News
HUNGARY - Mid Europa and GMT to cash in on Invitel
Central and Eastern European investors Mid Europa Partners and GMT Communications Partners are to raise €118m through the partial sale of Hungarian telco Invitel back to management. The investors will each sell 14.2% of the company, leaving Mid Europa...
UK - Abingworth appoints John Heard as general counsel
Abingworth, the life sciences investment group, has announced the appointment of John Heard as general counsel. Heard will be based at the companyтs headquarters in London. He joins Abingworth from Intel Capital, the venture capital investment arm of...
UK - 3i invests in Giraffe restaurant chain
3i has invested ТЃ10m for a minority stake in the fast growing, family friendly restaurant chain Giraffe, valuing the business at ТЃ24m.
UK - Morgan Crucible talks falter, again
In the summer industrial ceramics and defence material maker Morgan Crucible was reported to have received a take-over approach from German trade buyer SGL Carbone. This news was followed by reports that Credit Suisse's private equity arm DLJ Merchant...
GERMANY - 3i reinforces infrastructure team
3i has strengthened its German infrastructure team with the appointment of Uwe Danziger. A chartered accountant and qualified banking clerk, Danziger will lead 3i's German infrastructure activities.
FINLAND/SWEDEN - Biolin acquires KSV Instruments and Integration Diagnostics
Biolin has purchased life sciences companies KSV Instruments in Finland and Integration Diagnostics (IDL) in Sweden. The value of the KSV Instruments deal is EUR 1.5m and an additional payment based on the company's results going forward. Biolin already...
NORWAY - Altor buys Helly Hansen
Altor Fund II is to acquire Norwegian Helly Hansen, a supplier of technical apparel and footwear, from Investcorp for an undisclosed sum.
SWITZERLAND - Santhera to list on Swiss Stock Exchange
Swiss speciality pharmaceuticals firm Santhera has announced that it will list up to 983,859 shares on the Swiss Stock Exchange. Assuming that the IPO is successful this will raise approximately SFr 83.6m-SFr 98.4m, excluding an over-allotment option....
FRANCE - KKR invests in French flooring products business
KKR has announced it has taken a 50% stake in SIF, the holding company which owns a majority of Tarkett, a flooring products business present in over 100 countries.
UK - YFM invests £1.2m in Blackburn-based manufacturer
YFM Private Equity has invested in specialist manufacturer and supplier of educational and height adjustable furniture, Vari-Tech Ltd. The ТЃ1.2m total funding round also included contributions from the Northwest Regional Development Agency.
UK - Hedge fund Boussard & Gavaudan takes stake in Gondola
Boussard & Gavaudan, a hedge fund with a track record of activism, is believed to have built up a 20% stake in Gondola Holdings, the restaurant operator which is the subject of a ТЃ560m take-private bid from Cinven.
UK - Bank of Scotland appoints Mark Hammond as head of Integrated Finance
Bank of Scotland Corporate has appointed Mark Hammond as head of Integrated Finance. He is responsible for over 70 experienced buyout transactors based in 7 offices throughout the UK and a portfolio of over 50 investments. Hammond takes over from Donald...
DENMARK - Nordic Capital's Nycomed commences bank syndication process
Nycomed has commenced the syndication of its new EUR 5.7bn senior credit facilities, the proceeds of which will be used to finance the acquisition of ALTANA Pharma and to refinance existing debt. Nycomed currently intends to launch tender offers later...
FRANCE - IDI poaches buyout giants
Two directors from the large-cap private equity firm Charterhouse Capital Partners are now to head the LBO team of small-cap independent listed investor IDI.
UK - London Seed Capital leads £500,000 investment in Chameleon BioSurfaces
Chameleon BioSurfaces, the polymer coatings company has secured ТЃ500,000 of seed funding in an investment round led by London Seed Capital in conjunction with the London Business Angel Network and the London Business Angel EIS Tracker Fund III. Other...
UK - Bridgepoint to exit Tilney?
Market sources suggest that Deutsche Bank is in talks with asset management company Tilney. Tilney was acquired by Bridgepoint in 2005 in a deal thought to be worth approximately ТЃ100m.
FRANCE - LBO rumours benefit Atos Origin
According to UK press reports, Blackstone is in talks to take-private IT services provider Atos Origin, currently listed on Euronext Paris' Compartment A.
GERMANY – 3i floats Nanogate
Europe's largest listed private equity firm, 3i, has successfully floated Nanogate AG on the Entry Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. 3i first invested in Nanogate in 1998, when it backed the spin-off from the University of Saarbrücken.
SPAIN - Qualitas backs acquisition of Garnica Plywood
Private equity house Qualitas Equity Partners has acquired the entire shareholding in plywood distributor Garnica Plywood alongside its management team in a deal of undisclosed value. The growth route for the La Rioja-based company encompasses the acquisition...
UK - Baird Capital Partners Europe celebrates 35 years
Baird Capital Partners Europe, the international mid-market private equity firm, is celebrating three and a half decades in the business. The firm marks the 35th anniversary of its first investment: Twinlock Ltd in 1971. Twinlock, a manufacturer of filing...
GERMANY – $10m second round for spodradio
Baytech Venture Capital and Benchmark Capital Europe have invested $10m in a Series-B funding of spodradio. Munich-based Baytech had previously invested $2.4m in a Series-A funding in 2005.
SPAIN - Avanza attracts private equity interest
Several private equity firms and industrial players are interested in acquiring transport group Avanza. It is rumoured that Dougthy Hanson, Advent International and Apax Partners are among the possible private equity bidders. One of the prospective purchasers...
UK - Hotbed backs consumer website Pigsback.com with £2.5m investment
Pigsback.com, the consumer website that is fast becoming a favourite for online marketing and advertising amongst leading brands, has received a ТЃ2.5m investment from Hotbed, the private investor network. 48 members of Hotbed invested in Pigsback.com,...
UK - ABN AMRO Capital exits Page Group Ltd
Page Group Ltd, the company which designs and manufactures aerospace lighting and cockpit controls, has been acquired by Hamilton Sundstrand, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation. The deal, the details of which are not disclosed, represents...