News
UK - Treasury report inconclusive
The Treasury Committee published its report on the private equity industry today, labelling it an 'interim' report and announcing it is to continue hearings in the autumn. The press release opens by stating 'key questions regarding the impact of larger...
UK - Zeus Private Equity makes first hire in advance of final close
Manchester-based Zeus Private Equity (ZPE) has appointed Beth Houghton as investment executive ahead of the final close of its maiden fund. ZPE reached a second close of ТЃ65m in June 2007 and is targeting a final close of ТЃ100m before the end of the...
UK - Terra Firma closer to EMI after further deadline extension
Terra Firma's quest to secure music publisher EMI experienced another twist over the weekend, when the deadline for shareholder acceptance had to be extended for the third time. Terra Firma now has until Wednesday to meet the 90% acceptance level. Press...
UK - Apax bids for Emap's B2B division
Apax is understood to have approached Emap regarding the acquisition of the magazine and radio group's B2B publications. The news comes following Emap's decision to conduct a strategic review of its business, thought to have been prompted by the approach....
UK - Pension Corporation appoints new head of business development
Pension Corporation has appointed Charlotte Crosswell as head of business development. Pension Corporation comprises Pension Insurance Corporation, Pension Corporation Investments and Pension Securitisation Investments. Pension Corporation operates in...
CEE - GED and Caja Madrid launch private equity real estate fund for South Eastern Europe
Spanish private equity company GED and Spanish saving bank Caja Madrid have set up GED Real Estate Eastern Investments (GED REEI) with initial capital of EUR 25m. The fund will invest in 10-15 projects with an investment amount of EUR 5m - 15m per project,...
SPAIN - Media content developer secures EUR 2m from Debaeque
Debaeque Venture Capital has led a series A round of funding totalling EUR 2m in Kimia, a company developing technology to channel rich media content from the Internet to mobile phones.
FRANCE - Pragma Capital wins tertiary buyout of Retif
Unquote" has learned that Pragma Capital has signed an agreement to back the tertiary buyout of display units rental business Retif.
UK - London Technology Fund participates in £2.6m funding for Acrobot
London Technology Fund (LTF) has completed an investment in Acrobot, a company focusing on computer assistance for orthopaedic surgery. LTF is part of a syndicate investing up to ТЃ2.6m. The syndicate includes PUK Ventures and Imperial Innovations Group...
UK - Aberdeen sees 2x return on RMS exit
Aberdeen Asset Managers Growth Capital has realised its investment in shipping and cargo handling business RMS Europe Group. The exit has returned 2x Aberdeen's money and was facilitated by a ТЃ21m secondary buyout led by YFM.
RUSSIA - Aurora Russia acquires 26% stake in Unistream Bank
Aurora Russia Ltd has completed the second stage of investment in Unistream Bank , bringing its total shareholding in Unistream to 26%. Aurora Russia first invested in Unistream in April 2007, acquiring a 17.7% stake for $13.3m. Following approval from...
FRANCE - LBO France acquires Piera
French buyout house LBO France has completed the buyout of Piera, a real-estate developer.
UK - Beringea expands UK investment team
Beringea director Trevor Hope has been appointed to the new role of chief investment officer and new investment director Karen McCormick has joined the Beringea team. Hope, who joined Beringea in 2003, will oversee the companyтs investment activites from...
SPAIN - Impala exits Menaje del Hogar for EUR 132m
Impala Capital sold its 54% stake in electrical goods wholesaler Menaje del Hogar to UK sector player Kesa Electricals. The total exit value is EUR 135m, including EUR 35m in debt. The private equity firm had originally purchased its stake in 2003, for...
SWITZERLAND – 5àSec in tertiary buyout
ING Parcom Private Equity has acquired the dry cleaning service provider 5àSec from Milestone Capital. The transaction value has not been disclosed. In 2001, Milestone Capital (formerly EAC) acquired the company from Spef and BNP Développement.
UK - Sainsbury deal faces opposition from Tchenguiz
Delta Two is facing additional opposition to its 600p per share bid for UK supermarket chain J Sainsbury. The well-documented resistance to the bid from the Sainsbury family, has been boosted by news that property entrepeneur Robert Tchenguiz also believes...
UK - RJD acquires Teaching Personnel from BPE for £24m
RJD Partners has led the ТЃ24m secondary management buyout of specialist teacher recruitment business Teaching Personnel. The deal represents an exit for Barclays Private Equity. RJD's investment was supported by management reinvestment and ТЃ14m of banking...
FRANCE - Osiris secures first industrial deal
Osiris Partners has backed the spin-off of Produits Plastiques Performants (3P) from listed-plastics company Plastic Omnium. The deal is Osiris' second transaction.
UK - Bridges Ventures invests £2.3m in keyworker housing
Bridges Ventures has invested ТЃ2.3m to fund the purchase of three blocks of studio apartments to provide key worker housing. The buildings acquired by a newco established by Bridges will provide accommodation for hospital staff employed by Plymouth Hospitals...
RUSSIA - Great Circle invests $21.1m in STS Logistics
Great Circle Fund has invested $21.1m in Moscow-based STS Logistics, a Russian freight forwarding, warehousing and customs services provider. The expansion deal represents the first investment of the $190m Great Circle Fund, which targets transportation,...
UK - Local authority appetite for private equity hots up
The West Midlands' Metropolitan Pension Fund is to commit in excess of ТЃ500m to private equity. The ТЃ7.7bn pension fund will be upping its allocation to private equity to 7% making it the UK's largest local authority investor in the asset class.
UK - Graham Keniston-Cooper to lead Morgan Stanley Private Equity in Europe
Morgan Stanley has hired Graham Keniston-Cooper to run its private equity business in Europe. Keniston-Cooper will build a London-based private equity team running third party funds.
UK - Tense days for Terra Firma's EMI bid
Terra Firma faces a few tense days before Sunday's cut off point for EMI shareholders to accept its ТЃ2.4bn agreed offer for the London-listed music publisher. Terra Firma needs to secure 90% of acceptances by Sunday. The figure is currently understood...
CEE - Quinlan Private sells Polish shopping centre for EUR 128m
Quinlan Private and the Borgestad Group have sold the Forum Shopping Centre in Gliwice, Poland to German real estate investment company Deka Immobilien for EUR 128m. Quinlan Private is a Dublin-based private equity and real estate group and Borgestad...