News
SPAIN - BCN Emprèn completes capital increase
BCN Emprèn has increased its capital base to EUR 15m, in a move that sees public corporation Enisa become a shareholder in the venture capital company.
FRANCE - Wendel restructures Materis' debt
Wendel has reached agreement with creditors of portfolio company Materis, a building materials business, on a restructuring that will see EUR 290m of amortization payments deferred until 2013.
UK - Permira-backed Principal Hayley acquires two hotels
Hotel and conference group Principal Hayley, backed by UK buyout house Permira, has acquired two new properties to its group: London's New Connaught Rooms and The Glasgow Central Hotel.
DENMARK - EQT's Bodilsen files for insolvency
EQT portfolio company Bodilsen, a manufacturer of flat-packed furniture, has filed for bankruptcy after ongoing talks to save the business failed.
UK- Apax-backed Emap to cut 35 jobs
Apax-backed Emap is reportedly to cut 35 jobs in its magazines division, Emap Inform, as part of a restructuring of the unit, which is home to titles including Retail Week and Broadcast.
GLOBAL - KKR to merge with KPE
Private equity giant KKR has announced that it will go through with a planned merger with its Amsterdam-listed fund KKR Private Equity (KPE), though a subsequent floatation on NYSE is still likely to be some way off.
UK - Equity Partners invests £20m into Moto
New Zealand-based investor Equity Partners Infrastructure Company has invested close to ТЃ20m in motorway service operator Moto, in exchange for a 17% stake in the business.
PORTUGAL - GED acquires majority stake in Fase
It is understood that Spain-based private equity firm GED has acquired a 70% stake in Portuguese consultancy business Fase, in a deal valued at EUR 12m. The balance of the equity will be retained by the management team.
ITALY - SICI takes 45% stake in Digitart
Sviluppo Imprese Centro Italia (SICI) has invested EUR 2m into smart house specialist Digitart through a capital increase, taking a 45% stake in the business.
FRANCE - Sofinnova and Dassult invest EUR 4.7m into blueKiwi
Sofinnova Partners and Dassult Sytèmes have invested EUR 4.7m into blueKiwi Software, an enterprise social software company, in a second round of funding.
GERMANY - PE interested in Almatis
Reports suggest that Blackstone and Advent International are among several buyout houses interested in bidding for Dubai International Capital's (DIC) German aluminium business Almatis, which entered debt restructuring talks earlier this month.
UK - CVC and TPG resign from Debenham's board
Debenhams' private equity backers, CVC and TPG Capital, have reportedly both resigned from the UK retailer's board after refusing to take part in the company's ТЃ323m cash call.
FRANCE - BNP PE and XAnge in EUR 2.6m Wedia investment
BNP Paribas Private Equity and XAnge Private Equity have invested EUR 2.6m into software company Wedia.
GLOBAL- Madison's Mosher to retire
According to reports, Madison Dearborn Capital Partners co-founder David Mosher is to retire after 17 years at the firm.
FRANCE - Crédit Agricole PE invests EUR 3m into Stentys
Crédit Agricole Private Equity has invested EUR 3m into biomedical company Stentys in an extension to its series-B funding round, which was initially raised in March 2008 and saw Sofinnova and Scottish Equity Partners inject EUR 12m into the business....
SPAIN - Diana to launch second fund
According to reports Diana Capital is close to launching its second fund, having fully investing its first EUR 70m vehicle.
UK - Wellington Partners leads $10m Enecsys funding
Wellington Partners has led a $10m series-A funding round for micro-inverter company Enecsys, alongside BankInvest New Energy Solutions.
UK - Abingworth et al. invest £15m into Chroma Therapeutics
Returning backers Abingworth Management, Essex Woodlands Healthcare Ventures, Gilde Healthcare, Nomura Phase4 Ventures and The Wellcome Trust have backed a ТЃ15m series-D funding round for biotechnology company Chroma Therapeutics.
GERMANY - Close Brothers appoints MD
Close Brothers Corporate Finance has appointed Sven Guckelberger as a new managing director to its restructuring and debt advisory group.
FRANCE - AGF, CEA and Emertec invest $10m into Alchimer
Existing backers AGF Private Equity, CEA Investissement and Emertec Gestion have invested $10m into Alchimer, a provider of wet depositions processes for interconnections in advanced 3d-packagin applications, in a series-D financing round.
UK - Doughty-backed Setanta enters administration
London-based sports broadcaster Setanta, backed by a private equity syndicate comprising Doughty Hanson, Balderton Capital and Goldman Sachs, has reportedly seen its UK business go into administration.
UK - Synova Capital appoints new investment director
UK growth capital investor Synova Capital has hired Ben Barnett as investment director.
EUROPE - Sun Capital loses managing director
Philip Dougall, managing director of Sun Capital Partners Europe, has resigned after six years with the firm.
UK - Clayton Dubilier & Rice appoints senior managing director
Private equity firm Clayton Dubilier & Rice has hired Christine Vanden Beukel as a London-based senior managing director.