Sector
GERMANY - High-Tech Gründerfonds backs start-up Immunservice
High-Tech Gründerfonds has provided seed financing for Immunservice GmbH, a start-up which develops immune biomimetic hormones for drug testing. The seed financing enables the company to optimise production of its lead product Pulmoleukin to industrial...
A new frontier
Sovereign wealth funds have the resource to emerge as serious challengers to private equity in the M&A space. However, unless they address transparency concerns these ambitions are likely to be thwarted by protectionist government intervention.
UK - Infrastructure player crashes Biffa deal with £1.5bn offer
Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) is reported to be making a ТЃ1.5bn offer for waste services company Biffa. Last month, Biffa opened its books to HgCapital and Montagu Private Equity after they made a ТЃ1.2bn joint bid for the London-listed group....
ITALY - Ergon acquires 50% stake in industrial manufacturer
Belgian Ergon Capital Partners has agreed to acquire a 50% stake in Nicotra-Gebhardt from Fondo Interbancario d'Investimento Azionario in a deal valued at approximately EUR 80m.
Bargain hunting
In recent times, quoted companies have presented a real headache to acquire and have accounted for a tiny proportion of dealflow - there were seven take-privates in 2006 and there have been 12 in 2007. If the public markets' focus on share price continues...
GERMANY - Business angels invest six figure sum in drug portal apomio.de
Business angels Lukasz Gadowski and Oliver Jung have invested a six figure sum in apomio GmbH, which runs an independent online portal for price comparisons of drugs, care and food products. The company is set to capitalise on changes in the legal framework...
UK - Matrix realises 3.3x from full BBI exit
Matrix Private Equity Partners has realised over 3.3x its original investment of ТЃ2.3m through the sale of its shareholding in AIM-listed BBI Holdings Plc. Matrix originally invested in BBI, a healthcare business that focuses on diagnostics and diabetes,...
GERMANY/UK - Wellington closes EUR 265m fund and opens London office
Venture capital firm Wellington Partners has made two announcements that show a shift towards pan-European venture. The VC has closed a EUR 265m fund, Wellington Partners IV Technology, surpassing its target of EUR 250m in just over six months. The fund...
UK - Catapult supports £500,000 FDTEK funding
Catapult Venture Managers has invested ТЃ330,000 as part of a ТЃ500,000 financing round for information technology company FDTEK Holdings Ltd.
UK - The Capital Fund backs £450,000 2sms financing
The Capital Fund has invested ТЃ250,000 as part of a ТЃ450,000 financing round for mobile phone messaging services provider 2sms. The balance of the equity has been supplied by Richard Goldstein, an experienced SME investor, who has joined the 2sms board....
SWEDEN - Sunstone leads SEK 40m round in CMC Contrast
Sunstone Capital has invested SEK 40m in CMC Contrast, a medical imaging company, together with existing investors øresund Healthcare Capital and Malmöhus Invest.
UK - Accel Partners leads $15.5m OpenAds funding
Accel Partners has led a $15.5m series-B funding round for online advertising platform OpenAds, alongside exisiting investors Index Ventures, First Round Capital, Mangrove Capital Partners and O'Reilly AlphaTech Ventures.
GERMANY - KfW joins other VCs in backing Protagen AG
Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) has joined existing lead investors MIG AG and Co KG Beteiligungsfonds 3 and S-Venture Capital Dortmund GmbH in raising EUR 1m in interim financing for protein research company Protagen AG. This is the third round of...
UK - Francisco Partners leads Data Connection funding
San Fransico and London-based venture capital firm Francisco Partners has led a significant investment round for telecom networking company Data Connection Ltd, alongside strategic partner Sequoia Capital.
NETHERLANDS - Buyout groups line up for $1bn sale of Exact software
According to reports, Exact Software, a company listed on Euronext Amsterdam, is being auctioned off for $1bn. It is understood that Candover, HgCapital, Hellman & Friedman and Providence Equity Partners have expressed interest in acquiring the company....
DENMARK - NorthCap injects $2.3m in Zmags
NorthCap Partners has injected $2.3m in Zmags, a Copenhagen-based online publications specialist.
UK - Landsbanki continues growth of leverage finance team
European corporate and investment bank Landsbanki has continued the expansion of its leverage finance team with the dual appointments of Dave Amber and John Perry as directors.
UK - Octopus backs £15m buyout of broadcast media agency
Octopus Investments has supported the ТЃ15m buyout of Bruce Dunlop & Associates (BDA). Octopus has invested ТЃ5m from its equity and mezzanine funds to take a minority stake in broadcast media agency BDA. The deal was introduced to Octopus by Baker Tilly....
SPAIN - Nazca Capital backs logistics players
Nazca Capital has invested in logistics company Transportes García Villalobos (GyV) and Plataforma Frigorífica.
UK - Babcock & Brown sets sights on Forth Ports
Babcock & Brown (B&B), the Australian infrastructure fund, has bought a 20% stake in listed-ports operator Forth Ports. The Scottish-based business operates ports in Edinburgh, Dundee and London. According to some reports B&B's acquisition could be followed...
GERMANY - L-EA and SEED fund Trivid with EUR 2-5m
L-EigenkapitalAgentur and SEED have invested a total of EUR 2-5m in Trivid GmbH, a provider of online video and content solutions in a Series A round. L-EigenkapitalAgentur has acquired the bigger stake in the company, with the total of equity held by...
Chin up
The new year has seen the broadsheets bust out tales of evaporating dealflow. According to non-specialist publications, the private equity industry has ground to a halt. While stories of doom and gloom about an asset class that has hitherto been very...