into medical equipment company SuperSonic Imagine, alongside Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners, Auriga Partners, Crédit Agricole Private Equity, NBGI Ventures and BioAm.
FRANCE - Innovacom leads EUR 4m Streamezzo funding
Innovacom has joined returning investors Sofinnova Partners, Sofinnova Ventures, Qualcomm, NTEC and GET Valorisation in a EUR 4m funding round for Streamezzo, a provider of rich application software platforms for mobile.
SWEDEN - Amadeus and Northzone lead EUR 16m Tobii funding
Amadeus Capital Partners and Northzone Ventures have led a EUR 16m series-B funding round for eye-tracking systems developer Tobii, alongside exisiting backer Investor Growth Capital, the venture capital arm of industrial holding Investor AB.
SPAIN - Creditors take over Cinven-backed USP Group
According to reports, Cinven-backed healthcare group United Surgical Partners (USP) has completed a restructuring with its lenders Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland that will see the banks acquire a 65% stake in the business through a debt-for-equity...
Default rates double; set to escalate further
For years bearish professionals have been warning of imminent and widespread defaults. Now it seems they are upon us, with double-digit default rates expected within the year. Kimberly Romaine reports
FRANCE - Acto to purchase majority of Inventoriste
Acto Capital has agreed to acquire approximately 87% of the shares and voting rights in Alternext-listed retail services business Inventoriste from Berberine EURL, Amiral Gestion, B&G SARL, Financier John Beslay and Jean-Sebastien Beslay.
FRANCE - Quilvest PE invests EUR 6.5m into Swoon
Quilvest Private Equity has backed JDI Fashion, the owner of children's clothing retail chain Swoon, with an investment of EUR 6.5m.
UK - August Equity boosts investment team
August Equity has hired Mehul Patel and Ranji Goodwin to its investment team.
UK - CGC buys Pragma and Real Time in £27.8m deal
Close Growth Capital (CGC) has backed the ТЃ28m management buyout of Pragma and Real Time, the UK IT services businesses of Sword Group Plc, the listed French IT company. Scottish Enterprise, Clysedale Bank and management also invested.
SPAIN – Dinamia writes down BodyBell and Colegios Laude
Dinamia, the listed vehicle of N+1 Private Equity has written down its investments in personal goods retailer Bodybell and private schools group Colegios Laude.
FRANCE - BNP Développment in EUR 5.2m round for Télé-Animaux
BNP Développment has lead a EUR 5m financing of Télé-Animaux (formerly Buena Media), a media group focused on pets, to support the firms external growth plans. BNP Dévelopment provided nearly half of the total investment.
NETHERLANDS – PPM Oost backs ProductIP
PPM Oost (East Netherlands Participation Company) has invested an undisclosed sum in business support services firm ProductIP. The investment was made possible with EU ERDF funds and a contribution from the province of Gelderland.
UK - Octopus Ventures appoints investor director
Octopus Ventures, specialist investors in UK-based early-stage and expanding companies, has hired Jo Oliver as investor director.