News
GERMANY - Permira sells EUR 177m Freenet stake
Permira has reduced its stake in listed telecommunications business Freenet through a placement of just over 19 million shares, equating to 15% of the company's share capital, in a deal worth approximately EUR 177m.
GLOBAL - Carlyle appoints vice chairman of global buyouts
International private equity firm Carlyle Group has appointed Gregory Summe to the newly created position of vice chairman of global buyouts.
UK - NVM reaps 8x return on DxS sale
NVM Private Equity has exited its investment in DxS, a personalised medicines specialist, via a trade sale to sample and assay technologies giant Qiagen, reaping a return of 8x money on an intitial cash payment of $75m.
GERMANY - HBM et al. invest in Sloning
HBM BioVentures, LBBW Venture, DEWB and KfW have followed up their investment in biotechnology company Sloning BioTechnology.
GERMANY - BC Partners to float Brenntag
According to sources, BC Partners is preparing to float distributor Brenntag GmbH in early 2010, which could raise as much as EUR 1.5bn.
EUROPE - Oak Hill appoints new European head
Oak Hill Advisors has appointed Alexandra Jung as co-head of the firm's European business based in London.
FRANCE - Blackstone and Lion agree EUR 2.6bn Orangina sale
Blackstone and Lion Capital have agreed the sale of Orangina Schweppes Group to Suntory Holdings, in a deal valued at around EUR 2.6bn.
SWITZERLAND - Vinci appoints partner
Swiss private equity firm Vinci Capital has appointed Xavier Paternot as partner.
GERMANY - PEF donates to two German charities
The Private Equity Foundation has donated to two Germany-based charities, taking the funds' total investment in the country to EUR 400,000.
SWITZERLAND - Emerald promotes Charles Vaslet
Emerald Technology Ventures has promoted Charles Vaslet to partner.
GERMANY - Earlybird leads azeti investment
Earlybird has led a first round of financing for software company azeti Networks GmbH, alongside NRW Bank.
SWITZERLAND - Astorg acquires Metalor
Astorg Partners has agreed to acquire a majority stake in metals refiner Metalor Technologies International from a group of Swiss private investors.
SWITZERLAND - Astorg acquires Metalor
Astorg Partners has agreed to acquire a majority stake in metals refiner Metalor Technologies International from a group of Swiss private investors.
GERMANY - HTGF and Bayern back H C Carbon with EUR 600,000
High-Tech Gründerfonds and Bayern Kapital have invested EUR 600,000 into H C Carbon Company, a specialist refiner of carbon additives.
GERMANY - TPG drops out of Springer race
According to reports, TPG Partners has dropped out of the sales process to acquire a 49% stake in academic publisher Springer Science and Business Media, which is being sold by Cinven and Candover.
UK - Imperial Innovations leads £2m Cell Medica funding
Imperial Innovations Group has led a funding round worth close to ТЃ2m for cellular therapeutics company Cell Medica, alongside private investors.
GERMANY - Montagu and Nordic Capital interested in easycash
Montagu Private Equity and Nordic Capital are said to be among the six bidders in the second round of the auction for payments processing company easycash, which is being sold by Warburg Pincus and is thought to be worth between EUR 240-270m.
DENMARK/SWITZERLAND - Blackstone-backed Nycomed bids for EUR 4.5bn Solvay
Reports suggest that Nordic Capital- and Blackstone-backed pharmaceuticals business Nycomed has made a takeover approach for the drug division of publicly listed chemical and pharmaceutical company Solvay SA, with the offer thought to be valued at around...
FRANCE - BC Partners looking to float Medica
BC Partners is thought to be preparing a floatation of home care portfolio company Medica, expected before the end of the year.
UK - Frog Capital leads £5m investment into eCommera
Growth capital investor Frog Capital has led a ТЃ5m second round of financing for eCommera, a provider of e-commerce services to the retail industry, alongside West Coast Capital.
UK - Octopus Ventures backs £5m GetOptics buyout
Octopus Ventures has backed the ТЃ5m merger of contact lens businesses GetLenses and PostOptics, creating the new entity GetOptics.
GERMANY - Private equity circles Primondo
According to press reports, Cerberus, Golden Gate and Sun Capital Partners are among potential suitors for Primondo GmbH, which is being sold by administrator Klaus Hubert Görg.
UK - Blackstone sells Cineworld stake
Blackstone has sold close to two thirds of its 57% stake in UK cinema chain Cineworld, prompting a sharp drop in the company's share price of 13 pence.
FRANCE - AXA PE abandon Avera pursuit
AXA Private Equity has pulled out of a possible deal to acquire state-backed Areva's power distribution unit.