News
UK - RBS rejects £5bn bid from BC and Apollo
RBS has decided to terminate the sales process for its UK insurance arm after rejecting a bid jointly put forward by BC Partners and Apollo Management, which valued the business at around ТЃ5bn.
LUXEMBOURG - DEFI et al. back DS Care funding
Swiss investor DEFI Gestion SA, Luxembourg-based Luxempart and French fund Sinequanon have invested a combined EUR 20.2m into healthcare provider DS Care in a second round of funding.
FRANCE - AXA Private Equity increases stake in Spotless
AXA Private Equity has acquired a further 50% in portfolio company The Spotless Group, a producer and distributor of homecare and cleaning products, taking its holding in the business to 65.6%.
UK - Administrations double in Q4
Further evidence of the growing impact of the economic downturn on businesses was provided today by new figures published by the Insolvency Service, which reveals that the number of administrations in Q4 2008 across England and Wales doubled in comparison...
UK - Quattro Partners hires d'Angelin
London-based advisory firm Quattro Partners has hired Benoit d'Angelin.
GLOBAL - TPG downsizes fund
TPG Capital is to cut its $6bn fund designed to invest in distressed financial companies by 25%, reports suggest.
SWEDEN - Chalmers et al. provide SEK 1.5m for Syspiro
Chalmers Innovation has, together with Innovationsbron and business angels, provided a SEK 1.5m investment for medical equipment company Syspiro Diagnostics.
NETHERLANDS - LDC appoints Dutch director
Mid-market private equity house LDC has strengthened both its investment team and international reach with the appointment of Ronald Verhoef as director of its new Netherlands office.
SWEDEN - Innovationsbron and Chalmers invest SEK 1.5m into Capeco
Chalmers Innovation, alongside Innovationsbron, has subscribed to a SEK 1.5 share issue for Capeco, a developer of encapsulating biocides to protect painted surfaces againt mold and algae growth.
SWEDEN - Chalmers leads SEK 4m funding round for Capee
Chalmers Innovation Seed Fund has invested SEK 4m into cleantech business Capee Group, alongside Förvaltnings AB Brunnen, Start Invest and Innovationsbron.
SPAIN - N+1 reaps 2x returns from Atecsa sale
N+1, alongside its listed vehicle Dinamia, has wholly exited its stake in vehicle inspection business Atecsa through a trade sale to Ahorro Corporación subsidiary Henri Inversiones 2008 SL in a deal valued at EUR 27.8m, generating returns of 2x the money...
SWEDEN - SVCA head of communications to step down
Jan Segerfeldt, the head of communications at the Swedish Venture Capital Association (SVCA), is to step down on 1 June to start up a consultancy business, focusing on marketing and communication.
UK - Permira and News Corp. complete NDS acquisition
Permira and News Corporation has today announced that the scheme of arrangement for the $3.6bn de-listing of digital set-top box manufacturer NDS Group has become fully effective.
UK - Accel-backed Mind Candy acquires Tutpup
Games developer Mind Candy, backed by Accel Partners, Index Ventures and Spark Ventures, has acquired Tutpup, a games web page for children, for an undisclosed sum.
UK - Matrix launches new VCT fundraising
Matrix Private Equity Partners has launched a further share offer for the Matrix Income & Growth 2 VCT (MIG 2).
NETHERLANDS - Mountain Partners-backed Bluehill acquires Yoonison
Business angel network Mountain Partners-backed Bluehill ID has acquired Yoonison BV.
UK - Eurotel makes acquisition
Inflexion Private Equity-backed Eurotel, a provider of telephony services to SMEs, has acquired the SME customer base from its broadband supplier Griffin.
UK - Index Ventures backs $15m Viagogo funding
Index Ventures has participated in a $15m funding round for secondary tickets marketplace Viagogo Ltd, reports suggest.
ITALY - DGPA acquires 65% stake in Production
DGPA has acquire a 65% stake in industrial group Production, with the remaining stake is held by the funding owners Gianni and Rosario Imperatore and the management.