News
UK - OC&C appoints Michael Rzesnitzek as new partner
OC&C Strategy Consultants has appointed Michael Rzesnitzek as a new partner. He will start at OC&C on 1 October 2007. Rzesnitzek, a publishing expert with international experience, will bring his expertise in the media to OC&C.
IRELAND - Terra Firma portfolio company in $5.2bn buyout
Terra Firma portfolio company AWAS, an aircraft leasing company headquartered in Dublin, has acquired Pegasus Aviation Finance Company in a $5.2bn buyout from Oak Tree Capital Management.
UK - Oxford Capital Partners and Imperial Innovations in £3.1m second-round funding
Oxford Capital Partners and Imperial Innovations have co-led a ТЃ3.1m second round of funding for Veryan Medical Ltd, a developer of medical devices to improve the long-term effectiveness of medical care in patients with vascular disease. Existing investor...
TURKEY - Global Finance buys stake in Biofarma
Greek private equity firm Global Finance is the latest investor to purchase a stake in Turkish pharmaceutical business Biofarma.
FRANCE - Atos Origin will break the suspense on Monday
The shares of French computer servies giant Atos Origin have been suspended pending a press release to be published on Monday morning.
UK - PAI hungry for Big Brother-maker
Production company Endemol, the name behind Big Brother and Deal or No Deal is on the block with bids expected to fetch EUR 3bn. Spanish group TelefУГnica announced its plans to sell its 75% stake earlier this year.
UK - JC Flowers sniffs out Friends Provident with AXA
Shares in Friends Provident climbed yesterday amid speculation that JC Flowers is considering working on a bid for the UK life assurer with insurance giant AXA.
UK - 3i takes stake in Foster + Partners
3i has taken a minority stake in architecture practice Foster + Partners. The deal has enabled the company behind the Gherkin and the Millau viaduct in France to restructure management and broaden its shareholder base to include more employees. Equity...
FRANCE - Sofimac Partners invests EUR 250,000 in Cottel
Sofimac Partners, a regional growth cpaital investor focusing on the Massif Central, Rhône-Alpes and Southern regions, has invested EUR 250,000 in the owner buyout of Cottel, a manufacturer of advertising objects.
GERMANY - Lyceum sells Coperion to Deutsche Beteiligungs for €300m
Lyceum Capital has announced the sale of the Coperion Group, an application technology and services company serving the compounding, extrusion and bulk materials handling industries to Deutsche Beteiligungs AG for EUR 300m. Lyceum acquired a majority...
FRANCE - XAnge Capital invests in Edipro
XAnge capital has invested around EUR 2m in the owner buyout of digital printing management system Edipro, in exchange for a 32% stake.
UK - TPG and Warburg Pincus team up to acquire New Look for £2bn
Texas Pacific Group and Warburg Pincus have teamed up to bid for low-cost fashion retailer New Look. Press reports suggest the TPG consortium is currently front runner to acquire the Weymouth-based retailer in a Merrill Lynch-run auction. CVC, Cinven...
UK - 3i announces results
3i has confirmed its intention to return ТЃ800m to shareholders. The move, which is subject to shareholder approval, comes on the back of its annual results to 31 March 2007, which were announced today. 3i invested a total of ТЃ1,576m and realised ТЃ2,438m...
UK - ICG appoints Garland Hansmann
Intermediate Capital Group has appointed Garland G. Hansmann as portfolio manager for its fund management subsidiary Intermediate Capital Management Ltd.
UK - Bank of Scotland supports McColl acquisition of Weir with £30m equity bridge
Weir Pumps has been acquired by Jim McColl's Clyde Blowers group of companies in a ТЃ100m deal. Bank of Scotland provided a ТЃ3 0 m equity bridge to ensure the swift completion of the deal. An Entrepreneur Fund will be established by the management...
UK - Babcock edges out Carlyle in Devonport deal
An initial agreement between the vendors of naval dockyard Devonport and Babcock International indicates that Babcock has edged out rival bidder Carlyle. The ТЃ350m deal would be subject to approval from the Ministry of Defence and competition authorities,...
UK - Sovereign in £11m buyout of living care company
Sovereign Capital has backed the ТЃ11m institutional buyout of Parallel Options Ltd, a provider of supported living care services to adults with learning disability or mental health needs in Gloucestershire.
DENMARK - Sunstone Ventures - a new Danish venture capital company
Sunstone Capital A/S was launched today as a new player on the Danish venture market with total commitments of EUR 390m. The new venture player has four funds under management, and will focus on early-stage Nordic companies. In a first closing of its...
FRANCE - Private-equity backed TDF buys Antenna Hungaria
French broadcasting company TDF has acquired 100% of Hungary's former national broadcasting services provider Antenna Hungaria (AH).
BALTICS - BaltCap exits UAB Daily Services yielding 35% IRR
BaltCap has sold its minority position in UAB Daily Services, a Baltic office supplies logistics company, to Agias Holding SIA. BaltCap recived 35% IRR on the investment.
UK - YFM's Chandos Fund completes first deal with £2.3 investment
YFM Private Equity's latest fund, Chandos, has completed its first buyout. Chandos's first deal, a ТЃ2.3m investment in fitted kitchen specialist Harvey Jones, follows its first close on ТЃ23m in January. The fund is targeting a final close of ТЃ40m,...
LUXEMBOURG - 3i invests EUR 37m in outsourcing business
3i Growth Capital has invested EUR 37m for a minority stake in KNEIP Communication, the Luxembourg-based outsourcing partner to the investment fund industry.
EUROPE - Later stage rounds dominate European venture activity in Q1 2007
Recent research into European venture investing in Q1 2007 shows that later stage rounds have dominated activity. 40% of the rounds in the first quarter were later-stage rounds, the largest percentage since 1999. In total, Q1 2007 recorded EUR 1.07bn...
UK - Alchemy interested in Torex Retail
Alchemy Partners is reported to be interested in acquiring struggling software retailer Torex Retail. Aim-listed Torex hit trouble earlier this year with a profit warning and a suspension in the trading of its shares. It is currently under investigation...