News
UK - Caledonia recruits two new investment executives
Caledonia Investments Plc has announced the appointment of Pooja Juneja and Phillippe de Chanville as investment executives.
UK - MMC Ventures invests £1.4m in The Practice
MMC Ventures has completed an investment of ТЃ1.4m in The Practice Plc (formerly Practice Networks), a primary healthcare company that manages surgeries on behalf of GPs and provides primary care service contracts to Primary Care Trusts (PCTs).
FRANCE - EPF Partners backs OBO of Data Concept Informatique
EPF Partners has acquired 38% of IT services company DCI as part of an owner buyout deal.
UK - Bank of Scotland strengthens Integrated Finance team
Bank of Scotland Corporate has announced the strengthening of its Integrated Finance team with two senior appointments.
UK - Noble and Co appoint new Corporate Finance director
Noble and Co, the corporate advisory and broking subsidiary of Noble Group, has appointed Andy Yeo as Corporate Finance director.
UK - Mercia Fund leads investment into Warrick Effect Polymers
The Mercia Technology Seed Fund has led an investment in biopolymer company Warrick Effect Polymers (WEP).
UK - DLJ and Lydian Capital linked to Emap radio assets
DLJ Merchant Banking Partners and Lydian Capital, through its Global Radio portfolio company, are thought to have submitted first stage bids in the auction for Emap's radio assets. Emap is selling its portfolio of radio stations which includes Magic 105.4...
UK - 3i et al. lead $26m funding round for Light Blue Optics
3i together with German group Earlybird Venture Capital and Belgium-based Capital-E have led a $26m funding round for miniature projection technology company Light Blue Optics. NESTA also participated in the deal which follows the $2.5m of seed funding...
UK - Seraphim Capital invests £2m in MirriAd
Seraphim Capital has led a ТЃ2m funding round for embedded advertising specialist MirriAd Ltd. Seraphim Capital is a ТЃ30m enterprise capital fund.
UK/GERMANY - General Atlantic announces promotions
General Atlantic has announced the promotions of Oliver Thum to managing director and Jan-Daniel Neumann to principal in DУМsseldorf. In London, Gabriel Caillaux and Jan Hammer have been elected to the position of principal.
UK - Endless exits H&L Garages one year on
Endless has realised its investment in H&L Garages Ltd, a Mercedes-Benz commercial dealership, through a sale back to management. Endless supported the ТЃ8.5m mangement buyout of the business from PD Ports in September 2006.
UK - FL Partners acquires Racing Post for £170m
FL Partners, the Dublin-based private equity investment firm, has acquired the Racing Post from Trinity Mirror Plc for ТЃ170m. The purchase includes the Racing Post newspaper together with its website, a number of weekly and annual racing publications,...
IRELAND - Balderton portfolio company alphyra to merge
Balderton Capital portfolio company alphyra Holdings Ltd, a consumer payments and cash distribution company, is to merge with AIM-listed Cardpoint Plc. The merged entity, named Payzone, will be domiciled in Ireland and listed on AIM.
SPAIN – Mercapital attempts turnaround for Abaco
Cinema chain Abaco Group, controlled by Mercapital, still expects to reach an agreement with creditors on the renegotiation of its debt.
CEE - Argan Capital to sell Polish juice producer Hortex for EUR 300m
It is widely reported that Argan Capital , formerly the private equity arm of Bank of America before spinning out in 2006, is looking to sell Hortex, a Polish juice and frozen food producer. The private equity house had been considering floating the...
SWEDEN - Verdane Capital VI acquires three telecom companies
Verdane Capital VI KS has acquired three telecom companies, Ukvio, Itesco and Ahhaaa, from Inbox Investment AB for an undisclosed sum. Verdane Capital’s holding in the companies ranges from 6% to 33%.
ITALY - Partners Group announces joint venture for alternative investments
Partners Group has teamed up with the Italian merchant banking boutique Poli e Associati and other professionals to form Perennius Capital Partners SGR.
UK - Bridgepoint sells Protocol Skills to CBPE
Bridgepoint has sold Protocol Skills, a business training company, to Close Brothers Private Equity. The value of the deal has not been disclosed.
NL - Former Dutch finance minister Gerrit Zalm joins Permira
Gerrit Zalm, former deputy prime minister and minister of finance of the Netherlands, has joined Permira as an adviser. He will provide advice on business issues, the economy and the socio-political environment.
UK - Lord Browne joins board of 3i-backed Foster + Partners
Lord Browne, former CEO of BP, has joined the board of 3i portfolio company Foster + Partners. Browne joins the architectural practice as a senior non-executive director. Until August 2007, Lord Browne was chairman of the Apax Partners Advisory Board....
UK - TA Associates delays SmartStream float
The bookbuilding period on TA Associate's flotation of software portfolio company SmartStream has been extended until next week. Conditional trading was expected to start today. News of the delay follows a reduction in the price of the offering by ТЃ100m...
BELGIUM - KBC Private Equity invests EUR 3m in VMD
KBC Private Equity has invested EUR 3m in VMD to enable it to acquire Laboratoires Biové. VMD and France-based Laboratoires Biové are both manufacturers of veterinary medicines.
ITALY - Clessidra backs acquisition of logistics player
Through its portfolio company Elia, buyout house Clessidra backed the acquisition of logistics business Ambrosetti Autologistic.
UK - Sovereign Capital completes portfolio acquisition
Sovereign Capital portfolio company Alkare Holdings Ltd, a Swansea-based residential health provider for people with mental health needs and learning difficulties, has completed the acquisition of Cardiff-based Positive Lifestyles Ltd for an undisclosed...