News
Equistone's de Blignières to raise €300m vehicle
Equistone senior partner Gonzague de Blignières is looking to raise €300m for Raise Capital, a new evergreen structure designed to provide growth capital to French SMEs.
Equistone completes acquisition of Meilleurtaux.com
Equistone has wholly acquired real estate mortgage adviser Meilleurtaux.com from French banking group BPCE for an estimated €20m.
Fidelity's Akram joins DN Capital
Early-stage and growth capital investor DN Capital has appointed Imran Akram as principal.
SL Capital promotes three in Europe
Funds-of-funds manager SL Capital has promoted Richard Chapman and Cameron Graham to the position of investment director, as well as Andrzej Plichta to investment manager.
Charterhouse could pull Ista and Elior sales
Charterhouse could put the sale processes of German energy-metering firm Ista and French catering company Elior on hold in the face of lacklustre bids, according to reports.
Riverside promotes two in Europe
Riverside has promoted two members of staff in its European offices, as part of a nine-strong promotion flurry across the global firm.
Joules attracts private equity interest
British fashion retailer Joules is planning on selling a minority stake to fund expansion in the UK and overseas, according to reports.
EQT to merge European and Asian teams for new fund
EQT is merging its European mid-market business line with its Asian investment team, ahead of a rumoured new fund launch.
Palatine hires Andy Lees as partner
Palatine Private Equity has added to its investment team with the appointment of ex-Barclays executive Andy Lees as partner.
CVC eyes takeover bid for Betfair
CVC Capital Partners has confirmed it is considering bidding for London-listed online betting company Betfair Group plc.
Advent, Bain in £340m WorldPay dividend recap
WorldPay, a card payment services provider acquired by Advent International and Bain Capital in 2010, has secured a ТЃ700m refinancing including a dividend recap for the private equity owners, according to reports.
Banks arrange debt for sale of 3i and Allianz's Scandlines
A debt package of up to €1bn is being put together for the sale of German ferry operator Scandlines, owned by 3i and Allianz Capital Partners, according to reports.
Sofinnova's Omthera raises €48.8m in IPO
French investor Sofinnova Partners has completed the IPO of US-based portfolio company Omthera Pharmaceuticals on the Nasdaq Global Market in New York, raising €48.8m.
France: commitments from banks, insurers, pension funds down 43%
France's lacklustre fundraising figures for 2012 highlight the continued retreat of traditional LPs, such as banks, insurers and pension funds, according to new research by industry trade body Afic.
Lanxess joins HTGF II investors
German chemicals company Lanxess has invested a low seven-figure sum in venture investor High-Tech Gründerfonds' second fund, raising the vehicle's total commitments to €301.5m.
Clifford Chance poaches Ashurst's Xavier Comaills
Ashurst partner Xavier Comaills is set to join Clifford Chance and head the firm's fund structuring practice in Paris.
Portfolio companies hungry for improved exit advice
Portfolio companies consider exit advice as the most important contribution to value generation that their private equity backers make, yet performance falls short of expectations, according to a recent PwC survey.
Nixen promotes Houlot to partner
French private equity firm Nixen Partners has promoted Vincent Houlot to partner in its Paris office.
BVCA chief Florman resigns
BVCA chief Mark Florman has resigned after just over two years in the post.
Finnish state launches €1bn start-up fund
The Finnish Economy Ministry is launching a тЌ1bn venture capital start-up fund to attract private investors.
Halder appoints new executive chairman
Halder Beteiligungsberatung has appointed Hanns Ostmeier as executive chairman in the firm's Frankfurt office.
August Equity promotes three
August Equity has strengthened its investment team with three promotions.
Electra finalises UBM data services acquisition
Electra Partners has acquired the majority of UBM's data services businesses, a deal agreed to in February.
Labco: formal bids expected next month
3i-backed medical diagnostics company Labco formally launched its sale process at the end of January and first bids are expected in May.