United Kingdom
Terra Firma looking to sell Odeon
Terra Firma is again looking to sell cinema chain Odeon & UCI Group in 2013, potentially raising up to ТЃ1bn, according to reports.
One Equity Partners merges portfolio companies
One Equity Partners has combined its two packaging portfolio companies Schoeller Arca and Linpac Allibert.
Holiday deals round-up
European private equity saw an exceptionally busy Christmas period this year, with many investors wrapping up deals right at the end of 2012. Here’s a round-up of all the events of the last two weeks.
AlpInvest and Honeywell Capital Management invest £35m in Towry
AlpInvest Partners and Honeywell Capital Management have invested ТЃ35m in Towry Group, a UK-based wealth advisory firm backed by Palamon Capital Partners.
Aquiline buys Equity Red Star for £87m
Aquiline Capital Partners has bought UK-based motor insurance business Equity Red Star (ERS) from Insurance Australia Group (IAG) for ТЃ87m.
Government to investigate Comet collapse
Vince Cable is to launch an investigation into the demise of electricals retailer Comet, which had been bought by turnaround specialist OpCapita in November 2011 before going into administration a year later.
Ludgate et al. back ECO Plastics
Ludgate Environmental Fund, SAM Private Equity and other existing shareholders have invested ТЃ6m in UK-based plastic bottle re-processor ECO Plastics.
PE funding gains traction with UK entrepreneurs
Nearly a third (31%) of UK entrepreneurs are considering private equity or venture capital to raise finance in 2013, according to 800 UK business leaders polled in a recent Baker Tilly survey.
BC Partners loses managing partner
BC Partners' Andrew Newington is understood to have left the firm due to disagreements over future strategy.
BGF invests £3m in Camino
The Business Growth Fund (BGF) has provided UK-based tapas restaurants operator Camino with ТЃ3m of funding.
Arx Equity Partners sells Lexum to Moonray Healthcare
Arx Equity Partners has sold Czech ophthalmology and refractive surgery provider Lexum to British healthcare investor Moonray Healthcare.
LDC invests in Blue Rubicon
LDC has taken a majority stake in UK-based PR consultancy Blue Rubicon, in a deal that values the business at ТЃ30m.
Endless backs MBO of Vion Food UK
Turnaround player Endless has invested in the management buyout of Dutch food producer Vion's British pork business.
WestBridge backs £6m MBO of Anglia Business Solutions
UK SME investor WestBridge Capital has pumped ТЃ2.6m into the buyout of Cambridge-based Anglia Business Solutions in return for a 43% stake in the business.
Sovereign achieves 4.2x on sale of DC Leisure
Sovereign Capital has exited its investment in DC Leisure Holdings Ltd in a sale to property management firm Places for People Group Ltd, reaping 36% IRR on its investment.
NBGI partially exits Pasta King
Yorkshire Bank has provided ТЃ8.7m of senior debt and working capital to Pasta King in a deal that sees NBGI Private Equity partially exit the firm.
Dunedin's CitySprint buys Eagle Express
CitySprint, a distribution network backed by Dunedin, has acquired Eagle Express Worldwide Couriers.
UK & Ireland unquote" December 2012/January 2013
In defiance of problems on the continent, the UK has seen a surge in mega-buyouts this year, topped off with the recent acquisition of Annington Homes for ТЃ3.2bn.
RCapital acquires Harley Medical Group
Turnaround specialist RCapital has bought UK surgery specialist Harley Medical Group from administration.
Palamon and Sirius buy feelunique.com
Palamon Capital Partners and Sirius Equity have acquired a majority stake in Channel Islands-based online beauty retailer feelunique.com, in a deal that values the business at ТЃ26m.
VCs in £3.75m round for Bicycle Therapeutics
Biotherapeutics firm Bicycle Therapeutics has received ТЃ3.75m from existing and new venture capital investors.
HitecVision sells Spring Energy Norway to Tullow Oil
HitecVision has sold its 87.6% stake in Spring Energy Norway to London-based exploration company Tullow Oil for approximately $326m.
FF&P takes minority stake in Sohonet
FF&P Private Equity has taken a minority stake in British media data management business Sohonet.
Vitruvian-backed Tinopolis buys Firecracker and Passion Distribution
Vitruvian Partners' TV production company Tinopolis has snapped up UK-based independent film production company Firecracker Films and global media distribution company Passion Distribution within the first week of December.