News
AUSTRIA - Riverside exits PPC Insulators
The Riverside Company has sold insulators manufacturer PPC Insulators to the Italian Seves Group for an undisclosed amount. Following the transaction the Seves Group is expected to record revenues of more than EUR 400m.
UK - Barclays Ventures backs £9m air conditioning takeover
Barclays Ventures has backed the £9m takeover by Four Seasons Control Limited (FSC) of Air-conditioning and Associated Services Ltd (AAS). The deal sees the bringing together of the two air conditioning design, installation and maintenance specialists.
BELGIUM - KBC and Indufin acquire HR business alongside management
Private equity firms KBC and Indufin have wholly acquired a conglomerate of employment agencies Actief Interim, Actief Construct and Actief alongside the group's managing director Mark Maesen.
SPAIN - Clave Mayor acquires stake in audiovisual business
Following the recent wave of interest in audiovisual businesses by Spanish players, Clave Mayor has acquired a 40% stake in sector player Comercial de Contenidos Audiovisuales 2007. The company intends to position itself as the reference provider of audiovisual...
LUXEMBOURG - VOXmobile sold for EUR 80m
Listed investment firm BIP Investment Partners has sold mobile network operator VOXmobile to Mobistar for EUR 80m. Mobistar acquired a 90% stake with the balance being held by the company’s founders.
FINLAND- CapMan invests in Movial Applications
CapMan Technology 2007 fund has invested in Movial Applications, a provider of IP communication software network equipment. CapMan will hold a minority stake in the company, while the management and employees will continue to hold the majority of the...
DENMARK - CapMan acquires IT2 Treasury Solutions
CapMan Technology 2007 fund has acquired IT2 Treasury Solutions from SimCorp, a Copenhagen-listed firm. CapMan will together with the management own 100% of the company. The transaction is expected to finalise in July 2007.
SPAIN/FRANCE - CVC and PAI on row over Altadis split
Rumour has it that CVC and PAI Partners are in disagreement over how the two private equity firms will split control of the tobacco business.
UK - 39% of executives of FTSE350 companies would take their firm private
Two-fifths (39%) of CEOs and CFOs of FTSE350 companies would take their firm private given the right opportunity and price, according to new research by Close Brothers Corporate Finance. The research reveals that 95% of the FTSE350 think it is ‘likely’...
FINLAND - Via Ventures and Finish Industry Investments commit EUR 5m in OptoGaN
Via Ventures and Finish Industry Investments have committed capital in a EUR 5m round for OptoGaN, a light emitting diodes (LED) company based in Finland and Germany. The company has the technology to replace light bulbs with LED and the new funding will...
UK - ABN AMRO completes MBO of Dunlop Aircraft Tyres
ABN AMRO Capital has agreed to acquire Dunlop Aircraft Tyres Ltd. ABN AMRO Capital will take a majority stake in the business with 74.6% ownership. The transaction is expected to complete in June subject to customary approvals. Royal Bank of Scotland...
FRANCE - Weinberg appoints head of real-estate funds
French buyout house Weinberg Capital Partners has named Laurent Halimi as partner with overall responsibility for real-estate funds.
UK - 3i in talks with Keepmoat regarding possible £800m buyout
3i is reported to be in talks with social housing builders and repairers Keepmoat about a possible £800m buyout. The Doncaster-based business recently appointed Deloitte to consider its options. Bridgepoint is also expected to show interest in the company,...
FRANCE - Argos Soditic backs MBI of Chronolyss
Argos Soditic has backed the management buy-in of Chronolyss, a company providing services to diabetic patients.
UK - HBOS joins 3i and Bridgepoint in race for Erinaceous
Bank of Scotland has joined the race to acquire property services group Erinaceous. The London-listed company has a market capitalisation of approximately £300m. Erinaceous' management are reported to be looking to delist it with 3i and Bridgepoint already...
IRELAND - Alchemy to delist Calyx from AIM in £70.2m deal
Alchemy Partners is to delist business technology support provider Calyx from AIM in a £70.2m deal. The deal is being undertaken by Alchemy-owned vehicle Stornaway which to date holds a 59% stake in Calyx. Anglo Irish Bank is providing debt facilities...
SPAIN - Valcapital takes 30% stake in Domélite
Private equity firm Valcapital has taken a minority stake via a capital increase in Domélite, a company specialised in remote control systems for domestic use. It is understood that the deal is worth around EUR 300,000.
ITALY - Michele Russo buys majority stake in Opera
Michele Russo, the frontman of Doughty Hanson in Italy, has reportedly acquired 75% of luxury goods fund Opera from its management and fashion house Bulgari.
FRANCE - Implanet Partners receives EUR 13m from Franco-German syndicate
Bordeaux-based medical technology start-up Implanet has received EUR 13m from a syndicate led by Auriga Partners, Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners and Wellington Partners.
HUNGARY - KBC invests in Grafika Press
KBC Private Equity has acquired a minority shareholding in Hungarian printing company Grafika Press. Additionally, the financial investor provided Grafika with a mezzanine facility to finance the acquisition of assets from another Hungarian printing company...
GERMANY - 3i floats SFC Smart Fuel Cell
3i has floated its portfolio company SFC Smart Fuel Cell on the Prime Standard in Frankfurt. A total of 2,395,275 shares were placed at an issue price of EUR 37. The total placement comprises 1,317,990 shares from a capital increase and 726,073 shares...
UK - Permira portfolio company acquires Hayley Conference Centres from 3i
3i has exited Hayley Conference Centres in a £385m deal which sees Permira-backed Principal Hotels acquire the nine-strong conference centre chain. 3i acquired Hayley Conference Centres in a £180m secondary buyout from Legal and General Ventures in...
FRANCE - Apax's PIPE in GFI falls through
A capital increase which would have granted Apax Partners 27% in listed computer services company GFI Informatique has been cancelled, following an executive board meeting.
ITALY - MPS Venture supports recovery of Arquati
MPS Venture has taken a 15% stake via a capital increase in Arquati SpA, a group specialised in the design and manufacture of picture frame moulding and products for the window covering industry.