News
FINLAND - 3i acquires 25% of DNA for EUR 140m
3i has acquired 25% of the shares in Finnet OY, a Finish mobile operator, for EUR 140m. Following the deal Finnet OY is to be renamed DNA. 3i's stake will be reduced to 13% after the anticipated merger of five local operators and DNA. The 25% stake has...
UK - CCMP Capital acquires BOC Edwards from Linde Group
CCMP Capital has acquired BOC Edwards from the Linde Group. BOC Edwards is a manufacturer of vacuum equipment used in high technology industries. CCMP Capital made the acquisition through funds managed by CCMP Capital Advisors and CCMP Capital Asia Ltd....
DENMARK - EQT acquires Cimbria
The EQT Opportunity Fund has agreed to acquire a majority of the shares in the Danish industrial engineering Company Cimbria A/S.
SWEDEN- Nordic Capital acquires Thule Group from Candover
Nordic Capital VI has acquired Thule Group from Candover. Thule Group is a sports utility transportation solution provider with revenues of SEK 6bn.
UK - KKR secures £11.1bn Boots deal in shareholder vote
Alliance Boots shareholders have voted in favour of KKR's £11.1bn takeover bid. Of the proxy votes cast ahead of the EGM, reckoned to be a good indicator of the EGM results, 96.3% of shareholders approved KKR's recommended offer. The first private equity...
UK - Palamon broadens governance
Palamon Capital Partners has announced a structural reorganisation in preparation for accelerated growth. Co-Founder Michael Hoffman is appointed to the new position of chairman of Palamon. Co-founder and managing partner, Louis Elson, will lead a newly...
UK - Index Ventures profits from CBS acquisition of Last.fm
Index Ventures has seen impressive returns from its year long investment in online social music network Last.fm. Founded in a Vienna basement, Last.fm is now headquartered in London and was acquired for $280m in cash by US television network CBS. It received...
CZECH REPUBLIC - Advent opens Prague office
Advent International has announced the opening of its Prague office, led by Chris Mruck. From this office, Advent will cover investment in the Czech and Slovak Republics and Hungary. With offices in Warsaw and Bucharest, this latest opening sees Advent...
SPAIN/FRANCE - CVC goes solo for Altadis bid
Following recent rumours of disagreements between CVC and PAI Partners in relation to their joint bid for tobacco business Altadis, CVC is said to be preparing an offer on its own.
UK - Aberdeen acquires £5m stake in Funeral Services Partnership
Aberdeen Asset Managers Growth Capital has acquired a £5m stake in Midlands-based Funeral Services Partnership Ltd, a newco set up to create a group of independent funeral businesses.
POLAND - Argan acquires majority stake in AAT Group
Argan Capital has acquired Polish distributor of security products and systems, AAT Group. Following completion of the transaction, Argan will hold a majority stake in the business. Established in 1995, AAT has a broad product offering which includes...
FRANCE - GIMV hires Dubus
Belgian-based Investment company GIMV has hired Geoffroy Dubus to head investments in the ICT sector in France. Dunus will also assist with the opening of GIMV's French office. Dunus was previously a partner at French private equity house Innovacom,...
UK - Aberdeen backs BIMBO of oil and gas tools rental company
Aberdeen Asset Managers Growth Capital has backed the BIMBO of ATR Group, a business which rents specialised tools and equipment to the offshore oil and gas industry. Aberdeen invested £3.9m in equity funding to support the transaction alongside debt...
UK - Blackstone-backed Tragus acquires Strada for £140m
Tragus, the restaurant group owned by Blackstone, has added high street pizza chain Strada to its portfolio in a £140m deal. The acquisition represents an exit for entrepreneur Richard Caring and will enlarge Tragus's offering by 55 sites. Tragus owns...
UK - Apax in move for gardening chain Dobbies
It is believed that Apax is behind a takeover offer for Scottish gardening chain Dobbies. Apax's interest comes as a surprise: West Coast Capital owns a 10%+ stake in AIM-listed Dobbies and had been expected to try to acquire it alongside Bank of Scotland...
UK - Palamon expands investment team
Palamon Capital Partners has expanded its investment team with the appointment of JaimeEnrique Hugas as principal. Hugas, a Spanish national, joins Palamon from Morgan Stanley where he was executive director of the European Media and Communications...
UK - Risk Capital Partners acquires Druckers Vienna Patisserie
Risk Capital Partners has acquired Birmingham-based Druckers Vienna Patisserie. RCP are combining Druckers with its London-based patisserie chain Patisserie Valerie. Druckers will operate alongside Patisserie Valerie, which RCP bought in September 2006....
GERMANY - GMT buys construction information provider
GMT Communications Partners has acquired the construction information division from Springer Science + Business Media for an undisclosed amount. The financial investor currently owns Docu Group, another B2B information provider in the construction sector...
UK - LDC strengthens London team
LDC has appointed two senior investment professionals to its expanding London team. Andy Kilborn, who spent 10 years with KPMG advising on mid-market transactions, joins as investment manager and Alex Bowden, previously based at LDC’s Reading office,...
BALTIC - LP Otrais Eko Funds invest in LLC Epic Bau for EUR 150,000
LP Otrais Eko Fonds will invest EUR 150,000 in start-up company LLC Epic Bau to finance the acquisition of modern mobile concrete production machinery. The fund will obtain a 49% shareholding in the company.
FRANCE - Stirling Square sells GDT to Bridgepoint in $343m deal
Stirling Square Capital Partners has signed an agreement to sell Global Design Technologies (GDT) to Bridgepoint for $343m. GDT is a France/US-headquartered manufacturer of swaged permanent coupling systems for rigid tubing and pipes used in the aerospace,...
FINLAND - Lion Capital acquires Vaasa & Vaasa from CapVest
Lion Capital LLP has acquired Vaasan & Vaasan, a producer and distributor of branded bakery products, from CapVest Ltd. Lion Capital has previously invested in other food companies like Weetabix and Kettle Foods, and aims to leverage its experience in...
SPAIN/ITALY - TPG focuses on Iberia after failing to buy Alitalia and Qantas
Texas Pacific Group (TPG) is expected to focus all its efforts on the prospective acquisition of Iberia, after the US buyout house pulled out of the competition for both Alitalia and Australian carrier Qantas yesterday.
GERMANY - Bank of Ireland boosts Frankfurt team
Bank of Ireland has appointed Sebastian Osing and Jörg Tennemann to its Acquisition Finance team in Frankfurt. The new team members will focus on arranging funding opportunities in the German acquisition finance market. Osing joins from the M&A department...