News
UK - Pentech closes second fund on £45m
Scottish venture capital firm Pentech has reached the final closing of its second fund, Pentech Fund II, on £45m, subtantially exceding the £25m target.
DENMARK - Odin Equity Partners holds first close at EUR 220m
According to reports, Danish buyout house Odin Equity Partners has held a first close of its second fund on EUR 220m, surpassing its target of EUR 200m.
UK - Cardano hires private equity specialist
Cardano, a manager of pension fund assets, has hired Anna Dayn to its investment management team.
GERMANY - Wellington and TVM lead EUR 4.5m invendo medical investment
Wellington Partners and TVM Capital have co-led a EUR 4.5m funding round for medical technology company inveno medical, alongside existing investor Heidelberg Innovation.
GERMANY - Target Partners hires associate
Target Partners has hired Christian Thaler-Wolski as a new associate.
UK - NorthStar leads £750,000 Reinnervate investment
NorthStar Equity Investors (NSEI) has led a £750,000 funding round for biotechnology company Reinnervate.
FRANCE - Initiative & Finance complete Webnet MBO
Initiative & Finance has completed the management buyout of IT consultancy business Webnet for an undisclosed sum.
UK - Providence consortium given deadline for Informa bid
The Takeover Panel has given the private equity consortium led by providence Equity Partners until 26 September 2008 to either announce a firm intention to bid for business-to-business information provider Informa or to walk away.
UK - Spark leads investment in Gemini
Spark Ventures has led a £1.4m series-B round of funding for Gemini Biomedical Ltd, a specialist healthcare company, alongside Alliance Fund Managers (AFM).
UK - Sovereign promotes partners
Sovereign Capital has promoted Dominic Dalli, David Myers and Kevin Whittle to partner.
DACH - Entries due next week for the Deutsche Private Equity Awards 2008
The Deutsche unquote” Private Equity Awards 2008 will be held on 30 October at Hotel Bayerischer Hof in Munich, immediately following the Deutsche unquote” Private Equity Congress. Entries must be received no later than Wednesday, 17 September.
SPAIN - MCH sells Qualytel to Bertelsmann
According to reports, MCH Private Equity has sold call centre business Qualytel Teleservices to German media group Bertelsmann's Arvato unit for an undisclosed sum.
SPAIN - Hudson acquires Helium Energy
According to reports, US fund Hudson Clean Energy is on the verge of closing the acquisition of Helium Energy, the renewable energy division of industrial and services group Hemeretik.
UK - Hipperson joins KKR
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & CO (KKR) has appointed Simon Hipperson to its infrastructure investment team.
UK - Finance Wales supports £850,000 Leema Acoustics financing
Finance Wales has participated in an £850,000 second round of funding for Leema Acoustics, an audio equipment design and manufacturing company, providing a combined debt and equity package in exchange for a minority stake in the business.
UK - Report suggests increase in bolt-on acquisitions
A survey conducted by BDO Stoy Hayward has found that private equity firms are expecting to complete more bolt-on acquisitions for exiting portfolio businesses in the coming months as the ongoing economic difficulties reduce company valuations.
CEE - Figures reveal strong investment growth
According to reports, figures released by MKME, the Hungarian venture capital association, reveal strong growth in private equity activity in the CEE region, with the total value of investments more than doubling from EUR 1.2bn in 2006 to EUR 3.1bn in...
SPAIN - Merrill and Mercapital make offer for Vital Dent
Merrill Lynch and Mercapital are reported to have made a EUR 500m joint-bid to acquire dental services provider Vital Dent. PAI Partners, Permira and 3i are also thought to be interested in making an offer for the business.
UK - YFM backs Braham & Murray
The South West Ventures Fund, managed by YFM Group, has invested an undisclosed sum in hemp seed oils and dressings supplier Braham & Murray.
FRANCE - CAPE and Avenir support Coiff’idis
Crédit Agricole Private Equity (CAPE) and Avenir Entreprises have made an undisclosed investment into Coiff’idis, a provider of hairdressing products, alongside the company’s management.
DENMARK - Vækstfonden invests DKK 10m into Universal Robots
Vækstfonden, together with return investor Syddansk Innovation and management, has injected DKK 10m into Universal Robots, a Danish developer of flexible, low-cost robot arms.
GERMANY - BayernLB looking for investors
According to reports, German state-owned bank BayernLB is looking to sell a stake of up to 24.9% as part of a capital increase.
UK - Meritage Funds leads USD 22m Miniweb investment
US-based Meritage Funds has lead a USD 22m funding round for advertising company Miniweb, alongside DeGeorge Holdings III.
RUSSIA - Aurora Russia appoints new chairman
Aurora Russia has appointed Dan Collinson Koch as its new chairman.