Benelux Unquote
Deal in focus: 3i invests €110m in Basic-Fit
3i has invested in Dutch discount gym chain Basic-Fit, joining the raft of private equity firms clamouring to support the low-cost gym craze currently sweeping across Europe.
Corporate carve-outs boost Benelux deal values
Corporate carve-outs
Riverstone's Hestya to take Hes Beheer private
Riverstone Europe-owned Hestya Energy has entered exclusive negotiations with Dutch stevedoring and inland shipping group Hes Beheer regarding a potential take-private deal.
Gilde Healthcare closes fund on €145m
Gilde Healthcare Partners has held the final close of its transatlantic life sciences venture fund, Gilde Healthcare III (GHC III), on its target of €145m.
Alter Domus poaches JP Morgan's PE head
Patrick McCullagh, Alter Domus
Bridgepoint seeking Noordhoff sale
Bridgepoint is currently in discussions with potential buyers for the Noordhoff Uitgevers division of its Dutch portfolio company Infinitas Learning.
3i invests €110m in Basic-Fit
3i has invested €110m in the management buyout of Basic-Fit, a Dutch and Belgian discount gym operator, in a deal valuing the business at €275m.
JLL Partners, Royal DSM create $2.6bn pharma business
US private equity house JLL Partners and Dutch life sciences group Royal DSM have teamed up and combined assets to create a new, independent pharmaceutical company in a deal worth $2.6bn.
H2 Equity Partners sells Eska
H2 Equity Partners has wholly divested Eska Graphic Board, a Dutch graphic boards manufacturer, to private investment firm Andlinger & Company.
Gimv commits further capital to DG Infra
Infrastructure-focused investor DG Infra has secured additional financing from its sponsors, Gimv and Belfius Bank, with a plan to invest up to €400m over the next five years.
Advent offers €1bn to take Unit4 private
Advent International has put in a €1.17bn offer to take Dutch software company Unit4 private in a deal that would value the whole business at €1.28bn.
Argos Soditic opens Benelux office
Mid-market private equity house Argos Soditic has officially announced the opening a new office in Brussels to better take advantage of the Benelux market.
Gimv leads €8.5m round for Itineris
Gimv and PMV have invested €8.5m in Belgian software company Itineris, alongside the company’s founder and CEO.
Bencis to take Xeikon private
Bencis Capital Partners has made a mandatory public offer to acquire all issued shares of Xeikon for €5.85 per share, giving the company an enterprise value of €168m.
PMV backs arGEN-X
PMV has invested €5m in arGEN-X, a Dutch and Belgian biotechnology firm, in an extension of the company’s 2011 series-B round, which now totals €32.5m.
Karmijn Kapitaal holds final close on €50m
Dutch female-led private equity firm Karmijn Kapitaal has held the final close of its maiden diversity-focused fund, Karmijn Kapitaal I, on its target of €50m. Ellie Pullen speaks to the firm's founders
Private equity firm circling Hes Beheer
Dutch stevedoring and inland shipping group Hes Beheer has stated that it is currently in talks with a private equity firm, or the portfolio company of a private equity firm, regarding a potential take-private deal.
Capricorn, Vesalius lead round for Trod
Capricorn Venture Partners and Vesalius Biocapital have co-led a €4.75m series-B funding round for Trod Medical, a Belgian medical devices company.
Gimv fully exits Ablynx
Gimv has sold its remaining direct stake of 2.24% in Euronext-listed Ablynx, a Belgian biotechnology company, for €19.1m.
Private equity firms circle Unit4
Netherlands-based software company Unit4, which is listed on the NYSE Euronext Amsterdam, has been approached by private equity firms with takeover bids that value the company at up to €1.04bn.
NovoPolymers pulls in further VC funding
Gimv, Capricorn Venture Partners and the Federale Participatie- en Investeringsmaatschappij (SFPI-FPIM) have reinvested in Belgian solar encapsulant manufacturer NovoPolymers alongside new backer Capital-E.
CoBe Capital buys Printing Systems Division from Staples
CoBe Capital has acquired the printing systems division of listed firm Staples.
NEA backs Silk with $1.6m
New Enterprise Associates (NEA) has injected a further $1.6m into existing portfolio company Silk, the Dutch provider of a cloud-based, interactive data visualisation platform.
PE firms lose out on Vion sale
Private equity firms reported to be circling the ingredients division of Netherlands-based Vion Food Group have lost out on the sale to Darling International, which has acquired the subsidiary for €1.6bn.