News/Region
UK/US - Blackstone consortium bid for Cadbury drinks arm rejected
The Blackstone corsortium bidding for the US beverages arm of Cadbury Schweppes has had its offer rejected. Blackstone, together with KKR and Lion Capital are understood to have offered in the region of £6.5bn for the drinks business which includes the...
SPAIN - Quercus Equity closes Odeco refinancing on EUR 58.5m
Quercus Equity has recapitalised its investment in Odeco in a deal worth EUR 58.5m.
UK - Kaupthing sees 67% IRR from Costcutter exit
Kaupthing has sold Costcutter to transport and shipping group Biddy Line recouping 2x its investment on its 18 month holding period. The exit represented an IRR of 67%. Costcutter's growth has been driven by new franchise agreements and strong sector...
FINLAND - CapMan-backed OneMed makes acquisition
CapMan's portfolio company OneMed, a seller and importer of healthcare products, has acquired 75% of Hand-Prod Group, a Poland-based wholesaler of healthcare products. In addition to its mother company, Hand-Prod group consists of subsidiaries such as...
FRANCE - RFID specialist Tagsys receives $16m second tranche
RFID infrastructure business Tagsys has received the second tranche of its $35m series C funding round.
GERMANY – European Capital strengthens Frankfurt team
European Capital Financial Services has appointed Bernd Schaessburger as an investment director to its Frankfurt-based team. Schaessburger joins the team headed by managing director Robert von Finckenstein, which has been strengthened during the past...
EUROPE - SLIPE to manage CalPERS' EUR 400m mandate
Standard Life Investments (Private Equity) Ltd (SLIPE) has been selected to manage a EUR 400m mandate focused exclusively on European private equity.
UK - Foresight completes £2.8m MBI of Heritage House
Foresight Venture partners has completed the £2.8m management buy-in of Heritage House Media. Foresight led the financing, investing £1.4m through its funds Foresight VCT II and Foresight VCT III, and was joined by IBIS Media VCT and Calculus Capital,...
FRANCE - Turnaround fund Contrarian Capital invests in Eugene Perma
US-headquartered Contrarian Capital has invested EUR 20m in troubled hair products business Eugene Perma.
FRANCE - European Capital announces Soflog-Telis deal
As exclusively reported in Unquote News on 16 July, European Capital has invested in industrial logistics business Soflog-Telis, alongside existing investor 3i.
FRANCE - CIC LBO Partners backs buyout of Emeraude
CIC LBO Partners has won a Lincoln-run auction to acquire chemical company Emeraude.
UK - Braveheart appoints new non-executive director
Braveheart Investment Group Plc has appointed Ken Brown as non-executive director with effect from 12 September. Brown joins the AIM-listed technology commercialisation and investment management company from Kenmore Property Group where he was finance...
SPAIN – Caixa Penedès launches private equity arm
Following the footsteps of its competitors Caixa Catalunya and La Caixa, Caixa Penedès has launched its own private equity arm.
GERMANY – BWK acquires stake in BKtel-Group
BWK GmbH Unternehmensbeteiligungsgesellschaft has acquired a 49% stake in optical systems provider BKtel for an undisclosed amount.
DENMARK - Montagu-backed LOGSTORE enters joint venture
Montagu-backed LOGSTORE, has entered into an agreement with Empower, the Dubai-based cooling company to create UAE’s largest pre-insulated pipe factory. The joint company will be called Empower LOGSTORE.
SWITZERLAND – AFINUM buys Pinova AG
AFINUM Management GmbH has wholly acquired Pinova AG from its founders for an undisclosed amount. The institution made the investment through its fund AFINUM Fünfte Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH & Co KG.
FRANCE - Iris Capital exits Vox Mobili
Iris Capital and other investors have sold Vox Mobili to OnMobile. Vox Mobili, a software solutions provider specialising in personal mobile data management, was set up in 2000 with financing led by Iris Capital and including several other European venture...
UK - Octopus acquires Smollensky's restaurant group
Octopus Private Equity has supported the acquisition of London restaurant group Smollensky’s. Octopus has committed £6m alongside senior debt from Alliance & Leicester to support the acquisition. Octopus is backing restaurateur Paul Lilley, whose past...
FRANCE - Charterhouse refinanced Elior and Nocibé in the summer
Details of two recaps of Charterhouse portfolio companies, which took place this summer, have emerged.
CEE - Mid Europa completes Aster recapitalisation
Mid Europa Partners has completed the recapitalisation of its portfolio company Aster, a Polish cable broadband operator. In the financing Aster raised EUR 415m through a combination of senior, mezzanine and pay-in-kind facilities from both new and existing...
FINLAND - Finnish Industry Investment and Karolinska supports BioCis Pharma with EUR 1.5m
Finnish Industry Investment and Karolinska Development III AB, an affiliated company of Karolinska Holding AB, have invested EUR 1.5m in BioCis Pharma, a therapy company. The investment round will be used to fuel the speed of product development and begin...
FRANCE - Edmond de Rothschild Capital Partners announces promotions
As of September 1, Edmond de Rothschild Capital Partners has promoted Thomas Mitard, Hervé Fonta and Sylvie Vergès.
FRANCE - CDC and Banexi Ventures invest additional EUR 5m in Kewego
CDC Entreprises, investing on behalf of government initiative France Investissement, and first-round backer Banexi Ventures Partners (BVP) have invested EUR 5m in online corporate video specialist Kewego.
UK - Octopus Investments acquires majority stake in Katalyst Ventures
Octopus Investments has acquired a majority stake in Katalyst, the private investor group. The deal brings together Octopus' strengths in VCT fund management alongside Katalyst's skills in identifying strong, early-stage investment opportunities and helping...