France
State-funded FSN PME invests €1m in TalentSoft
FSN PME, the French State's €400m venture fund, has made its second investment by providing €1m to HR solutions software developer TalentSoft.
PE-owned SPIE in €375m high-yield refinancing
French engineering group SPIE, acquired by a consortium of private equity houses last year, has priced a €375m high-yield bond to refinance the debt structure put in place at the time of the buyout, according to reports.
Crédit Agricole PE becomes Omnes Capital
Coller Capital has finalised the acquisition of Crédit Agricole Private Equity (CAPE), which has been renamed Omnes Capital.
LBO France delays fundraising effort
French mid-cap GP LBO France has pushed back the launch of its next €1.5bn White Knight IX vehicle - which was supposed to take place in Q1 - to Q3 2012, according to French publication Capital Finance.
Bank investments in PE down 69%
Anecdotal evidence highlights that PE houses cannot rely on banks and insurance companies to raise the bulk of their funds anymore. Data from French association AFIC backs this up with worrying numbers. Greg Gille reports
Entrepreneur Venture invests in Société Financière JF3H
Entrepreneur Venture has made a growth capital investment in Société Financière JF3H, the holding company of French coach travel operators Regnault Autocars and Nouvelle Aisne Tourisme.
Montagu strengthens French team
Montagu Private Equity has hired Antoine de Peguilhan as investment director and Adrien Sassi as analyst in its Paris office.
Fresh €1.5m round for Novapost
Existing investors including Alven Capital and Fa Dièse have contributed to a €1.5m funding round for French electronic HR solutions provider Novapost.
CDC Entreprises et al. in €7m round for E-Blink
CDC Entreprises has joined existing shareholders 360 Capital Partners, Masseran Gestion, I-Source Gestion and Alven Capital Partners in a €7m round for French telecoms company E-Blink.
De Pardieu Brocas Maffei appoints new counsel
French law firm De Pardieu Brocas Maffei has hired Maxime Dequesnes as counsel in its private equity practice.
Seventure and Lundbeckfond inject €5m in Enterome
Seventure Partners and Lundbeckfond Ventures have provided French biotech company Enterome with a €5m series-A round of funding.
XAnge PE and Creathor Venture in €2.5m round for Mobiles Republic
XAnge Private Equity and Creathor Venture have invested a joint €2.5m in French mobile apps developer Mobiles Republic.
Alvarez & Marsal expands French team
Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) has appointed Olivier Dubois as managing director, based in the Paris office.
€30m first close for TCR Capital
French GP TCR Capital has raised around €30m for its latest fund, a small-cap buyout vehicle.
Exit volumes surge despite tough conditions
unquote” data shows that exit volumes surged in 2011 as private equity houses sought to satisfy investor demands, but it is uncertain if this trend will continue in 2012. Anneken Tappe reports.
Duke Street considers Biomnis exit
Mid-market GP Duke Street has appointed Crédit Suisse to review options - including a potential sale - for French medical analysis business Biomnis, according to a spokesperson.
Argos Soditic appoints new analyst
French mid-cap firm Argos Soditic has hired Guillaume Lefebvre as an analyst, and promoted Jérémie Falzone to investment manager.
France Télécom and Publicis team up with Iris
French companies France Télécom and Publicis have partnered with VC firm Iris Capital Management to set up a €300m corporate venture initiative.
France unquote" March 2012
With a whopping 51% of all buyouts being sourced from other private equity houses, according to unquote” data, 2011 clearly was the year of the SBO in France. This figure trumps the previous year’s record high of 37% – gone are the days when SBOs...
Nord Capital and Turenne back Kap Verre MBI
Nord Capital Partenaires, Turenne Capital and Alliance Entreprendre have backed the management buy-in of French glass specialist Kap Verre from its co-founders.
Colony Capital completes PSG exit
Colony Capital has sold its remaining 30% stake in French football club Paris St Germain (PSG) to Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) in a deal that reportedly values the club at €100m.
Alven et al. in $5m round for Commerce Guys
Alven Capital and Open Ocean Capital have joined existing investor ISAI in a $5m round of funding for French e-commerce solutions provider Commerce Guys.
L Capital closes latest vehicle on €400m
French mid-cap investor L Capital Management has closed its L Capital 3 FCPR fund on €400m, above the initial €350m target.
Idinvest leads $5.5m round for Leetchi.com
Idinvest Partners has joined existing investor 360° Capital Partners in a $5.5m series-B round for French online payment business Leetchi.com.