News
FRANCE - Alven invests EUR 2m in MeilleursAgents
Alven Capital has invested EUR 2m into MeilleursAgents, an online provider of services in the residential property sales sector.
FRANCE - AXA PE acquires minority stake in Newrest
AXA Private Equity has backed the management buyout of catering company Newrest, acquiring a minority 23% stake in the business.
SWITZERLAND - Essex leads CHF 46m Molecular Partners investment
Essex Woodland Health Ventures has led a CHF 46m Series-B funding round for biotech company Molecular Partners, alongside the businesses existing investors including Index Ventures, Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation, BB Biotech Ventures and Endeavour.
UK - Duke Street makes Simple 2.7x return on £240m exit
Duke Street has exited its investment in skincare brand Simple via a trade sale to US based beauty business Alberto Culver Company in a deal worth £240m, generating a 2.7x return for the private equity firm.
SWITZERLAND - Aravis & Wellington invest further CHF 16m in Evolva SA
Aravis and Wellington Partners have co-led a CHF 16m investment in Swiss biotechnology company Evolva in a second tranche of the company's Series-B financing, taking the total amount raised to EUR 44m.
FRANCE - XAnge sells Vision
XAnge Private Equity has completed its second exit of 2009, selling its interest in software company Vision Objects to US-based strategic buyer DoubleDay Holdings.
FRANCE - Crédit Agricole PE leads CPA acquisition
Crédit Agricole Private Equity has led the acquisition of private care company Cliniques Privées Associées (CPA), alongside a consortium of investors comprising ING Parcom, BNP Paribas Développement, Crédit Mutuel Artea and Daniel Caille, former...
GERMANY - BC Partners-backed Brenntag on track for IPO
Reports suggest that the IPO of BC Partners-backed chemicals business Brenntag is to go ahead in the new year, with the private equity owner having mandated Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Merrill Lynch to manage the listing, which could raise...
EUROPE - F&C Private Equity holds EUR 30m first close of Aurora Fund
London-listed private equity investor F&C Private Equity has held a EUR 30m first close of its Aurora Fund, a new vehicle focused on acquiring secondary interests in predominately European private equity funds and co-investments.
UK - Imperial Innovations leads £15m Circassia funding
Imperial Innovations has led a £15m third founding round for drug company Circassia, alongside return backers Invesco Perpetual and Lansdowne Partners.
UK - LDC races to 15th investment of 2009
LDC has clocked up its 15th deal of 2009, having invested in motor racing team Manor Grand Prix, one of the new entrants to the 2010 Formula One chamionship, in a deal reported to be worth £10m.
UK - Gartmore cuts IPO share price to 220 pence
Asset management group Gartmore, backed by buyout house Hellman & Friedman (H&F), has dropped its share price to 220 pence on its admission to the London Stock Exchange today, down significantly from its target price range of between 250-330 pence per...
AUSTRIA - Target Partners invests in Hetras
Target Partners has invested an undisclosed sum in hotel management software developer Hetras.
EUROPE - Venture: resilient, and proving lucrative
While 2009 was a grim year indeed for European buyouts, venture and growth investing has proven more resilient. By Mareen Goebel
GERMANY - EQT finally secures Springer deal
Swedish buyout house EQT has finally reached agreement with incumbent owners Candover and Cinven to acquire academic publisher Springer Science & Business Media, concluding a fraught sales process that has been ongoing since March.
NORWAY - Herkules acquires majority stake in Bandak
Norwegian buyout house Herkules Capital has acquired 62% majority interest in Bandak, a group of machining companies, through an acquisition of existing shares and a new share issue.
FRANCE - Coller interested in Natixis
According to reports, Coller Capital has emerged as a potential suitor for part or all of Natixis' Private Equity divisions.
FRANCE - Evolem buys Solemco
Evolem has purchased a majority stake in Solemco, an automatic distribution business, for an undisclosed sum.
CEE - Syntaxis holds EUR 140m first close for second CEE mezz
Syntaxis Capital, a specialist mezzanine provider for Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), has reached a first close on EUR 140m for its second fund, just over half of its undisclosed target.
UK - JRJ Group acquires majority stake in Marex
Newly-launched private equity firm JRJ Group has agreed to acquire a majority stake in futures broker Marex Group in a deal of undisclosed value.
UK - Cobbetts bolsters corporate team
Cobbetts has hired David Armitage as partner to its corporate team in the firm's Leeds office.
CZECH REPUBLIC - AnaCap to acquire Banco Popolare Ceská Republika
Specialist financial services investor AnaCap Financial Partners is in advanced due diligence to acquire Banco Popolare Ceská Republika, the Czech subsidiary of Italy's Banco Popolare.
IRELAND - Celtic House leads $5.6m RedMere funding
Canadian investor Celtic House Venture Partners has led a series-B funding round for fabless semiconductor company RedMere valued at $5.6m.
IRELAND - NCB invests €2.5m in Zamano
NCB Ventures, via its Ulster Bank Diageo Venture Fund, has invested in listed mobile data services company Zamano in a deal valued at EUR 2.5m.