Technology
UK - LDC acquires digital dictation specialist BigHand
Digital dictation specialist BigHand is targeting rapid global growth after being bought by a management team backed by LDC. London-based BigHand supplies software that allows users to dictate directly onto their firmтs computer network from anywhere...
UK - London University spin-out company raises £930,000 with help from The Capital Fund
IXICO Ltd, a London University spin-out company that has developed innovative software to automate the analysis of digital clinical images used in drug discovery and development, has raised ТЃ930,000. The Capital Fund provided ТЃ100,000, investing alongside...
FRANCE - Apax Partners agrees to buy FTMSC from France Telecom
Apax Partners has signed a agreement to acquire 100% of France telecom Mobile Satellite Communications SA (FTMSC).
FRANCE - KKR in exclusive talks for PagesJaunes
According to press reports, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts has entered exclusive negotiations with France Telecom for the acquisition of its 54% stake in telephone directory business PagesJaunes, for EUR 3.3bn
UK - Lagan secures £8.3m funding led by Esprit Capital Partners
Lagan, provider of enterprise case management and customer relationship management solutions to governments in the UK and North America, has secured ТЃ8.3m investment funding to support the company's next phase of growth. The latest round of funding was...
UK - Barclays Ventures backs MBO of Lakeview Computers Group
Barclays Ventures has backed the management buyout of Lakeview Computers Group Ltd, a leading player in the development and maintenance of enterprise resource planning software systems. The business, which generates an annual EBITDA of over ТЃ2m, was...
UK - Catapult Venture Managers back Exmet
Catapult Venture Managers has led a syndicate of investors to provide a ТЃ600,000 funding package for Kingswinford-based Exmet Limited, the supplier of the See20/20 specialist management software system for single and multi-site ophthalmic practices....
UK - Esprit join Atlas and Benchmark in funding round for Newnham
Newnham today announced it has raised $13.25m in a series-B extension round of venture capital to help the company expand the development and worldwide marketing of its interactive networked display software and semiconductor technology. Following this...
NL-Cinven and Warburg Pincus to acquire Casema
Cinven and Warburg Pincus have reportedly reached an agreement with Carlyle, Providence Partners and GMT Communications to acquire Casema for around EUR 1.2bn. Carlyle and Providence each hold a 46% stake in Casema, with GMT Communications making up the...
UK - Microsoft executive Judy Gibbons joins Accel London
Accel Partners has announced the appointment of Judy Gibbons as venture partner in its London office, which focuses on early stage Internet, software and communications investments in Europe and Israel.
UK - Misys 'management walk in' to prevent company being sold off too cheaply
Control of software firm Misys is reported by the Times to have been assumed by three former directors who want to prevent the firm being sold off too cheaply to private equity or trade buyers. Under plans by the directors, the ТЃ1bn firm will be broken...
FRANCE - Deadline for PagesJaunes bids
Bidders for France Telecom's 54% stake in directory service PagesJaunes are expected to place binding offers today.
AUSTRIA - Blackstone to target Telekom Austria
According to press reports the Blackstone Group is in discussions with the Austrian government over a possible participation in Telekom Austria. Reports from investment bankers at UBS Bank also confirm that financial investors are likely to consider the...
FRANCE - Alven generates a 40% IRR on trade sale of financial software developer
Alven Capital has sold its entire stake in middle and back-office software developer Emos Futures to its main competitor, GL Trade, a deal which generated an IRR of 40%.
GERMANY - Palamon takes controlling stake in cadooz
Palamon Capital Partners has acquired a controlling stake in cadooz AG. The company is a provider of gift certificates for corporate customers in Germany. The financial investor has committed EUR 15m in capital within the framework of the transaction....
GERMANY - 3i and Triton exit CoCreate
3i and Triton have exited their holding in CoCreate to HBK Private Equity Group.
NL- Apax Partners courts Endemol
Apax Partners is thought to be considering a possible EUR 1bn for Dutch quoted company Endemol. The private equity firm, which failed to purchase ITV earlier this year, could set up a consortium to buy Telefonica’s stake in Endemol.
UK - LDC buys telecoms tester in £30m deal
LDC has backed the management buyout of Microlease, the European market leader for the rental and leasing of electronic test and measurement equipment. Microlease provides a wide range of general purpose test equipment such as oscilloscopes and data acquisition...
UK - Jefferies expands technology research team
Jefferies International Ltd, a subsidiary of US-based Jefferies Group Inc, today announced the appointment of Milan Radia as a Senior Equity Research Analyst, extending the firmтs global coverage of the software and IT services industries. Milan Radia...
NORWAY - Altor acquires 70% of Scandpower
Altor has acquired 70% of Scandpower Petroleum Technology Holding ASA (SPT). The current owners, led by HitecVision Private Equity, will have a 30% ownership in the company on a pro-rata basis.
UK - CriticalBlue raises $3.7m second round funding
CriticalBlue, a provider of tools for accelerating software in embedded microprocessor applications has announced the closure of its B round financing. The funding round was led by Herald Ventures and was fully supported by existing investors Pentech...
UK - Permira, Carlyle and Blackstone court iSoft
The struggling healthcare software company, iSoft, is thought to be latest company to be weighed up by private equity with Permira, Carlyle and Blackstone all reported to be interested according to the Observer.
PORTUGAL - Money set for Portugal Telecom buyout
According to reports on the Portuguese press, a consortium of private equity funds including Blackstone, Cinven, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, Permira and Providence Equity have secured EUR 4.9 b of their own funds available should they decide to go ahead...
UK - Anil Hansjee joins GP Bullhound
Anil Hansjee, previously at IDG Ventures, has joined technology investment banking firm GP Bullhound. He has over 15 years experience in the technology industry and has worked as an IT engineer, in IT corporate finance and, most recently, as a principal...