Sector
UK - Boots deal encounters up to £1bn unforeseen pension costs
KKR's buyout of Alliance Boots has encountered a setback in the form of an extra ТЃ1bn demanded by the trustees of its pension fund. The pension fund was reported to have a surplus just days earlier. Yesterday, the Pension Regulator called on trustees...
SWEDEN - Innovations Kapital makes 9x on sale of Spotfire
InnovationsKapital hs sold IT company Spotfire to TIBCO, a US software company, making a 9x return on investment. The sale of Spotfire marks the final close of InnovationsKapital's first fund, InnKap 1.
UK - Kelso Place acquires sub-prime mortgage broker TML
Kelso Place Asset Management has completed the acquisition of TML Financial Solutions, a subsidiary of Kensington Group Plc. The new independent company will trade under its previous name, The Mortgage Lender. The Mortgage Lender, a specialist sub-prime...
UK - Apollo to save troubled Focus DIY?
Apax and Duke Street Capital portfolio company Focus DIY is believed to be on the brink of a rescue deal with Apollo Management. The DIY retailer has struggled with its debt load for the last two years following worsening conditions in the home improvement...
UK - ECI acquires CliniSys in £61m deal
ECI Partners has acquired healthcare IT company CliniSys for ТЃ61m plus an earn out of up to ТЃ2m from its founding shareholders, some of whom are re-investing in the business. Headquartered in Surrey and with operations in Belgium, The Netherlands, France,...
UK - RBS backs £21m buyout of chemicals business Tocris
Royal Bank of Scotland has backed the ТЃ21m management buyout of speciality chemicals business Tocris Cookson Ltd from its founding shareholders. The deal sees RBS taking an equity stake in the newco having provided a combined equity and debt package....
UK - New Look IPO off
Rumours that Apax and Permira were going to float portfolio company New Look were unfounded. The high street fashion retailer looks set to change private equity hands, with Merrill Lynch appointed to run an auction. KKR, CVC and Texas Pacific Group are...
UK - Quester and YFM in £600,000 third round for Symetrica
YFM Group and Quester join other investors NESTA, the SULIS Seedcorn Fund and Tennants Ventures on a third round of funding totalling ТЃ600,000 for gamma radiation detector specialists Symetrica. NESTA first invested in Symetrica in September 2004 in...
UK - LGV seeks further asset in dental healthcare sector
It is thought that Legal & General Ventures is considering a bid for AIM-listed dental group Oasis Healthcare. The Norwich-based company's shares rose a fifth yesterday on the back of news that it had received several preliminary approaches.
GERMANY - Mauser AG changes hands in EUR 850m transaction
One Equity Partners have sold Mauser AG for EUR 850m to fellow financial investor Dubai International Capital. In May 2003, One Equity Partners had acquired the industrial packaging specialist for an undisclosed amount.
UK - LDC back buyout of MB Aerospace
LDC has backed the management buyout of engineering contractor MB Aerospace Holdings. LDC will own a majority stake in the newco, which has been formed from MB Aerospace and MB Faber, two of the main subsidiaries of 109 year-old generalist engineering...
FINLAND - Eqvitec exits Secgo Software
Eqvitec Technology Fund I has sold its 18% holding in Secgo Software, a Finnish information security and mobility management software company, to Birdstep Technology ASA for EUR 9.2m. Eqvitec invested in Secgo in the company's spin-off from Secgo Group...
UK - Rhone Capital exits Early Learning Centre after acquisition by Mothercare
Chelsea Stores, the owner of the Early Learning Centre children's toys retailer, has been acquired by Mothercare for ТЃ85m in cash and shares. The deal represents an exit for Rhone Capital, a private equity player which participated in the consortium...
GERMANY - Wellington Partners invests in Adconion
In a first round of funding, Wellington Partners has invested an undisclosed amount in Munich-based online advertising network company Adconion Media Group. The company was formerly known as Euroclick but recently rebranded as it is expanding beyond Europe....
UK - Aberdeen backs the £6m BIMBO of MSIS
Aberdeen Asset Managers Growth Capital has backed the BIMBO of industrial cleaning company MS Industrial Services Ltd. Aberdeen has invested ТЃ2.5m as part of the ТЃ6m deal. Aberdeen intends to grow the company from an industrial cleaning and waste disposal...
US/UK - SEP leads $17m investment in Heartscape Technologies
Scottish Equity Partners has led a $17m investment in healthcare pioneer Heartscape Technologies, which has launched an innovative device for the early and accurate diagnosis of heart attacks in patients in casualty. SEP led second round funding as part...
GERMANY - evidanza receives EUR 2.4m financing
In a second round of financing a consortium consisting of BayBG Bayerische Beteiligungsgesellschaft, S-Refit and KfW have invested EUR 2.4m in software developer evidanza GmbH. BayBG provided part of the funding in form of a 'stille Beteiligung'.
NL - Gilde to acquire Bakkersland Banket
Gilde Equity Management Benelux looks set to acquire Bakkersland Banket BV, a confectioner, from Bakkersland Groep BV. Bakkersland Banket provides pastry products for the Dutch food retail and foodservice markets, as well as for the exportmarket and is...
UK - KKR consortium controls quarter of Boots shares
KKR looks to be a step closer to securing the Boots deal today. After recent share purchases the KKR consortium now controls around a quarter of the share capital of Alliance Boots, the FTSE 100 chemist and retailer. Previously KKR's bid was supported...
SPAIN - Investindustrial and Gala Capital buy Panda Software
After over a year of negotiations, buyout firms Investindustrial and Gala Capital have purchased a majority stake of 75% in antivirus developer Panda Software. The remaining stake will be held by founder Mikel Urizarbarrena.
NORWAY - Eqvitec Technology Fund III invests in TraceTracker Innovation ASA
Eqvitec Technology Fund II has invested in TraceTracker Innovation, a Norwegian software provider of electronic traceability solutions for the food industry.
GERMANY - DZ Equity Partner exits KUMAgroup
DZ Equity Partner has sold its stake in German IT solutions provider KUMAgroup to WaBeKu GmbH. The transaction value has not been disclosed. The financial investor had acquired the stake at the end of 1998 from the company’s founders.
NL - Aletra to acquire DA Retailgroep
Aletra Capital Partners has reportedly agreed to acquire DA, a retailer of cosmetics and beauty products.