News
ITALY/SPAIN - Investindustrial closes on EUR 100m target
Southern European private equity firm Investindustrial has closed its Build-Up Fund on its target of EUR 100m after five months on the road.
NORWAY - Herkules takes 54% stake in Projectiondesign
Norwegian buyout house Herkules Capital has acquired a 54% stake in Projectiondesign, a developer of high performance projectors, from Eger Group.
UK - Celtic Pharma apponts Dr Richards to advisory board
Biotechnology and pharmaceuticals-focused investor Celtic Pharma Holdings has appointed Dr Andy Richards to its advisory board.
UK - Graphite Capital bolsters investment team with new hire
Mid-market private equity firm Graphite Capital has hired Rachael Whittaker as investment manager.
IRELAND - Kernel and Dermot lead $33m Intune investment
Kernel Capital and Dermot Desmond have led a funding round for telecoms equipment supplier Intune Networks worth close to $33m.
UK - LCA invests second tranche of £1.2m QuantSol funding
Low Carbon Accelerator has completed the second tranche of funding for solar photovoltaic company QuantaSol, as part of a total financing round worth just under £1.2m.
BELGIUM - Big Bang in EUR 1.2m Racktivity funding
Big Bang Ventures has invested EUR 1.2m into management technology business Racktivity.
GLOBAL - KKR finally completes KPE merger
After over a year of delays and revisions, US-based private equity giant KKR has now completed its merger with its Amsterdam-listed affiliate, KKR Private Equity Investors.
GLOBAL - Hellman closes $9bn seventh fund and management shake-up
International private equity house Hellman & Friedman has announced the final close of its seventh and largest fund, HFCP VII, on a little under $9bn, as well as a major shake-up of the firm's management team.
UK - Sovereign Capital boosts research team with new hire
Sovereign Capital has hired Ed Goddard to its research and direct origination team.
FRANCE - Abingworth et al. sell Fovea in EUR 370m deal
A syndicate of investors including UK-based venture investor Abingworth has exited its investment in Fovea pharmaceuticals, a specialist in ocular disease treatment, through a sale to strategic buyer Sanofi-aventis for EUR 370m.
UK - Mercia Technology et al. back Nightingale
The Mercia Technology Seed Fund, alongside government-backed investor Finance Wales, has invested an undisclosed amount into start up technology company Nightingale EOS.
UK - LCA et al. invest £5.8m into ResponsiveLoad
Existing backer Low Carbon Accelerator (LCA), alongside Naxos Capital Partners and Carbon Trust Investment Limited, have invested in cleantech company ResponsiveLoad as part of a funding round totalling £5.8m.
EUROPE - GPs must re-invent, LPs must invest
Europe's GPs must change their ways to emerge successful from the current market conditions, and need LPs to back them in order to do so. This was the theme this morning at the fourth annual Deutsche unquote" Private Equity Congress in Munich.
PORTUGAL - Riverside acquires Crioestaminal
US private equity firm Riverside has acquired a 67% stake in biotechnology business Crioestaminal for an undisclosed sum.
GERMANY - GMT's Docu acquires Reed's Nordic assets
GMT Communications Partners has completed the 12th bolt-on acquisition for portfolio business Docu Group, a business information provider for the construction industry, acquiring the Nordic assets of sector rival Reed Business Information.
FRANCE - Finorpa and Unigrains provide Demex with EUR 2.5m
French regional investor Finorpa SCR and Unigrains, a French investors focusing on agricultural related industries, have backed packaging and distribution company Demex with EUR 2.5m. The company's founders and management, Isabelle Lioene and Christophe...
FRANCE - Mid-market valuations drop further
According to Argos Soditic's H1 Mid-Market Index 2009, the valuations of unlisted mid-market companies in the euro zone have fallen for a fourth consecutive semester to its lowest level since the index was launched in December 2004.
FINLAND - Pöyry plc's Salminen joins CapMan's adviser network
Finnish private equity firm CapMan has appointed Teuvo Salminen, deputy president of the consulting and engineering company Pöyry plc, to its adviser network, starting January 2010.
GLOBAL - KKR appoints Levin as head of IR; merger with KPE expected Thursday
KKR has appointed Jonathan Levin to the newly created position of head of investor relations, a move designed to prepare the private equity firm as it becomes a publicly listed company.
UK - NBGI Ventures et al. invest £9m into Quanta
NGBI Ventures, Seroba Kernel and Wellington Partners have co-led a £9m series-A round of funding for home haemodialysis systems developer Quanta Fluid Solutions, alongside investor network BrainsToVentures.
CEE - Mid Europa acquires 64.6% of Invitel; de-leverages company
Mid Europa has agreed to acquire an approximate 65% stake in Hungarian telecommunications and broadband operator Invitel Holdings A/S from majority shareholder TDC.
FRANCE - Auriga leads EUR 3.2m Cytoo financing
Augriga Partners has led a second round of financing for technology company Cytoo, raising EUR 3.2m.
GERMANY – Neuhaus Partners and T-Venture invest in WWG
German venture investor Neuhaus Partners and T-Venture, the venture capital company of Deutsche Telekom, have joined existing investors Holtzbrinck Ventures and High-Tech Grunderfonds, in a series A round of funding for online games portal Worldwidegames...