News
EUROPE - 3i sells stake in Infrastructure
Listed private equity firm 3i has reduced its stake in its infrastructure fund to a third after selling 77 million shares. The placing raised £61m towards the £2bn debt pile the investor has accrued; half of which is due in the next three years.
LUXEMBOURG/DACH - Sal Oppenheim creates new investment holding
German private bank Sal Oppenheim is reorganising it business and investment activities, with all investment holdings being placing into a newly formed entity that will be independent from the bank.
UK - Carlyle to inject £25m into IMO
According to reports, Carlyle Group is negotiating a restructuring with creditors of portfolio company IMO Carwash designed to allow it to maintain control of the business, in a deal that would see it fork out up to £25m in return for a significant write-off...
EUROPE - Debt-free deals see sharp rise in Q4
According to unquote" data, more than a quarter of the 237 buyouts completed across Europe in the last three months of 2008 contained no acquisition leverage, while in the beleaguered UK a staggering 40% of Q4 buyouts were all-equity deals.
FRANCE - Creathor Venture invest in Mobiles Republic
Creathor Venture has invested an undisclosed sum into mobile internet start-up Mobiles Republic in a first round of financing.
FRANCE/US - AGF, Balderton and Partech invest $9m into TVtrip
New investors AGF Private Equity and historic backers Balderton Capital and Partech International have invested $9m into TVtrip.com, an online hotel viewing site, in a second round of financing.
NORWAY - FSN hires debt professional
Norwegian buyout house FSN Capital has appointed Per Etholm as executive adviser with particular responsibility for sourcing debt and subordinated capital for future investments.
ITALY - Sator becomes majority shareholder in Banca Profilo
Sator Private Equity has invested EUR 110m into Banca Profilo as part of a capital increase, taking a majority stake in the bank.
UK - Inflexion reaps 1.5x money from sale of CHKS
Inflexion Private Equity has wholly exited healthcare performance benchmarking specialist CHKS Limited in a trade sale to Capita Group Plc, generating returns of more than 1.5x the investment. Capita cites the price tag for the deal as £11.6m.
AUSTRIA - Pontis- and uni-backed Alumonte files for insolvency
Pontis Venture and uni venture-backed ALUmonte Technologiefortschritt in Aluminium GmbH has filed for insolvency.
SWEDEN - STING Capital backs Cortus with SEK 2m
STING Capital has invested SEK 2m into renewable energy developer Cortus.
DENMARK - Danske holds second close on EUR 600m
Danish fund-of-funds Danske Private Equity has reached its EUR 600m target in a second close of its new fund, Danske PEP IV.
UK - Golden Gate sells stake in Micro Focus
Reports suggest that Golden Gate Capital is to sell its 22.3% stake in business software developer Micro Focus International Plc, in a deal that is thought to be worth approximately £117.1m.
UK - Gresham’s London chief leaves
Gresham's London head Mike Henebery has left the firm "and will be taking a break before deciding what route his career will take in future" according to a statement.
EUROPE - Candover downsizes fund
UK buyout house Candover has become to latest large-cap investor group to succumb to the pressures facing firms at the top of the market by announcing a reduction in the size of its latest fund.