News
UK - Vitruvian Partners acquires CIG
London-based Vitruvian Partners has acquired a majority stake in Callcredit Information Group (CIG), the credit referencing and marketing services subsidiary of building society Skipton, for an undisclosed sum.
UK - Apax to acquire Marken in £975m deal
Apax Partners has agreed to aquire Marken, a specialist in clinical drug trial logistics, from management and mezzanine lender ICG in a deal reportedly valued at £975m.
FINLAND - Korona closes EUR 53m maiden venture fund
Finnish GP Korona Invest has closed its maiden venture fund Terveysrahasto on EUR 53m.
UK - Curzon Park leads £1m funding round for Q Chip
Cleantech venture investor Curzon Park Capital has led a £1m funding round for bioencapsulation technology specialist Q Chip Life Sciences, alongside Finance Wales.
GERMANY - LSP leads EUR 18.5m Series-A for Curetis
Life Sciences Partners has led a Series-A financing round of medical diagnostics company Curetis AG, raising a total of EUR 18.5m.
GLOBAL - Hudson reaches USD 1bn target for maiden fund
Hudson Clean Energy Partners reached its USD 1bn target for its maiden fund Hudson Clean Energy Partners LP, having secured USD 1.024bn in commitments.
SWEDEN/GERMANY - Ratos-backed EuroMaint pays EUR 18m for RSM
Ratos' portfolio company EuroMaint, a provider of maintenance services to the rail transport and engineering industries, has acquired the German train maintenance company Rail Service Management Group (RSM) for EUR 18m from Hermann Wiese. Ratos will be...
SWEDEN - CapMan sells Inflight Service to Triton
CapMan has fully exited Inflight Service Interessesenter AB in secondary buyout to private equity firm Triton.
ITALY - Permira-led consortium to acquire Valentino debt
Permira is reportedly nearing an agreement over fashion house Valentino's EUR 2.2bn debt pile, with reports suggesting the private equity house alongside the Marzotto family and other investors are preparing to pay EUR 200-300m to buy back EUR 730m of...
UK - Patron completes £42.5m takeover of Powerleague
Existing shareholder Patron Capital Partners has completed the takeover of listed company Powerleague plc, the largest owner and operator of 5-a-side football centres in Europe, in a deal of £42.5m.
GLOBAL – CIC provides Apax with liquidity boost
Sovereign wealth fund China Investment Corporation (CIC), may invest up to EUR 800m in Apax' EUR 11.2bn fund. The move is not intended to boost the vehicle's size, which last year became Europe's largest private equity fund. Instead it is believed to...
BELGIUM - Gimv sells stake in Clear2Pay to US-based Aquiline
As part of a EUR 50m funding round for Clear2Pay led by US-based Aquiline, Belgian private equity and venture investor Gimv has divested its stake in the online payment solutions company to the US-based private equity firm.
FRANCE - PAI Partners revives latest buyout fund
Following month-long negotiations, PAI Partners has received LP approval to halve its latest EUR5bn fund to just under EUR3bn, restarting the investment process.
FRANCE - PAI Partners revives latest buyout fund
Following month-long negotiations, PAI Partners has received LP approval to halve its latest EUR5bn fund to just under EUR3bn, restarting the investment process.
ITALY - 360 Capital, Balderton-backed Yoox IPO raises EUR 27m
360 Capital Partners and Balderton Capital-backed online fashion retailer Yoox has completed a EUR27m IPO on the Star segment of the Milanese stock exchange, a deal that will see the company's private equity owners divest part of their stakes in the business.
GERMANY - Crédit Agricole et al. invest in Upside Shopping
Crédit Agricole (CA) Private Equity has participated in an undisclosed financing round for internet business Upside Shopping, alongside seed investors Rocket Internet GmbH and existing backers.
BELGIUM - LSP, Sofinnova-backed Movetis completes EUR85m IPO
Life Sciences Partners and Sofinnova Partners-backed pharma business Movetis has raised its EUR 85m target for its flotation on Euronext Brussels, making it the largest IPO in the life sciences sector on this bourse.
EUROPE - Candover to “substantially” reduce fund
Following nearly 12 months of difficulties that stemmed from its parent's liquidity issues at the beginning of the year, Candover has today announced it will "substantially reduce" the size of its 2008 Fund, which had targeted EUR 5bn and reached a first...
GERMANY - Nord Holding sells Perrin to Kitz
Nold Holding has exited its investment in special armature company Perrin in a trade sale to listed Japanese company Kitz Corporation.
GERMANY/US - BPE’s Eschenbach acquires Tura
Barclays Private Equity-backed eyewear manufacturer Eschenbach Group has acquired American eyewear company Tura.
CEE - EI appoints five to board of directors
Poland-based investor group Enterprise Investors has made five promotions to its board of directors: Rafal Bator, Stanislaw Knaflewski, Agnieszka Kowalska, Sebastian Król and Jacek WoŸniak.
UK - Carbon Trust et al. invest £2.7m in Whitfield Solar
Carbon Trust Investments and a private syndicate of new investors have co-led an investment of close to £3m in solar energy technology company Whitfield Solar, alongside existing investors the Cascade Fund and Kilsby Ltd.
UK/ITALY - Permira's BirdsEye and Lion's Findus interested in Findus Italy
According to reports, Permira-backed Birds Eye Iglo and Lion Capital's Findus Group are among the interested bidders for Unilever's frozen food unit Findus Italy.
EUROPE - EVCA report shows sharp rise in turnaround deals
While investment activity in 2009 has slowed significantly, new research published by the EVCA today shows that the downturn has provided a sharp rise in turnaround opportunities, which were up 40% in the first nine months of this year against the same...