News/UK / Ireland
UK - Barclays Ventures appoints new head of its Birmingham office
Barclays Ventures has appointed Adrian Willetts as the new head of its Birmingham office. Willetts joins from European private equity firm Bridgepoint where he ran their Midlands operations. Willetts has been involved in a number of major private equity...
UK - Alliance acquires Albany Ventures
Alliance Trust has announced that it has bought 100% of the shareholding of Albany Venture Managers (Holdings) Ltd, a six-year-old group that runs three venture capital funds with committed equity of £25m.
UK - Esprit appoints new partner
European technology venture firm Esprit Capital Partners has appointed Peter Keen as partner. A chartered accountant, Keen will assume responsibility for Esprit’s financial and fund raising activity as well as providing investment support, with a focus...
UK - Gresham exits Individual Restaurant Company Limited
Gresham Private Equity has successfully exited Individual Restaurant Company Limited (IRC) through a sale to Bank Restaurant Group plc (Bank) for a value of up to £41m.
UK - Addleshaw Goddard appoints Andrew Carpenter as head of private equity
Addleshaw Goddard has announced the appointment of Andrew Carpenter as head of private equity to lead the practice through the next stages of its growth.
UK - 3i appoints Rupert Bell as director
3i has appointed Rupert Bell as a director within its Growth Capital business, based in London.
UK - Ingenious Music VCTs invest £2.6m
Ingenious Ventures, part of Ingenious Media, the specialist media investment and advisory group, has invested a total of £2.6m through its two Music VCTs. The money will support debut albums of up-and-coming bands Passenger and Apartment, and solo-artist...
UK – Esprit backs WAYN
Esprit Capital Partners has led a $11m series A round of funding for UK travel and lifestyle social network business Where Are You Now? (WAYN).
UK - Close Brothers Private Equity backs buyout of Alex Stewart
Close Brothers Private Equity (CBPE) has backed the management buyout of Alex Stewart(Assayers) Ltd, part of the Alex Stewart Group, for an undisclosed sum. The business focuses on providing metals and minerals inspection and testing services. Debt was...
UK - North West Equity and NWBIS invest in SnG Technologies
Cheshire-based technology company SnG Technologies has received total funding of £250,000 from North West Equity Fund and NWBIS. The deal includes a further potential investment of £750,000 in aggregate based on progress within the business. SnG Technologies...
UK - Finance Wales announces its largest ever deal
Finance Wales has announced its largest ever deal - a £4m investment in Bluestone, a £110m unique, ‘green’ holiday village in Pembrokeshire targeting the high value, high growth short break market. The investment is over three times Finance Wales’...
UK - Alcuin team joins Core Capital
Core Capital has announced that it has expanded its team with the appointment of Mark Storey and Ian Henderson-Londoño, formerly of Alcuin Capital. Mark and Ian worked together at BancBoston Capital, where Mark had worked since 1984 and was the UK managing...
UK - New recruit joins MSIF’s venture fund
Merseyside Special Investment Fund (MSIF)has appointed Jon Wormald as investment manager for its £40m venture fund. Wormald joins the fund from PricewaterhouseCoopers where he spent six years working in audit and transaction services in the entertainment,...
UK - Endless hires Indra Valeinis as investment executive
Endless LLP has recruited Indra Valeinis as investment executive. Valeinis is the tenth hire to the transaction team at Endless LLP since its inception in December 2005. She began her career in 2000 with Arthur Andersen and has also worked at Deloitte....
UK - Vision Capital proposes to acquire four businesses from Northern Foods
Vision Capital has exchanged contracts for the proposed acquisition of four businesses from Northern Foods plc for a total consideration of £160m. Completion of the transaction is subject to the approval of Northern Foods' shareholders.
UK - Bridges Community Ventures invests in Whelan Refining Ltd
Bridges Community Ventures has invested £450,000 as part of a total finance package of £1.5m with Catapult Venture Managers and HSBC in Whelan Refining Ltd, a re-refiner of waste oil based in Stoke-on-Trent. The company has also received financial backing...
UK - Weil Gotshal & Manges to realign London private equity practice
Weil Gotshal & Manges is reportedly realigning its London private equity practice around a core group of premium clients in order to bolster its profitability and avoid 'diluting' its service. The refocusing is understood to be driven in part by the London...
UK - Close Growth Capital appoints Justin Slabbert as associate
Close Growth Capital (CGC) has appointed Justin Slabbert as an associate. Slabbert joins CGC from Bearing Power, a multi-national industrial distribution company where he was director for business development. He previously worked in the private equity...
UK - ISIS joins Crew Clothing Co.
ISIS Equity Partners has acquired a 25% stake in Crew Clothing Co., the English brand for customers who enjoy an active and outdoor lifestyle, in a £7.75m fundraising. Crew was founded as a single retail site in Salcombe in 1993. The brand has since...
UK - Dubai International Capital interested in Liverpool FC
The board of Liverpool Football Club will meet this week to discuss the investment proposals of American billionaire George Gillett, who owns the Montreal Canadiens ice hockey club.
UK - Pi Capital in £3m development capital deal with Medispa
Pi Capital has completed a £3m development capital fund raising for MediSpa, to support its roll-out growth plan to set up a national network of cosmetic clinics. Founded in 2004, MediSpa offers a range of cosmetic services under one roof, including...
UK - CDC appoints general counsel and chief compliance officer
CDC Group Plc, the UK government-backed emerging market private equity fund-of-funds investor, has appointed Mark Kenderdine-Davies as general counsel and chief compliance officer.
UK - Hotbed appoints new investment director
Hotbed has appointed Johnny Markham as investment director in its commercial property division. Markham has experience in investment, property development and corporate property solutions, having worked for a number of high-profile clients such as British...
UK - Baird Capital Partners Europe generates 3.5x return on Traffic Support exit
Baird Capital Partners Europe has realised its investment in Traffic Support Ltd, the innovative parking enforcement solutions company. Mouchel Parkman, the integrated support services company, has acquired the business for £21.5m. Added to a £4.8m...