News/Exits
ITALY - Innogest makes close to 200% IRR on exit
Innogest capital has netted an IRR of close to 200% through the sale of its 20% stake in high-tech player Singular ID.
UK - HgCapital sells Sanctuary Spa to PZ Cussons for £75m
HgCapital has sold The Sanctuary Spa Group to PZ Cussons, the consumer products group, for £75m. The Sanctuary Spa is a female body care brand in the UK. The company also operates The Sanctuary Spa in Covent Garden, which serves over 64,000 guests per...
FRANCE – Wendel rumoured to seek Editis exit
Wendel Investissement is reported to be seeking to divest Editis, the second largest publishers in France. The company is valued at between EUR 750 and 950m.
SPAIN - Quercus could speed up exit from air carrier Clickair
Quercus and building company ACS could speed up their exit from Iberia's budget airline Clickair.
SPAIN - Gala makes EUR 50m exit from energy player Cesa
Gala Capital has sold its 6.9% stake in renewable energy player Cesa Eólica for EUR 50m to Mercapital, Bridgepoint, and Basque businessman Juan Luis Arregui.
NORWAY - Index, Teknoinvest and NorthZone complete final exit from listed-Trolltech
Trolltech, a Norwegian cross-platform software developer, previously backed by Index Ventures, Teknoinvest and Northzone Ventures, has signed an agreement to be acquired by Nokia for NOK 843m, corresponding to NOK 16 per share.
ITALY - NEIP exit from textile company generates over 35% IRR
Nord Est Investment Partners (NEIP), has sold its 33.79% stake in textile manufacturer Incotex, generating an IRR of 35%.
FRANCE – LBO France rumored to seek sale of Cegelec
It is believed that LBO France has hired Rothschild & Co and Hawkpoint Partners Ltd as advisors for the possible sale of Cegelec, a company it values at EUR 1.8bn.
UK - Aberdeen divests childcare portfolio company
Aberdeen Asset Managers Growth Capital has sold Tender Loving Childcare Ltd (TLC) to Busy Bees Group Ltd, for an undisclosed sum. Aberdeen invested £1.7m of development capital in TLC in October 2000 to fund the rollout of a chain of purpose built nursery...
FRANCE - Argos Soditic exits Dorotennis after a second MBO
In a second MBO, BCBG Max Azria Group acquired Dorotennis in a deal which saw Argos Soditic exit the company. Financial details were not disclosed.
UK - Matrix realises 3.3x from full BBI exit
Matrix Private Equity Partners has realised over 3.3x its original investment of £2.3m through the sale of its shareholding in AIM-listed BBI Holdings Plc. Matrix originally invested in BBI, a healthcare business that focuses on diagnostics and diabetes,...
FRANCE – Platina Finance exits Société Française d’Eoliennes
Platina Finance exited its 25% share in Société Française d’Eoliennes with the sale of the company to Sogernia. Lazard was appointed by Platina and other investors to organise the auction process which saw around 20 offers being placed for Société...
FRANCE – Astorg Partners exits Pizza Pino
Astorg Partners has sold its 76% share of restaurant chain Pizza Pino, valued at around EUR 32m, back to founder André Sfez and businessman Lucien Urano. The deal saw André Sfez use his veto to block an exclusive deal which had been set up between Astorg...
SWEDEN - Venture-backed MySQL sold to Sun Microsystems for $1bn
Benchmark Capital along with Index Ventures, Scope Capital, SAP Ventures, Institutional Venture Partners, Intel Capital, Red Hat and Presidio STX are to realise their investments in MySQL AB through a $1bn sale of the company to Sun Microsystems.
GERMANY - EQUITA exits AKT Altmärker Kunststofftechnik
Equita Management GmbH’s Equita Fonds 2 has sold its minority stake in plastic components manufacturer AKT Altmärker Kunststofftechnik GmbH back to the founding management, which is the majority shareholder of the company. The company is headquartered...
NETHERLANDS - Buyout groups line up for $1bn sale of Exact software
According to reports, Exact Software, a company listed on Euronext Amsterdam, is being auctioned off for $1bn. It is understood that Candover, HgCapital, Hellman & Friedman and Providence Equity Partners have expressed interest in acquiring the company....
UK - ISIS recoups 2.5x from sale of Hawksmere
ISIS Equity Partners has sold Hawksmere Ltd to Kaplan Financial for an undisclosed sum. The exit will yield a money multiple of 2.5x to ISIS clients. London-based Hawksmere is a provider of legal, professional, senior management and compliance training...
ITALY - Palamon sells media player Today Spa
Palamon Capital Partners has exited printed media company Today Spa.
DENMARK - ISS exit on the cards
EQT and GS Capital Partners–backed ISS, the Danish hygiene services company, could soon be ready for a trade sale or listing.
UK - Foresight and SPARK exit software business
Foresight Group and SPARK Venture Management, through its Quester VCTs, has sold software business Nomad Payments Ltd to Metavante Technologies, Inc for $58m. Nomad is a provider of prepaid and debt card processing and licensed software. The exit generated...