News
UK - LDC appoints new director to Edinburgh office
Lloyds TSB Development Capital (LDC) has appointed James Rodger as a director in its recently launched Edinburgh office.
UK - Alchemy hungry for Regent Inns
Alchemy Partners is reported to be interested in acquiring struggling pub owner Regent Inns, the operator of pubs including Walkabout and Old Orleans. The listed-group's share price rose by 27% on the news of a possible to takeover, to 21p. At 21p per...
SPAIN - Landon acquires stake in hotel chain
Grupo Corporativo Landon acquired a 47% stake in hotel chain Sercotel.
UK - Summit makes two promotions
Summit Partners has announced the promotion of two executives in its London office.
GERMANY - DLA Piper bolsters German team
DLA Piper has appointed M&A partner Dr Christoph Papenheim to its German Corporate and M&A practice. Papenheim joined DLA Piper in mid-January 2008 from the Frankfurt office of White & Case, together with associate Sven Friedrich. Papenheim has 12 years’...
DENMARK - SoonR attracts $9.5m from Cisco et al.
SoonR, a Denmark-based mobile computing company, has attracted a second round of financing worth $9.5m from a consortium of investors led by Cisco Systems. Other investors included Clearstone Venture Partners and Intel Capital, which also participated...
UK - Francisco Partners leads Data Connection funding
San Fransico and London-based venture capital firm Francisco Partners has led a significant investment round for telecom networking company Data Connection Ltd, alongside strategic partner Sequoia Capital.
ITALY - AXA Private Equity acquires hydraulics company
Axa Private Equity has backed the management buyout of hydraulics group Idroma.
UK - ACP abandons Davenham deal
ACP Capital has abandoned its planned takeover bid for specialist finance group Davenham, after it was refused access to the company's books.
UK - Vitruvian completes first deal with £55m acquisition of Latitude
Vitruvian Partners has completed its first deal, acquiring a majority stake in marketing agency Latitude Group Ltd as part of the £55m management buyout of the company.
SPAIN - Regional player Prince Capital Partners launches
Prince Capital Partners is set to launch as the first private financial institution investing in companies in the Asturian region, North West Spain.
FRANCE/ITALY - VCM opens first international office in Paris
German VCM Capital Management has opened its first international office in Paris which will be responsible for relationships in the French and Italian markets.
UK - Terra Firma finds £200m extra for EMI and makes job cuts
Terra Firma has today told staff at portfolio company EMI its plans to revive the fraught music group. Terra Firma intends to cut costs by £200m and will make between 1,500 and 2,000 staff redundant. The group's marketing budget will be curtailed while...
FRANCE – Japanese investors lead financing round in DiBcom
Japanese investors NIF SMBC Ventures led NTT Finance in a new round of financing for Dibcom. Clipperton Finance advised the French start-up on the deal.
NETHERLANDS - Buyout groups line up for $1bn sale of Exact software
According to reports, Exact Software, a company listed on Euronext Amsterdam, is being auctioned off for $1bn. It is understood that Candover, HgCapital, Hellman & Friedman and Providence Equity Partners have expressed interest in acquiring the company....
UK - Zeus reaches final close of maiden fund on £100m+
Zeus Private Equity (ZPE) has reached the final close of its maiden fund on more than £100m. Manchester-based ZPE was launched in December 2006 and held a second close in June 2007 on £65m. Most recent investors in the fund include Access Capital Partners,...
DENMARK - NorthCap injects $2.3m in Zmags
NorthCap Partners has injected $2.3m in Zmags, a Copenhagen-based online publications specialist.
UK - Apax to sell Somerfield for up to £1.8bn
It is understood that Apax is considering a £1.8bn sale of supermarket portfolio company Somerfield after receiving several direct approaches for the business. Bristol-based Somerfield operates approximately 900 stores, primarily in town centres, which...
UK - Landsbanki continues growth of leverage finance team
European corporate and investment bank Landsbanki has continued the expansion of its leverage finance team with the dual appointments of Dave Amber and John Perry as directors.
UK - Octopus backs £15m buyout of broadcast media agency
Octopus Investments has supported the £15m buyout of Bruce Dunlop & Associates (BDA). Octopus has invested £5m from its equity and mezzanine funds to take a minority stake in broadcast media agency BDA. The deal was introduced to Octopus by Baker Tilly....
SWEDEN - Segulah completes SEK 2bn recapitalisation of Dacke
Segulah has completed a SEK 2bn recapitalisation of Dacke OMC, a provider of hydraulic equipment and engineering solutions.
SWITZERLAND – HBM BioVentures to apply for a listing on the SWX
Venture capital company HBM BioVentures Ltd plans to expand its shareholder base through an IPO. The company intends to issue a limited number of new shares and list all shares on the SWX Swiss Exchange shortly. HBM BioVentures invests globally in emerging...
GERMANY – b-to-v leads investment in Carsablanca
b-to-v has led a funding round for old-timer internet platform carsablanca.de, raising an undisclosed sum for Hamburg-based Carsablanca GmbH, the company which runs the website. The company plans to boost the platform’s capacity and increase functions...
FRANCE - Colony Capital becomes majority shareholder in football club
US-Colony Capital has become the majority shareholder in football club Paris-Saint Germain (PSG) with a 61.6% stake.