News
TURKEY - Investors line up to buy Tekel Cigarette
Cinven is among four consortiums that have submitted final bids for Turkish state-owned cigarette group Tekel Cigarette. According to sources, the other bidders are two Turkish groups, Dogan Holding Lima and Insaat, and British American Tobacco. The auction...
UK - Close Brothers Corporate Finance opens Manchester office
Close Brothers Corporate Finance is opening an office in Manchester and has appointed a new managing director to head the office and its North West regional operations. Richard Pulford joins Close Brothers from PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he has been...
UK - BP Marsh-backed Principal Investment Holdings sold for £42m
Private equity firm BP Marsh & Partners has realised its interest in Principal Investment Holdings. Sevenoaks-based Principal, a portfolio manager, has been acquired by Sanlam, the second largest insurer in South Africa, for £42m.
UK - Electra Quoted spins out to form Acuity Capital
Newly formed Acuity Capital LLP has been formed by the team behind the management of Electra Kingsway VCT 1, 2 & 3 funds. Accuity has acquired Electra Quoted Management Ltd, the asset management company specialising in smaller companies. The Managing...
DENMARK - Sunstone and Creandum back IPtronics with $10.25m series B-funding
Sunstone Capital and Creandum have invested $10.25m in IPtroincs, a supplier of silicon for parallel optical applications, in a series B-round. The investment will be used to accelerate global sales and product development.
UK - Shackleton takes minority stake in CIO Connect
Shackleton Ventures Ltd has acquired a 49.9% stake in IT networking organisation CIO Connect.
UK - ECI acquires bathroom manufacturer
ECI Partners has acquired specialist bathroom manufacturer DLP Ltd. Worcestershire-based DLP supplies adapted bathroom products for the elderly and disabled through the brand AKW MediCare.
FRANCE – Sofinnova Partners leads EUR 2.5m financing of Neosens
Sofinnova Partners has led Capricorn Cleantech Fund and GALIA Gestion as well as former investors ICSO Private Equity and IRDI in a EUR 2.5m financing round for Neosens.
UK - Balmoral has acquired yacht building company Oyster Marine
Balmoral Capital has acquired yacht building company Oyster Marine, one of the UK’s leading yacht builders. The value of the business, which had sales of more than £50m in its last financial year, is undisclosed. CIT Capital Finance (UK) Ltd has underwritten...
ITALY - Investindustrial gears up for Ducati P2P
It is understood that Investindustrial is preparing to delist Ducati, of which it acquired 29% stake in late 2005.
UK - Liverpool Seed Fund leads £470,000 round for ProKyma
ProKyma, a spinout from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory has received £470,000 in funding led by Merseyside Special Investment Fund’s Liverpool Seed Fund. The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA), Rainbow Seed...
ITALY - DGPA acquires a 5.12% stake in Damiani
Italy-based private equity player DGPA has acquired a 5.12% stake in jewellery company Damiani for EUR 4.23m.
SPAIN - Bridgepoint and Mercapital line up to buy bill board business
According to reports Mercapital, Bridgepoint and N+1 are interested in acquiring bill board operator Redext from current UK-based owner GMT Communications Partners.
UK - GE Commercial Finance appoints Adam Johnson as managing director
GE Commercial Finance, Business Finance has appointed Adam Johnson as managing director, corporate structured finance, with responsibility for the leadership, direction and growth of the structured asset-based lending and cashflow business to UK and European...
UK - Blackstone & CVC would offer M&B shareholders stub equity
According to reports, Blackstone and CVC would offer current shareholders in quoted pub group Mitchells & Butler the opportunity to hold stub equity in the new company, should they succeed in delisting the business. M&B operates the Harvester and All...
FRANCE - UFG Private Equity takes 15% in Mastrad Finance
UFG Private Equity took a 14.85% stake in Mastrad Finance, the holding company for Mastrad, via its two funds Diadème 2 and Diadème 3. The management retains 73.26% while Siparex has 11.89%.
GERMANY – DEWB to sell stake in 4flow for EUR 6.5m
Deutsche Effecten- und Wechsel- Beteiligungsgesellschaft AG has sold its 44.4% shareholding in 4flow AG, Berlin, to the company's management for EUR 6.5m. The purchase price will be paid in several tranches.
FRANCE - Marc Devillard joins Crédit Agricole PE
Marc Devillard has joined Crédit Agricole Private Equity's Venture Capital team as investment director for the software and internet sectors.
FRANCE - H.I.G strengthens team
HIG Europe, the European affiliate of H.I.G. Capital, has appointed Olivier Boyadjian as managing director of its Paris office.
SWEDEN - SVCA releases 2007 Swedish portfolio companies’ statistics
The Swedish Venture Capital Association has released annual statistics on Swedish venture capital and private equity backed portfolio companies’ performance. The research comprises 803 private equity and venture capital portfolio companies from 2001-2006....
SPAIN/ITALY - Adara acquires transport solutions company Logos
Adara-backed Ecutronic has acquired Italian intelligent transport solutions company Logos, CZ and Data Laser.
SPAIN - Mercapital and N+1 could sell fitness chain to Virgin
Mercapital and N+1could sell fitness chain Holmes Place to Virgin Active in what would be a EUR 180m deal according to sources.
SPAIN - Investindustrial completes Elilario acquisition
Investindustrial-backed INAER has completed the acquisition of Italian helicopter operator Elilario in a deal valued at approximately EUR 155m. The deal was announced earlier this year.
GLOBAL - Bear Stearns acquires Macquarie arm
LSE-listed fund-of-funds Bear Stearns Private Equity (BSPEL) has offered A$115.5 for Macquarie Private Capital Group (MPCG), an ASX-listed private equity fund-of-funds.