News/Nordics
EUROPE - Cognetas hires adviser
Pan-European buyout house Cognetas has hired David Pusinelli as senior adviser specialising in financial services.
EUROPE - Bridgepoint closes fourth fund EUR 800m above target
Bridgepoint has closed its fourth fund, Bridgepoint Europe IV Fund, on more than EUR €4.8bn - well above its original target of €4bn.
SWEDEN - Start Invests et al invests SEK 4m into digital pen developer
Start Invest AB has, together with other investors, subscribed to a SEK 4m capital increase by Penboost, a developer of digital pen solutions and paper technology.
EUROPE - Private equity investment drops to four year low
Figures published today in the unquote" Private Equity Barometer, produced in association with Candover, reveal that the total value of private equity-backed investments fell to less than EUR 20m between July and September - a 35% drop on the previous...
EUROPE - EVCA appoints new chairman of Tax and Legal Committee
The European Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (EVCA) has appointed Fabio Brunelli as the new chairman of its Tax and Legal Committee.
NORWAY - Viking Venture invests NOK 10m into Signicat
Viking Venture has invested NOK 10m into IT firm Signicat, taking a 22% stake in the business.
EUROPE - Beechbrook launches maiden fund with USD 75m
Beechbrook Capital has launched its first fund, Beechbrook Mezzanine I LP, with an initial commitment of up to USD 75m.
EUROPE - smac partners closes new secondaries fund
Munich-based venture capital firm smac partners has closed its new secondaries vehicle, smac partners fund III, which will be advised by UK-based Headway Capital Partners.
FINLAND - Pohjola Private Equity closes mezzanine fund
The private equity arm of the Finnish bank Pohjola has held a second closing on EUR 70m of its fund-of-funds Selected Mezzanine Funds I.
UK/GERMANY - Electra Partners invests EUR 45m into Steadfast fund
Electra Partners has purchased a significant interest in Steadfast Capital Fund I, managed by Steadfast Capital GmbH, for EUR 45m.
GLOBAL - CIC to increase stake in Blackstone
According to reports, China’s sovereign wealth fund, China Investment Corp (CIC), is planning to increase its stake in Blackstone Group from 9.9 per cent to 12.5 per cent.
SWEDEN - Hannes Snellman strengthens Stockholm team
Finnish law firm Hannes Snellman has hired Fredrik Olsson as a partner in its Stockholm office.
SWEDEN - NVP invests SEK 23m into Jalbum
Existing investor Nordic Venture Partners (NVP) has invested SEK 23m into Jalbum, which operates an online community for personalised photo sharing, in a second round of funding.
FINLAND - Sentica Partners acquires HES Group
Sentica Partners has acquired medical transport company Helsingin Ensihoito ja Sairaankuljetus Oy (HES) from OMX Nordic Exchange Helsinki-listed Nurminen Logistics Plc, in a deal valued at EUR 7.8m. Management and Finnish Industry Investments Ltd will...
DENMARK - FSN creates Danish bakery chain
FSN Capital has acquired two bakeries, Lagkagehuset and Skallebæks Bageri, from the respective founders. The investor will merge the two companies to establish a bakery chain focusing on high quality fresh bakery products.
SWEDEN - Initium et al invest SEK 4.5m into Medfield
A syndicate of investors, comprising Initium, K-Svets Ventures, Salhgrenska Science Park, Innovationsbron and business angels, has completed an investment of SEK 4.5m into Medfield Diagnostics, a medical device company.
EUROPE - EVCA study reveals little improvement in tax and legal environment
The European Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (EVCA) has published its fourth Benchmarking study of European tax and legal environments, with the results revealing that there has been little overall improvement in conditions since the previous...
DENMARK - VIA supports mobilePeople with DKK 40m investment
Via Venture Partners has invested DKK 40m into mobile search company mobilePeople.
NORWAY - Tandberg ends discussions with private equity firm
Norwegian video conferencing business Tandberg has announced that it has terminated negotiations with a potential private equity buyer.
SWEDEN - Industrifonden hit by writedowns
Industrifonden reported a SEK -283m loss for the financial year 2007-2008, despite investment commitments of SEK 343m compared to SEK 351m last year when the fund earned of a profit of SEK 123m.
SWEDEN - Axcel takes 90% stake in John Bauer Organization
Axcel has acquired a 90% stake in Swedish education company John Bauer Organization AB (JBO) from founder Rune Tedfors. Tedfors will retain a minority stake.
FINLAND - Sentica Partners merges DWT Engineering and Cavia
Sentica Partners has acquired DWT Engineering Oy, a supplier of sludge treatment technology, from Markku Sihvonen and Timo Kivimäki. The deal is an add-on acquisition to Cavia, Sentica’s portfolio company.