News
UK - The Capital Fund leads £700,000 investment in online tool
The Capital Fund has led a ТЃ700,000 investment in CInergy International, an online tool which acts as a customer acquisition and retention specialist. The Capital Fund committed ТЃ250,000 alongside ТЃ472,000 from business angels.
SWEDEN - Industrifonden participates in SEK 20m round in Osteria Sverige
Industrifonden has invested SEK 6m in a SEK 20m round in Osteria Sverige, a company that is in the process of starting to produce and sell oysters.
UK - Path clear for Terra Firma's EMI bid
Terra Firma's bid for EMI will not be facing competition from Warner Music. The rival music group has decided to drop its seven year pursuit of EMI.
UK - Advent International appoints interim advisory board for Lloyds TSB Registrars
Advent International has appointed an interim advisory board pending completion of its acquisition of Lloyds TSB Registrars. Advent won an auction for the share registration business in May of this year paying ТЃ550m to secure the deal from vendor Lloyds...
UK - Endless grows its North West team
Endless has strengthened its team in the North West of England with the appointment of Neil Baishnab and Ian Plumb. Baishnab joins as associate director and will be based at Endless' Manchester office. He was previously at Ernst & Young. Plumb joins as...
UK - Qatari fund moves for Sainsbury
Delta Two, a fund backed by the Qatari Investment Authority is in talks with retailer J Sainsbury over a possible ТЃ12bn bid. It was reported in the Financial Times that a 610p-a-share offer had been tabled, but a statement released by Delta Two stated...
UK - HgCapital announces senior management changes
HgCapital has announced a series of senior management changes. After seven years as chairman, Leonard Licht will be retiring on 30th September. He will be replaced by current chief executive Ian Armitage. Frances Jacob becomes deputy chairman and will...
NL - Lehman Brothers FOF vehicle raises $500m in IPO
Lehman Brothers Private Equity Partners Limited, a closed-ended private equity FOF investment company, met its target of raising $500m through the IPO of its shares on Euronext Amsterdam. The company issued 50 million shares at $10 per share. Lehman...
ITALY - Lovells moves offices in Milan and Rome
Law firm Lovells has announced the relocation to new offices in Milan and Rome.
FRANCE - Crédit Agricole Private Equity invests EUR 6.6m in Legoupil buyout
Crédit Agricole Private Equity has led the buyout of modular construction specialist Legoupil Industries.
UK - Walker review calls for annual reporting
Sir David Walker delivered his initial report today on disclosure and transparency in private equity and recommended all portfolio companies over a certain size report to an enhanced standard. Those companies valued in excess of ТЃ500m, acquired for...
GERMANY - bm-t invests in Lalisio GmbH
bm-t beteiligungsmanagement thüringen gmbh has acquired a 25% stake in German online network Lalisio GmbH. The invested amount has not been disclosed. bm-t has supported the growth of the company since 2006.
UK - Octopus Investments appoints mezzanine manager
Octopus Investments has recruited Stuart Nicol to head up its mezzanine function, which has ТЃ50m to invest. Nicol joins following five years at The Capital Fund where he led 14 investments including Avanti, Mtivity and TXT4.
SWEDEN - CapMan and 3i exit Avitec AB
CapMan funds and 3i have exited their investment in Avitec AB. Avitec has been acquired by ECI, the UK-based private equity investor. Avitec manufactures repeaters for mobile telecommunications networks.
CEE - 3TS invests in Romanian Romprest Services
3TS has acquired a 30% stake in Romprest Services SA, the Romanian cleaning and facilities management group. The investment was made from the 3TS Central European Fund II in which 3i is the sole investor.
UK - Endless backs buyout of DavyMarkham
Endless has backed the management buyout of heavy engineering business DavyMarkham Ltd. The investment will underpin the company's turnaround and enable DavyMarkham to re-establish itself as a world-leading brand in the heavy engineering market.
UK - Deloitte Corporate Finance appoints new manager to Southampton team
Shaun Gomm has joined Deloitteтs Corporate Finance Advisory team in Southampton as manager. Gomm has been providing corporate finance advice on transactions for Deloitteтs London office since 2001. He is a specialist in the leisure sector and has also...
UK - Hellman and Friedman to float Gartmore for £1.5bn
It is reported that Hellman and Friedman is to float fund management company Gartmore. The US private equity group acquired Gartmore in a ТЃ550m buyout in June 2006 from Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. According to sources, it is now seeking an IPO...
SPAIN - Magnum eyes construction business
Newly-established private equity house Magnum Industrial Partners is said to be nearing the final stages of the acquisition of civil construction business Eptisa. News reports suggest that the firm, currently fundraising for its EUR 800m fund, has the...
UK - Close Ventures leads £4.36m funding into Oxsensis
Close Ventures has led a ТЃ4.36m round of funding for Oxsensis, an industrial technology firm. Foursome Investments and existing investors also committed to the funding round. Oxsensis develops fibre-optic instrumentation for precision controls in harsh...
UK - LDC backs MBO of Kimberly Access
LDC has funded the management buyout of Kimberly Access Ltd, a business which rents powered access equipment. The deal represents an exit for the founder of the company. Royal Bank of Scotland provided debt to support the deal.
UK - Bridgepoint floats Norcros valuing it at £116m
Bridgepoint has floated portfolio company Norcros on the main market of the London Stock Exchange. The 78p per share listing price represents a market capitalisation of ТЃ116m. Bridgepoint has seen returns of 2x its original investment and retains a 6%...
UK - ETF leads £13m investment in Metalysis
Environmental Technologies Fund (ETF) has led a ТЃ13m funding round for Metalysis, a technology business for the specialty metals industry. 3i, QinetiQ, Seven Spires, Chord Capital and Cambridge Capital Group also participated in the round. The investment...
UK - NVM acquires Astbury Marsden in £17.5m deal
NVM Private Equity Ltd (NVM) has acquired Astbury Marsden, a specialist provider of recruitment services to the banking sector in the City of London, in a ТЃ17.5m deal. NVM invested ТЃ5.6m to facilitate the management buyout alongside debt provided by...