News
GERMANY - Pace raises EUR 3m
eCapital has led a EUR 3m financing round in high-end engineering software developer Pace GmbH. IBB Beteiligungsgesellschaft and Strategic European Technologies also participated in the round.
SPAIN - Insiders speak on Nmás1 exodus
An insider at Nmás1 has told unquote” the reasons behind sudden changes at the top of the Spanish buyout house, which has just seen six members of staff leave in the last couple of weeks – in the middle of the firm’s fundraising.
FRANCE - Industri Kapital to sell Ceva Santé Animale
Unquote News can reveal that Ceva Santé Animale is set go on sale. The information was provided by a source close to the deal.
UK - Baird generates 2.2x on exit from Specialist Heat Exchangers
Baird Capital Partners Europe has generated 2.2x its money on its exit from Specialist Heat Exchangers Ltd (SHE). The designer and manufacturer of cooling systems for the automotive and industrial sectors has been acquired for ТЃ9m by Dynamic Technologies...
UK - August Equity makes four internal promotions
August Equity has made four promotions. Sam Watkinson, who joined August Equity in August 2005, has been promoted to director. Watkinson is responsible for managing the deal origination activities across the four sectors which the firm focuses on т healthcare,...
SPAIN - 3i exits electronic systems business for EUR 33m
After a holding period of eight years, 3i has divested the 33% stake it had in Ikusi, a company active in the design, introduction and management of electronic systems. The exit value is EUR 33m and the buyer is the private equity arm of Corporación Caja...
UK - Royal Bank of Scotland takes equity stake in £17.5m buyout of Monitor Audio
Royal Bank of Scotland has taken an equity stake in audio hi-fi and home cinema company Monitor Audio (Holdings) Ltd. The company, an existing customer of the bank has undergone a ТЃ17.5m management buyout to which RBS has supplied a complete equity,...
UK - KKR higher offer prompts opening of Boots' books
KKR has raised its bid for Alliance Boots prompting the UK chemist and retail chain to open its books. The US-private equity firm bidding in league with the deputy chairman of Boots has offered 1,040p per share, a 4% lift on the 1,000p takeover bid it...
UK - Goldman Sachs eyes Kingfisher
Goldman Sachs Private Equity is considering a bid for DIY retailer Kingfisher following the firms announcement that it had cut its debt and revalued its property assets. Its debt now stands at ТЃ1.29bn, down from ТЃ1.35bn last year, with its property...
SWEDEN - Investor Growth Capital invests $14m in Tobii Technology
Investor Growth Capital has completed a $14m round of venture capital funding in Tobii Technology . The investment will be used to accelerate the company's rapid growth, enhance product development and expand global sales and marketing efforts.
UK - Kaupthing/Tchenguiz trump Blackstone La Tasca offer
Kaupthing Pricipal Investments has teamed up with Robert Tchenguiz to launch a rival bid for AIM-listed restaurant chain La Tasca. Earlier this week, Blackstone through its Tragus portfolio company offered ТЃ96m for La Tasca. Tragus is the name behind...
UK - 3i shareholders benefit from £800m pay out
3i plans to return ТЃ800m to its shareholders. The latest pay out will bring the amount of money returned to shareholders over the last three years to ТЃ2bn.
NORWAY - emgs IPO at NOK 135 per share
ElectroMagnetic GeoServices (emgs) has priced its IPO at NOK 135 per share, and will start to trade today. The price is at the top of the revised price range of NOK 125-135 per share. There has been strong interest in the market, resulting in the offering...
SWEDEN - Sweden abolishes wealth tax
Sweden has of today abolished wealth tax. Wealth tax has been charged to only 2.5% of the taxpayers, but have been blamed for massive capital flight from the country, estimated to be SEK 1.5bn. The wealth tax has been blamed for Sweden's low level of...
GERMANY - HgCapital exits Hirschmann Car Communication
HgCapital has sold European automotive supplier Hirschmann Car Communication GmbH to its management for an undisclosed amount.
AUSTRIA - Boehler-Uddeholm negative on CVC offer
According to statements in the press, Boehler-Uddeholm’s management has told its key shareholder group led by Austrian Rudolf Fries to turn down a potential offer from CVC Capital Partners. Previously CVC said it had come to an agreement with the group...
UK - AIM sees worst quarter for three years
AIM's blistering pace in attracting new admissions and in achieving record fund-raising levels took a major pause for breath during the first quarter of this year, according to research by Grant Thornton Corporate Finance. In the first three months of...
UK - Blackstone's Tragus in £96m bid for La Tasca
Restaurant Group Tragus, owned by Blackstone, has launched a ТЃ96m cash offer for AIM-listed La Tasca, the owner of 70 Spanish themed restuarants in the UK.
SWEDEN - Partners of EQT Partners AB increase their ownership by 36%
Partners of EQT Partners have agreed with Investor AB to acquire 36% of the shares in the advisory company EQT Partners AB for SEK 290m. The transaction means that partners of EQT Partners will increase their ownership from the present 33% to 69%, and...
UK - Newly launched Mercia Technology Seed Fund completes first deal
The Mercia Technology Seed Fund, launched last week, has completed its first investment. Intelligent Orthopaedics, a medical engineering company has received just under ТЃ250,000 of syndicate funding from Mercia, SMIF and private investors. This second...
UK - Advantage Capital invests in Butters Group
Advantage Capital has just completed an investment in Butters Group, a supplier of house and garden plants retailers in the UK.
SPAIN/FRANCE - CVC, Cinven and PAI back BAT in Altadis bid
Buyout giants CVC Capital, Cinven and PAI will back a bid by British American Tobacco for the acquisition of Altadis, according to French press reports.
ITALY - Aletti acquires furniture business from Absolute
Aletti Private Equity has acquired a 70% shareholding in furniture business Arketipo from Absolute Ventures in a SBO worth around EUR 20m.
FRANCE - Colony makes new attempt to de-list Buffalo Grill
US private equity firm Colony Capital has made a new, improved tender offer for the remainder of shares in restaurant business Buffalo Grill.