News
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.
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...
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 £800m 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 £1,576m and realised £2,438m...
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 £100m deal. Bank of Scotland provided a £3 0 m equity bridge to ensure the swift completion of the deal. An Entrepreneur Fund will be established by the management...
UK - Sovereign in £11m buyout of living care company
Sovereign Capital has backed the £11m institutional buyout of Parallel Options Ltd, a provider of supported living care services to adults with learning disability or mental health needs in Gloucestershire.
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 £350m deal would be subject to approval from the Ministry of Defence and competition authorities,...
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 £2.3m investment in fitted kitchen specialist Harvey Jones, follows its first close on £23m in January. The fund is targeting a final close of £40m,...
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...
UK - 3i portfolio company announces agreement with defence company Thales
3i portfolio company Light Blue Optics (LBO), a developer of miniature projection systems, has announced a joint agreement to develop a range of display products with aerospace & defence company Thales. Under the agreement, LBO will provide Thales with...
GERMANY - Greater Pacific Capital front runner in bid for Merck division
UK-based private equity firm Greater Pacific Capital is the front runner to acquire the generic drugs division of Merck. GPC is bidding in association with Indian company Torrent Pharmaceuticals and backing from Fortress Group and Tudor Investment. The...
UK - BC Partners wins £400m auction for Foxtons
It is understood that BC Partners has reached exclusivity in its bid to acquire estate agency chain Foxtons. The deal values the primarily London-focussed agency at £400m. In a process run by Credit Suisse, BC Partners beat off competition from other...
SPAIN/FRANCE - Altadis opens its books to trigger bidding war
In an effort to ramp up competition for its acquisition, Franco-Spanish tobacco company Altadis yesterday opened its books to the scrutiny of bidders Imperial Tobacco and a CVC Capital Partners/PAI partners syndicate.
ITALY - MPS Venture divests from broadcasting business Finelco
MPS Venture has sold the combined stake of 12.86% it held in broadcasting business Finelco to industry player RCS Mediagroup Spa. The total exit value is EUR 20.7m.
FRANCE - HgCapital buys French wind farms for EUR 69m
Via its fund Hg Renewable Power Partners, HgCapital has acquired four wind farms in the Picardie region, for a total consideration of EUR 69m.
SPAIN - Torreal buys minority stake in audiovisual group
Private equity firm Torreal has bought a 20% stake in audiovisual group Imagina. No further financial information has been disclosed.
DENMARK - Via Ventures invests in QAtor
Via Venture Partners has invested in QAtor - a software firm specialising in compliance and quality assurance software for the Life Science Industry. The investment will be used to further accelerate market penetration and product development.
SWEDEN - EQT and Investor AB sells Gambro Health Care to Bridgepoint
Investor AB and EQT has agreed to sell Gambro Health Care to Bridgepoint for an undisclosed sum from Gambro Holding AB. Prior to the sale EQT has held a 51% stake in the company, and Investor AB held the remaining. The sale of Gambro Healthcare is part...