News
NETHERLANDS - Shell Technology Ventures partially exits At Balance
Shell Technology Ventures has sold a minority stake in At Balance, a Dutch company that provides technology for drilling oil and gas wells. The transaction will give At Balance access to pressure equipment and services supplied by Smith, a supplier of...
GERMANY/AUSTRIA - Carlyle appoints new managing director
The Carlyle Group has announced the appointment of Norbert Reis as managing director of its European buyout team, primarily focusing on transactions in Germany and Austria.
UK - BLP strengthens corporate team
Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has announced the appointment of James Klein as a partner in its corporate finance team.
UK - YFM full exit from Cozart realises 4x
YFM Private Equity has announced the full exit from its investment in medical diagnostics business Cozart Plc. Over the course of its six year involvement in the company, YFM has seen returns of 4x. Cozart has been acquired by AIM-listed Concateno Plc...
UK - HgCapital and Montagu have Biffa in their sights
It has been confirmed that waste management company Biffa received an indicative approach from HgCapital and Montagu Private Equity in early September. The board subsequently rejected the bid, however, Biffa shares were up 25% on Friday upon news of a...
UK - Imperial portfolio company recieves £350,000 award
Imperial Innovations portfolio company PolyTherics Ltd, a biopharmaceutical spin-out from Imperial College London, has secured an award of £350,000 from the Technology Strategy Board (TSB).
UK - JC Flowers eclipsed by Virgin in battle for Rock
A consortium led by Virgin Group has been named as the frontrunner for Northern Rock. US private equity group JC Flowers expressed its interest in the beleaguered lender in late September and had been thought a favoured bidder after it revealed it had...
UK - The Capital Fund invests £250,000 to support Plasticell
The Capital Fund, managed by YFM Venture Finance Ltd, has made an investment of £250,000 into Plasticell, a company that is developing innovative stem cell and drug screening products.
UK - NSEI invests £1.4m in ASL
NorthStar Equity Investors (NSEI) has made an investment of £1.4m into Applied Superconductors Ltd (ASL).
SPAIN – Axón Capital seals agreement with ENISA
Spanish private equity firm Axón Capital has announced the signing of an agreement with government-backed innovation agency ENISA.
UK - Candover and First Reserve compete for Abbot Group
Candover and First Reserve have been left to fight it out for oil services business Abbot Group. The listed-business was initially approached by 3i in early October with 3i indicating it was prepared to pay up to £870m for it. However, following disagreements...
GERMANY - High-Tech Gründerfonds leads EUR 1.5m seed-financing
High-Tech Gründerfonds has led a seed financing round for migenion GmbH, contributing EUR 500,000 to the company in return for a 15% shareholding. Additional financing came from various research institutions and the founders, bringing the total amount...
ITALY – Latham & Watkins to bolster Milan office and open Rome branch
Latham & Watkins is expanding its Italian practice with the launch of a local law capability. The additions to the Milan office and the new Rome team join the Italian practice from its peer Bonelli Erede Pappalardo.
FRANCE - Perfectis backs buyout of Commagnac Industries
Perfectis Private Equity has completed the buyout of sensitive goods transportation business Commagnac Industries.
UK - August portfolio company Imagine appoints new chairman
August Equity portfolio company Imagine Publishing has appointed Alastair Ramsay as non-executive chairman with immediate effect. August committed £7m to Imagine to enable it to make an acquisition in early 2006.
ITALY – Synergo in Valvitalia preliminary signing
The consortium comprising private equity firm Synergo, Igi Sgr and Banca Leonardo has signed a preliminary agreement for the purchase of a 45% stake in Valvitalia.
FRANCE - DLA Piper hires new partners for Paris office
Global legal services company DLA Piper has announced the appointment of Véronique Collin and Clotilde Dirnat as partners in its finance and projects practice group in Paris.
SPAIN - Demeter and Clave Mayor invest in solar panels
French private equity house Demeter and Spanish small-cap investor Clave Mayor have taken a minority stake in solar panel manufacturer Euroner.
SWITZERLAND – Waburg Pincus invests CHF 36m in Spectraseis
Warburg Pincus has invested CHF 36m in Zurich-based Spectraseis AG, a provider of low frequency geophysical solutions to the upstream oil and gas industry. In return, Warburg Pincus has acquired a significant minority stake in the business. StatoilHydro...
UK - Hotbed invests £2.1m in Mobiletrails
Hotbed, the UK’s leading private investor syndicate, has invested £2.1m of growth capital in Mobiletrails, an innovative mobile travel information and location based services company. Mobiletrails’ Travel Buddy product provides destination-specific...
ROMANIA - Global Finance and 3TS invest in Gecad Technologies
Global Finance , 3TS-Cisco Growth Fund III and several other undisclosed investors have invested EUR 2m in Gecad Technologies, the company behind the AXIGEN mail server software. Radu Georgescu, who is the founder of the company, retains 88.24% of shares...
UK - Terra Firma decides to hold Infinis
Terra Firma has decided to hold onto its renewable energy portfolio company Infinis after originally planning to float the business before the end of this year. The investor cited volatile market conditions as well as the management company of the business...
POLAND - Innova Capital invests in mortgage brokerage business Expander
Innova Capital has invested in Polish mortgage brokerage and distributor Expander. Innova/4 LP, a fund advised by Innova Capital, will acquire 60% of the shareholding in Expander with the remaining stake being retained by GE Money .
FINLAND - 3i and Profita sell Empower to AAC Capital Partners
3i and Profita Fund II Ky have sold Empower, a Finnish service provider for the energy and telecommunications sector, to AAC Capital Partners (previously ABN AMRO Capital). No financial information has been revealed. 3i first invested in the business...