Sector
Something to YELL about
Eight years ago, BT's spin-off of directories business YELL marked Europe's largest-ever LBO. Apax Partners and Hicks Muse Tate & Furst (now Lion) paid £2.14bn for the company, shelling out another $600m the following year to bolt on McLeod. While eyebrows...
ITALY - 21 Partners in Rgi delisting
Reports indicate that private equity firm 21 Partners and Sirius Holding could be moving to delist software company Rgi SpA.
UK - EQT to inject £100m into SSP
Swedish private equity fund EQT reportedly plans to inject £100m of fresh equity into portfolio company Select Service Partners (SSP), Britain's largest railway food and beverage concession operator, which includes brands such as Upper Crust, Mille's...
EUROPE - Private equity interest in Thomas Cook
Both private equity and trade buyers are reportedly circling Thomas Cook, Europe's second biggest tour operator, after its majority stakeholder, German retailer Arcandor, filed for insolvency on Tuesday.
UK - Impax appoints managing director
Renewable energy-focused investor Impax Asset Management has hired Daniel von Preyss as managing director of private equity for the Impax New Energy Investors LP fund (NEI).
NORDIC - The winner takes it all
"There will be winners and losers coming out of this recession," said 3i partner Alan MacKay, speaking today at the Nordic unquote" Private Equity Congress in Stockholm, adding that finding new financing solutions today will be what separates the wheat...
UK - Index Ventures et al. invest £8m into Alertme
Index Ventures, Good Energies, SET Venture Partners and VantagePoint Venture Partners have invested £8m into online smart energy savings systems provider Alertme in a series-B funding round.
UK - Apax writes down investment in Emap
Buyout house Apax has reportedly written down to zero its investment in Emap, a business-to-business publisher with titles including Retail Week and Broadcast.
NETHERLANDS - Gimv backs Claymount MBO
Gimv has acquired a 43% in x-ray business Claymount Group in a management buyout, with CEO Jeffrey Tierie and other management team members retaining the balance of the equity.
FRANCE - Elaia et al. invest EUR 6m into Goojet
Returning backers Elaia Partners, Partech International and IRDI-ICSO have participated in a EUR 6m second round of financing for software business Goojet, alongside new investor Orkus Capital.
GERMANY/UK - 3i-backed Hyperion's subsidiary acquires Hendricks
3i-backed Hyperion Insurance Group's brokering arm, Howden, has acquired Hendricks & Co, a specialist directors and officers (D&O) and commercial legal expenses broker in Germany.
FRANCE - TIME strengthens team
TIME Private Equity has recruited Jean Stéphane Bonneton as an associate and member of the Board.
UK - CVC- and TPG-backed Debenhams plans £400m capital raising
CVC Capital Partners and TPG-backed UK retailer Debenhams is reportedly planning a £400m capital raising through a placing of shares to slash its £1bn debt pile.
GERMANY - HTGF backs maxment GmbH
High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) has invested an undisclosed sum into software company maxment GmbH, with business angel Dr Rolf-Christian Wentz also participating.
UK - Advent Ventures backs MBO of The Foundry
Advent Venture Partners has backed the management buyout of visual effects software developer The Foundry from Wyndcrest Holdings for an undisclosed sum.
UK- NSEI et al. invest $3m into Antix Labs
NorthStar Equity Investors has led a $3m funding round in software engineering company Antix Labs Ltd, alongside Hotspur Capital and Antix founder and CEO Francis Charig.
DENMARK - Vækstfonden and angels back Teklatech with DKK 5m
Danish government-backed venture fund Vækstfonden has alongside five business angels invested DKK 5m into software business Teklatech. Vækstfonden contributed half of the total deal value.
UK - Synova-backed Lunan acquires NICA
Handbag and accessories business The Lunan Group, which is majority owned by Synova Capital, has acquired handbag brand NICA for an undisclosed sum.
UK - Octopus invests £1.1m into Phase Vision
Octopus Ventures has invested £1.1m into optical inspection solutions manufacturer Phase Vision, in exchange for a significant minority stake in the business.
SPAIN - Palamon and G Square invest in Grupo Sar
Mid-market buyout house Palamon Capital Partners and healthcare dedicated investor G Square have completed an investment into Spanish elderly care services provider Grupo SAR.
CEE - PPF and Generali launch EUR 615m fund
According to reports, Czech investment group PPF and Italian insurer Generali have joined forces to launch PPf Partners, a new EUR 615m private equity fund targeting Central and Eastern Europe.