News/DACH
SWITZERLAND - Lion Capital acquires 32% stake in Hiestand
Lion Capital has agreed to acquire a 32% stake in Hiestand Holding AG, a publicly-traded company listed on the SWX Swiss Exchange. The Hiestand Group is an international service provider of convenience deep-frozen bakery products, in Switzerland, Germany,...
GERMANY – NORD Holding acquires Teupen
NORD Holding has acquired a majority stake in Teupen Maschinenbau GmbH, a provider of mobile height access technology. The investment will be used to fund further growth of the company, which is based in Gronau and was founded in 1977. The company expects...
GERMANY - Waterland sells sds business services for EUR 46m
Waterland Private Equity Investments has sold sds business services GmbH to Affiliated Computer Services (ACS) Inc for EUR 46m, with ACS also assuming liabilities to purchase sds.
GERMANY - Ripplewood interested in stricken IKB
According to press reports, US private equity house Ripplewood Holdings is interested in acquiring part or all of IKB bank, which suffered heavily from the subprime crisis. The deadline for nonbinding offers for the bank has been postponed to enable potential...
GERMANY - Novo Nordisk Biotech Fund brings total raised in Affimed to EUR 30m
Novo Nordisk Biotech Fund has committed EUR 5m to a second closing of a series-B funding round for Affimed Therapeutics AG, bringing the total raised at this stage to EUR 30m.
GERMANY – DEWB to sell stake in 4flow for EUR 6.5m
Deutsche Effecten- und Wechsel- Beteiligungsgesellschaft AG has sold its 44.4% shareholding in 4flow AG, Berlin, to the company's management for EUR 6.5m. The purchase price will be paid in several tranches.
GLOBAL - Bear Stearns acquires Macquarie arm
LSE-listed fund-of-funds Bear Stearns Private Equity (BSPEL) has offered A$115.5 for Macquarie Private Capital Group (MPCG), an ASX-listed private equity fund-of-funds.
GERMANY - Paine & Partners to acquire Stabilus from Montagu Private Equity
Montagu Private Equity plans to divest Stabilus, a manufacturer of gas springs, to funds managed by Paine & Partners, LLC. The transaction is expected to close in April 2008. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
GERMANY - High-Tech Gründerfonds invests in Contros Systems & Solutions GmbH
Seed investors High-Tech Gründerfonds, MAZ level one and business angel Paal Nordby from Norway have provided funding for CONTROS Systems & Solutions GmbH, a Kiel-based developer, producer and distributor of underwater sensor systems to detect hydrocarbons,...
AUSTRIA – Apollo rumoured to be interested in Constantia
US private equity player Apollo is rumoured to be interested in acquiring Constantia Privatbank Aktiengesellschaft, based in Vienna. Other bidders are said to include Credit Suisse, OTP, and Vienna Insurance Group. Signing for the deal is expected in...
GERMANY - SKAPITAL invests 1.5m EUR in Gründerfonds Bielefeld-Ostwestfalen
SKAPITAL Unternehmensbeteiligungsgesellschaft, a subsidiary of Sparkasse Bielefeld, Sparkasse Detmold and Sparkasse Herford, has invested EUR 1.5m in Gründerfonds Bielefeld-Ostwestfalen, a fund advised by eCAPITAL entrepreneurial Partners AG, based in...
GERMANY - Mezzanine Management invests EUR 18.6m in W.I.S
Mezzanine Management has invested EUR 18.6m in German security services provider W.I.S Group. The investment was led by Cologne-based private equity firm Argantis.
GERMANY – TVM Capital strengthens corporate finance team
Steffen Schuster has joined TVM Capital’s corporate finance team as principal, where he will focus on the technology investments in the venture capitalist’s portfolio.
GERMANY/UK - Riverside portfolio company acquires UK communications firm
The Riverside Company, along with several other investors, has backed Sage Holdings in the acquisition of UK-based financial communications firm – M:Communications, and of a leading global proxy solicitation firm – D.F. King & Co., Inc. Established...
SWEDEN/GERMANY - EQT to pay EUR 20.6m in fines to German Competition Authorities
EQT has been forced to pay EUR 20.6m in fines for its portfolio company Munksjö Paper GmbH by German competition authorities, Bundeskartellamt.
GERMANY - AUCTUS Management acquires 80% of Hobatex GmbH
Funds managed by AUCTUS Management & Co. KG have acquired 80% of the shares of specialised wood applications company Hobatex GmbH for an undisclosed sum. Hobatex is an international trader and service provider for specialised wood applications. Major...
GERMANY – Ventizz invests EUR 48m in Ersol Thin Film GmbH
Ventizz has acquired a minority stake in German solar cell maker Ersol's thin film unit for EUR 48m. Ventizz Capital Fund III LP has bought a stake of nearly 50% in Ersol Thin Film GmbH through a cash capital increase. In addition to this, Ventizz will...
GERMANY - H.I.G Europe hires Jens Alsleben as managing director
H.I.G Europe, the European arm of H.I.G Capital, has hired Jens Alsleben as managing director of H.I.G European Capital Partners GmbH, based in Hamburg. This brings the German H.I.G. team to 9 investment professionals covering the whole spectrum of investments,...
GERMANY – Virgin Green Fund leads EUR 61m series-B in Odersun
Virgin Group-baked Virgin Green Fund has led a series-B financing round for Odersun AG, a company which designs and manufactures flexible solar products using a proprietary thin-film technology. Further investors included Doughty Hanson Technology Ventures,...
GERMANY – Investcorp renews interest in former portfolio company Utimaco
Investcorp Technology Partners has become former portfolio company Utimaco’s anchor investor with an approximately 25% shareholding in the business. The company’s current market capitalisation of Utimaco values Investcorp Technology Partners’ stake...
GERMANY - Argantis acquires majority of W.I.S. in MBO
Argantis has, together with the management, acquired the majority of the shares of W.I.S. Holding GmbH & Co. KG for an undisclosed sum. The former shareholders retain an interest in the company.
GERMANY - BWK GmbH acquires 40% stake in Betec Electronic
BWK GmbH Unternehmensbeteiligungsgesellschaft, Stuttgart (BWKU), a subsidiary of Landesbank Baden-Württemberg (LBBW), Wüstenrot & Württembergische-Gruppe and Landeskreditbank Baden-Württemberg – Förderbank has acquired 40% of Betec Electronic GmbH...