News
UK - Advent et al make further investment in OpenCloud
Existing investors Advent Venture Partners, No 8 Ventures and Motorla Ventures have supported a USD 10m series-B funding round in telecommunications software developer OpenCloud Ltd. Silicon Valley Bank provided a debt package to support the deal.
FRANCE - Vizille Capital invests EUR 1.5m in Ariana
Vizille Capital Innovation, part of Credit Mutuel-CIC bank, has invested EUR 1.5m in pharmaceuticals business Ariana Pharmaceuticals SA in a first round of fundraising, taking a minority stake in the company.
UK - Cohen and Jefferies invest in International Asset Management
Apax Partners co-founder Sir Ronald Cohen and Jeffries Group have backed the management in their buyout of hedge funds manager International Asset Management (IAM) from Dutch bank Fortis Investment.
FRANCE - Index Ventures invests EUR 22.5m into BestofMedia
Index Ventures has invested EUR 22.5m into online media publishing company BestofMedia.
RUSSIA - Dubai World Partners back OAO OGK-1
According to reports, the state-owned investment group Dubai World and Russian energy trader Roskommuenergo have acquired Russian wholesale power producer OAO OGK-1 in a deal valued at USD 5.34bn.
ITALY - Palladio acquires yacht manufacturer Tecnomar
Palladio has acquired a majority stake in ship manufacturer Tecnomar, with the balance being retained by brothers Roberto and Maurizio Zappelli and Maurizio Magrim, who will remain as at the head of operations in the shipyard.
ITALY - Barclays exit industrial manufacturer CEME
Barclays Private Equity has agreed to sell fluid control components producer CEME Group to Investcorp, the global provider and manager of alternative investment products. The current management team will also reinvest in the company.
ITALY/SPAIN - Investitori-backed company acquires chemical firm
Investitori Associati-backed Italian chemical company Infa Group has acquired Spanish rival Derivados Quimicos. The transaction is in line with the backers plan to develop the business to a European level.
ITALY - Credem acquires graphic sector player
Credem Private Equity, through the Credem Venture Capital fund, has acquired a 60% stake in graphic design business Galeati Industrie Grafiche in a management buyout.
UK - Penta acquires IDSS
Penta Capital has acquired support services group IDSS Holdings Ltd for an undisclosed sum.
FRANCE - CDC and Socotec in exclusive negotiations
CDC Capital Investissement have entered exclusive negotiations to acquire a majority stake in building inspection company Socotec alongside the management and employees.
GERMANY - Argantis backs MBO of Frostkrone
Argantis GmbH has backed a management buyout of frozen food producer Frostkrone Engel-Food Tiefkühlkost GmbH in Rietberg, and Frostkrone Tiefkühlkost Produktions- und Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH in Wildeshausen. The existing managing partners will retain...
GERMANY – Consortium invests seven figure sum in Qiro GmbH
A consortium of investors, comprising Michael W Schwetje, High-Tech Gründerfonds, VC Fonds Technologie Berlin and BBAF Business Angels Fondsgesellschaft mbH has raised a seven figure sum in a second funding round for mobile services company Qiro GmbH....
NETHERLANDS - Fortis sells IAM to its management team
Fortis has sold London-based fund-of-hedge-funds International Asset Management Ltd (IAM) to its management team.
GLOBAL - Buying from private owners most lucrative
Private equity firms make the most impact on buyouts they source from private owners, rather than those of formerly listed companies, though both outperform companies that are not backed by private equity at all, according to a report from Ernst & Young.
SWEDEN - EQT Opportunity acquires Granngården
EQT Opportunity has acquired Granngården, a Swedish retail chain, from Lantmännen, a group owned by 42,000 Swedish farmers, for an undisclosed sum.
GERMANY – Consortium invests EUR 85m in Sulphurcell
Intel Capital, Intel's investment organisation, has led an EUR 85m total equity funding round for thin-film solar modules company Sulfurcell, investing EUR 24m. Other institutional investors, including Climate Change Capital Private Equity, AIG, Demeter...
GERMANY - Gilde Buy-Out Fund sells Walter Services Group
Gilde Buy-Out Fund has sold services company Walter Services Group to Odewald & Compagnie and caption for an undisclosed amount. Gilde Buy-Out Fund will reinvest part of the proceeds from the exit.
NETHERLANDS - Waterland restructures JVH Gaming’s buyout debt
According to sources, Waterland is in negotiations to restructure the buyout debt of its Dutch gaming portfolio company JVH Gaming, thought to be worth EUR 295m.
FRANCE - Eurazeo strengthens team
Luis Marini-Portugal has been appointed to the executive board of Eurazeo.
SWEDEN - EEP et al close EUR 26m PacketFront financing
Existing stakeholders European Equity Partners (EEP), Amadeus Capital Ltd and TLcom Capital LLP have completed a EUR 26m financing round for PacketFront, a supplier of broadband solutions to City and Greenfield carriers in Europe and the Middle East.
UK - Core Capital and Aberdeen merge
Core Capital, which manages seven VCTs, and Aberdeen Growth Capital, which manages five VCTs as well as a range of other third-party private equity funds, have merged their businesses.
UK - Bowmark generates 63% IRR on sale of travel group
DLJ Merchant Banking Partners has acquired Education and Adventure Travel (EAT), the UK school travel group, from Bowmark Capital for £100m. Bowmark generated an IRR of 63% and a multiple of 4x on the sale of the business.
FRANCE - Iris backs EUR 4m Alyotech financing
Iris Capital has backed Alyotech, a technology consultancy firm, in a new EUR 4m capital increase alongside existing investors Aurel NextStage, Galiléo, ACE Management, CDC Entreprises and the management. The new financing brings the total raised by...