News
UK - HgCapital looks for up to £150m from sale of Clarion Events
HgCapital portfolio company Clarion Events is on the block for a price of between ТЃ120-150m. The sale process for the events business which runs more than 50 events globally is being managed by Close Brothers Corporate Finance. It is understood that...
UK - Graphite, Advent and 3i gear up for Kurt Geiger
Graphite Capital, Advent International and 3i are reported to be amongst bidders in the final round of an auction to acquire Kurt Geiger. The designer shoe retailer is currently owned by Barclays Private Equity. Hawkpoint is running the process to divest...
SPAIN - Carlyle acquires petrochemical company MB Inspection
Carlyle-backed certification company Applus+ has acquired petrochemical company MB Inspection.
SPAIN - Quercus could speed up exit from air carrier Clickair
Quercus and building company ACS could speed up their exit from Iberia's budget airline Clickair.
DENMARK - Nordic Capital gets new partner and makes promotion
Lars Terney has joined Nordic Capital as a senior partner.
SPAIN - Gala makes EUR 50m exit from energy player Cesa
Gala Capital has sold its 6.9% stake in renewable energy player Cesa Eólica for EUR 50m to Mercapital, Bridgepoint, and Basque businessman Juan Luis Arregui.
EUROPE - Investcorp Technology Fund exceeds target by $100m closing on $500m
Investcorp Technology Partners (ITP) has completed the fundraising for its latest vehicle Investcorp Technology Partners III (ITP Fund III) raising $500m. The final close exceeded the fund's initial target of $400m and beats the $300m raised for ITP Fund...
NORWAY - Index, Teknoinvest and NorthZone complete final exit from listed-Trolltech
Trolltech, a Norwegian cross-platform software developer, previously backed by Index Ventures, Teknoinvest and Northzone Ventures, has signed an agreement to be acquired by Nokia for NOK 843m, corresponding to NOK 16 per share.
UK - Montagu to work with GIP on Biffa
Montagu Private Equity is reported to have agreed to work with Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) on a ТЃ1.2bn bid for waste services company Biffa. Montagu had formerly tabled an offer for the listed-business alongside HgCapital but it is understood...
UK - IMAC appoints new director
Ingenious Media Active Capital Limited (IMAC) has appointed George Bryan Dix to its board of directors with effect from 24 January 2008.
UK - Bowmark Capital closes £265m fund in ten weeks
Bowmark Capital has closed its new fund, Bowmark Capital Partners IV, with total commitments of ТЃ265m, only ten weeks after its launch last year. With 23 investors, the fund was significantly oversubscribed at its hardcap following the success of Bowmark's...
FRANCE - Seventure takes 10% of Sidetrade
Seventure Partners has acquired a 10% stake in software firm Sidetrade. In 2007 Sidetrade recorded a turnover of EUR 7.34m, a 34% increase on the previous year. The company forecasts growth of 22% between 2007 and 2011.
FRANCE – Psilos Group lead Seventure in EUR 20m financing of Mauna Kea Tech
Psilos Group has led a EUR 20m financing round for Mauna Kea Technologies, which included contributions from Seventure and existing investor Creadev. Psilos invested EUR 14m while both Seventure and Creadev invested EUR 3m respectively. The new round...
SWEDEN - Ratos completes refinancing of Bisnode
Ratos has completed a refinancing of Bisnode, the Swedish supplier of digital business and support information for businesses, which will provide the owners with a cash payment of approximately SEK 865m. The recapitalisation was enabled through a positive...
ITALY - NEIP exit from textile company generates over 35% IRR
Nord Est Investment Partners (NEIP), has sold its 33.79% stake in textile manufacturer Incotex, generating an IRR of 35%.
UK - QinetiQ portfolio company acquires pSiNutria
Intrinsiq Materials Ltd, a nanotechnology business owned by venture capital fund Qinetiq Ventures, has acquired the assets of pSiNutria Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of PSvidia Ltd that focuses on nanoporous silicon technology company.
SWITZERLAND – Carlyle acquires KSC.net
The Carlyle Group has acquired, in partnership with management, KCS.net Holding AG, an Enterprise Resource Planning solution (ERP) vendor in an all-cash transaction.
UK - Darling changes CGT proposals to benefit small businesses but not private equity
Alistair Darling has backed down from his November Pre-Budget Report plan to enforce a single 18% tax on capital gains. The Chancellor announced today that while he was going to go ahead with the scrapping of taper relief (which gives tax incentives to...