News/DACH
GERMANY - Axa acquires Löwen Play from Waterland
Axa Private Equity has agreed to acquire Löwen Play GmbH from Waterland Private Equity in a transaction rumoured to be worth at least EUR 300m. Löwen Play GmbH is based in Bingen and operates more than 190 amusement arcades as well as a number of machines...
DACH – Heliad Equity Partners to announce Heliad II fund
Heliad Equity Partners will soon announce the launch of Heliad II, which is currently in premarketing. The fund has a target of EUR 130m and will invest in later stage companies in the DACH region. London-based Greenpark Capital will act as a cornerstone...
SWITZERLAND/FRANCE – Argos Soditic tucks into Valora
Argos Soditic has bought three food production companies from Swiss logistics and retail holding company Valora Holding AG. Switzerland-based Roland Murten AG and Kägi Söhne AG and French company Cansimag France SA have been acquired for an undisclosed...
GERMANY - Mayer Brown bolsters private equity team
Mayer Brown has bolstered its private equity team. Dr Benedikt Weiser has joined as partner in the Frankfurt office of the law firm.
GLOBAL – Partners closes EUR 447m mezz fund
Swiss-based asset manager Partners Group has reached a EUR 447m final close for its global mezzanine fund, soaring past the EUR 300m target. The fund has already made 11 investments in 2008, corresponding to 50% its capital.
GERMANY - OEP increases stake in Pfleiderer
One Equity Partner has increased its stake in listed wood building materials company Pfleiderer AG. In January, OEP acquired around 15% of the company, and has now increased its shareholding to 20.4%.
GERMANY - Apax ends talks with Escada
Apax Partners has ended talks with Escada AG about a potential acquisition. Talks had been ongoing for some months and Apax had been granted limited access to the company's financial records.
WORLD - Covington & Burling appoint two
Covington & Burling LLP has appointed Timothy Clark and Loretta Shaw-Lorello as partners in the firm's corporate practice in New York. Clark will co-chair the firm's private equity practice.
GERMANY – SHS III reaches first closing
SHS III, the third fund managed by Tübingen-based SHS Gesellschaft für Beteiligungsmanagement, has raised EUR 40m from investors in Germany and across Europe. The fund is geared to financing young, innovative companies in the life sciences and healthcare...
EUROPE - EIF makes two appointments
The European Investment Fund (EIF) has appointed Richard Pelly as chief executive officer and Jean-Marie Magnette as deputy chief executive. Richard Pelly succeeds Francis Carpenter, whose term of office ended in February.
GERMANY - Industri Kapital to acquire Flabeg
Industri Kapital has agreed to acquire Flabeg from EquiVest funds, managed by CBR for an undisclosed amount.
SWITZERLAND – VC consortium funds PicoDrill SA
A consortium of three Swiss VC firms have alongside private investors, led a CHF 5.8m Series A round in PicoDrill SA. The investors are Initiative Capital Romandie, VI Partners and Jade Invest.
GERMANY - 3i sells cleantech company hte AG
3i has agreed to divest its stake in German cleantech company hte AG to BASF. The financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed.
World - Capital Dynamics promotes Cynthia Duda
Capital Dynamics has promoted Cynthia Duda to managing director. Duda has over 20 years of private equity experience.
GERMANY - Leadership change at Dresdner Kleinwort Leverage Finance
Marcel Herter has left Dresdner Kleinwort and been replaced by Kai Gebauer as head of leverage finance, Germany. Gebauer joined Dresdner Kleinwort last September as head of mid-cap leverage finance. He will be based in Frankfurt and will report to Brian...
EUROPE – DN Capital reaches EUR 50m first close
Unquote” has learned from a limited partner that European early stage and growth equity investor DN Capital has reached a first close of its second fund, Global Venture Capital II (GVC II). The fund raised just under half of its EUR 100m target and...
GERMANY – Private equity bids for Evonik
According to press reports, Blackstone, Bain Capital, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) and CVC Capital Partners are still bidding for a 25% stake in chemicals concern Evonik. A total of eleven private equity funds had expressed an interest, out of which...
GERMANY - SHS sells pharmaceutical company Novosis AG
VC funds under the management of SHS Gesellschaft für Beteiligungsmanagement have sold their stakes in Novosis AG to Schweizerhall Holding AG. The deal valued the company at around EUR 90m. Schweizerhall Group has held a 49% in the company since March...
SWITZERLAND – Invision acquires SEG
Invision Private Equity AG has acquired a majority stake in Swiss Education Group Ltd (SEG) from the founder, who remains a minority stakeholder and president of the administrative board.
GERMANY/USA - CBR portfolio company makes acquisition
CBR Management GmbH, which manages EquiVest I, has acquired Erwin Behr Automotive business via its portfolio company Sellner-Group. The deal was structured as a combined asset deal in Germany and a share deal in the US. Financing was provided by internal...
GERMANY - Balderton Capital invests in Metaversum
Balderton Capital has invested an undisclosed amount in Metaversum GmbH, the developer of Twinity, a 3D virtual world currently in private beta testing. Previous investors include Grazia Equity.
SWITZERLAND - CGS Management acquires Schoettli Group
CGS Management has acquired Schöttli AG from the owner and single shareholder Martin Schöttli, who continues to hold a significant minority stake.
GERMANY - Sun Capital Partners acquires Neckermann.de
Sun Capital Partners has closed the acquisition of 51% of mail order company Neckermann.de GmbH from Arcandor AG. Arcandor AG continues to hold 49%.
GERMANY - Earlybird leads EUR 3m round in Clean Mobile AG
Earlybird has led a EUR 3m Series A financing round in designer and manufacturer of fuel cell powered drives Clean Mobile AG.