News/Deals
CEE - Bancroft, CCMP sell Nowaco for EUR 250m
CCMP Capital Advisors and Bancroft Private Equity have agreed to sell Central and Eastern European food delivery businesses Nowaco Group and Farutex to international distributor Bidvest in a EUR 250m deal.
GERMANY – Apollo to take up 14 million of Infineon shares
US-based private equity firm Apollo Management has subscribed for approximately 14 million shares of listed chip maker Infineon Technology AG at a price of EUR 2.15 per share, in a rights issue that will see the company raise at least EUR700m.
SWEDEN/UK - Wellington et al to back Spotify with futher USD 50m
Existing investors Wellington Partners, Northzone Ventures and Creandum is believed to be participating in a USD 50m round for music streaming service Spotify, led by the Hong-Kong based Li Ka Shing foundation.
GERMANY – Consortium invests seven-figure sum in United Maps
Return backers High-Tech Gruenderfonds, SeedFonds Bayern and SpaceTec Capital Partners have teamed up with ClusterFonds StartUp! to extend the initial seed investment for mapping company United Maps into a seven-figure Series-A round.
GERMANY – BC Partners and Apollo Management’s Unitymedia prepares IPO
According to reports, BC Partners and Apollo Management-owned Unitymedia GmbH, a cable operator, is preparing for an IPO at the end of the year or early 2010. The company hopes to raise as much as EUR 500m to 1bn.
NETHERLANDS - H.I.G. takes stake in 3i-backed VNU
HIG Capital's distressed fund Bayside Capital has taken a stake in Dutch multimedia company VNU, alongside existing backer 3i and management, following a restructuring of the company's debt.
SPAIN - Pontia Capital sells stake in Nobeltours
It is understood that private equity firm Pontia Capital has sold its 50% stake in tour operator Nobeltur back to its founders, the Peregrín Brothers.
UK- LDC backs MBO of JPMorgan Invest
LDC has backed the management buyout of financial education and benefits firm JPMorgan Invest from parent JP Morgan Asset Management for an undisclosed sum.
FRANCE - AXA PE purchase B&B’s French wind farm portfolio
AXA Private Equity, via its infrastructure fund, has acquired Babcock & Brown's French wind farm assets.
GERMANY – AUCTUS-backed Career Partner Group buys Adam-Ries University
AUCTUS-backed Career Partner Group has acquired a majority stake in the Adam-Ries University of Applied Sciences in Erfurt.
UK - Privet Capital and Paradigm back pre-pack of Lombok
Turnaround specialists Privet Capital and Paradigm have backed the pre-pack administration of luxury furniture chain Lombok. The deal will see the firms acquire 14 of the business' 19 stores.
ITALY - Stirling Square-backed Sicurglobal acquires Mega Italia
Security specialist Sicurglobal, controlled by UK-based private equity house Stirling Square Capital Partners, has acquired security system integration firm Mega Italia.
SPAIN - Mediterrània acquires 49% stake in Agrolito for EUR 2.9m
Riva y García has acquired a 49% stake in agribusiness Agrolito, for EUR 2.9m via Mediterrània Capital fund.
NETHERLANDS - Starwood acquires Golden Tulip
Starwood Capital has completed the acquisition of beleaguered Golden Tulip Hospitality BV. No financial details have been disclosed.
CYPRUS - Platina secures project financing for EUR 170m wind project
Platina Partners LLP has secured the financing required for the development of an EUR 170m wind farm project in Cyprus, from EIB, Commerzbank, ING and NordLB. The 82MW Orties project will be Cyrus' first wind farm.
UK - LTF et al. complete follow-on investment into Acrobot
A syndicate of investors including The London Technology Fund (LTF), Imperial Innovations and PUK Ventures, has completed a further investment in medical devices company Acrobot.
UK - Gresham takes five of Formation's businesses private in £20.75m MBO
Gresham Private Equity has backed the management buyout of five of AIM-listed Formation Group's nine businesses, in a deal valued at £20.75m, creating the newco of James Grant Group (JGG) Limited.
IRELAND - SEP et al. invest $10m into Powervation
Scottish Equity Partners (SEP), Intel Capital, Venture Tech Alliance and Fourth Level Ventures have invested $10m into digital power solutions provider Powervation, as part of a series B funding round for the company.
GERMANY – KKR and Goldman Sachs to bolster KION with EUR 100m
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners have agreed to inject EUR 100m of fresh capital into forklift truck manufacturer KION.
UK - 3i et al. exit Velocix
3i, Amadeus Capital Partners and Pentech Ventures have exited their stake in P2P technology company Velocix via a trade sale to communications services business Alcatel-Lucent. No financial details were disclosed.
SWEDEN - Valedo acquires two psychiatric treatment companies
Swedish buyout house Valedo Partners has acquired Björkviksgruppen and Neuropsyk, both providers of psychiatric health care.
GERMANY - Rutland acquires CeDo from Delton
Rutland Partners has acquired the CeDo group of companies, a manufacturer of household disposables, from Delton AG, for an undisclosed sum.
Hungary/US - 3TS reaps 8.5x in CEE's largest tech IPO
Dedicated CEE investor 3TS Capital Partners has sold its shares in US/Hungarian remote-services technology business LogMeIn, generating a money multiple of 8.5x. The business, set up in Hungary and moved to the US, floated on Nasdaq at a market capitalisation...
GERMANY – HTGF and Sympasis invest in Deal United
High-Tech Gründerfonds and Sympasis Innovation Capital has invested in e-commerce start-up Deal United GmbH.