Italy
Intesa and Innogest in €5m round for Silicon Biosystems
Atlante Ventures, the Venture Capital Fund of the Intesa Sanpaolo Group, and Innogest Capital have co-led a €5m round of financing for Silicon Biosystems SpA.
Finlombarda invests €1.5m in Microcinema
Finlombarda Gestioni SGR has invested €1.5m in Italian digital distribution network of film and digital content Microcinema, taking a minority stake in the business.
Alto Partners takes 51% stake in IPE Cavalli
Alto Partners has acquired a 51% stake in design furniture business IPE Cavalli.
3i loses control of Global Garden Products
3i has lost control of its Italian lawnmower manufacturer Global Garden Products (GGP), which has been taken over by its senior lenders during the company’s restructuring process.
Foresight boosts European solar team
Foresight Group, a dedicated environmental investor, has appointed Federico Giannandrea as investment director.
SICI and FidiToscana back Montalbano Technology
Sviluppo Imprese Centro Italia (SICI) and the Tuscan financial agency FidiToscana have invested €2m in Montalbano Technology, taking a 24% stake in the business.
Q&A: Environmental sector opportunities and challenges
Nino Tronchetti, co-founder and CEO of environmental investor Ambienta talks to unquote" about opportunities in the sector.
3i-led consortium favourite bidder for E.ON Italian gas grid
According to reports, a 3i-led consortium, which includes Italian gas supplier Erogasmet, has been selected by E.ON for the acquisition of its Italian gas grid; the deal has been estimated at over €300m.
Cape in €900m proposal to build cars in Sicily
Cimino & Associates Private Equity (Cape), has presented an offer to the Italian government to build electric cars in Sicily.
Italy's solar market heats up
Earlier this week UK-based investor Amplio Group connected two solar PV plants in Italy and plans to connect an additional four by the end of the month – all in all a €13m deal.
Amplio invests in solar project
Dedicated environmental investors The Amplio Group has completed and connected two plants of 1MW each expecting to connect four additional 1MW plants by the end of the month.
Banca Leonardo shuts down PE activities
The wave of structural reorganisations has hit Italyтs Banca Leonardo, which is one of the recent banks to decide to re-focus its activities, towards its advisory and wealth management and away private equity division.
Adapt to survive
Despite recording a steep decline in investment activity over 2009, delegates at the 2009 unquote" Italia Private Equity Congress remained optimistic that Italy is well placed for future growth. Francinia Protti-Alvarez reports
ITALY - Market remains strong despite downturn
Speaking at the unquote" Italia private equity congress, Mara Caverni of PricewaterhouseCoopers argued that the Italian private equity market remains in good health despite the big declines witnessed in the last year, emphasising that "activity has,...