News
AUSTRIA - Doughty Hanson sells IZD Tower to Matrix
Doughty Hanson & Co Real Estate has sold the IZD Tower in Vienna to Matrix Property Fund Management for EUR 247m. The building is a 30-storey landmark, comprising 63,400 square metres of office space with 1,250 underground parking spaces, adjacent to...
ITALY - Blackstone to buy Gardaland from Investindustrial
According to sources, Investindustrial is to sell leisure complex Gardaland to the Blackstone Group for a sum reported to be over EUR 500m. Gardaland is Italy's largest amusement park with approximately 3 million visitors per year and over 250 shareholders....
FRANCE - AFIC publishes promising new figures
The French Venture Capital Association, AFIC, has today published figures for the country's private equity activity in the first semester of 2006.
NL - VNU completes sale of its stake in Solucient to Thomson
VNU, the information and media company which is owned by private equity consortium Valcon Acquisition BV, has announced that it has completed the sale of its 34.3% stake in Solucient, an information products company serving the healthcare industry, to...
GERMANY - Wellington Partners to collaborate with KfW group
Wellington Partners has entered into a collaboration agreement with the KfW Banking Group to finance young companies within the framework of the ERP Start-Up Fund. As a Wellington Partners co-investor, KfW will provide up to EUR 3m per company. Wellington...
UK - Plant Impact listed on AIM
Plant Impact Plc, a company backed by the RisingStars Growth Fund which is managed by Enterprise Ventures, has been admitted to AIM. The placing at the start of the first day of trading was 38p per share, giving a market capitalisation of approximately...
NL - ING to sell speciality insurance unit to Hal and Egeria
ING Group has announced that it intends to sell its speciality insurance unit Nationale Borg to HAL Investments and Egeria as part of its strategy to focus on its core insurance, banking and asset management businesses. The intended sale is subject to...
UK - Streetcar looks for private equity backing
Streetcar, the company which allows members to use its cars across London and then bills them for the use, is hoping to raise up to ТЃ7m of funding.
UK - Hotbed appoints former Knight Frank partner as new head of property
Hotbed, the private investor network which supplies commercial property and private equity investment opportunities to high net worth individuals, has appointed Andy Taylor as its new head of property.
GERMANY - Investor consortium to take over renergys
A consortium of investors made up of Ramius Group, GermanCapital Morgan Stanley and Milan-based Sopaf, is to acquire renergys GmbH from venture fund GermanIncubator and a group of private investors. As part of the transaction the investors will provide...
GERMANY - GermanCapital takes stake in Alno AG
German Capital, alongside the Hellwig family, has made an offer of EUR 7.20 per share for a 45% stake in listed kitchen outfitter Alno AG. The investment will be made via Küchen Holding GmbH, a vehicle set up by German Capital. The offered share price...
UK - Icera closes $20m investment from 3i
Icera Inc, the cellular wireless semiconductor company, today announced that 3i has invested $20m in the company as an extension to its recent series-C funding round, which now totals $60m. 3i joins an investor group comprising Benchmark Capital Europe,...
UK - CBPE sells Minova for £357m
Close Brothers Private Equity has sold speciality chemicals manufacturer Minova for ТЃ357m to Orica Ltd, an Australian quoted company. Minova's products are used in the coal mining, metal mining and tunnelling industries.
UK - 3i establishes venture capital board
3i has set up a new board of technology executives and entrepeneurs. The purpose of the board is to mirror the the venture capital boards that have been instrumental in helping US venture capitalists find promising investments.
NORWAY - CapMan to make voluntary offer for Polimoon
CapMan funds intend to put forward a voluntary offer to purchase all shares outstanding in Oslo Stock Exchange-listed Polimoon ASA for a total equity valuation of NOK 1.082bn. The offer price is NOK 27.50 per share.
UK - Macquarie bids £8bn to win Thames Water auction
RWE, the German energy group, has sold Thames Water to a consortium led by Macquarie's European infrastructure fund. The ТЃ8bn deal involves ТЃ3.2bn of debt. It is expected to close before the end of the year.
DENMARK - Nordic Venture Partners invests in mobile data back-up company
Nordic Venture Partners has invested several million euros in ZYB, a free mobile back-up and sharing service operating on a global level. ZYB was founded in 2005 and it is doubling its number of employees before entering into next year.
UK - Permira pair form new mid-market group
Market sources report that two principals from Permira are leaving the large buyout house to focus on the lower end of the mid-market.
NL - Rabo Private Equity announces new investment approach
Rabo Private Equity, since 2002 the captive arm of the Rabobank Group, has announced a new investment approach. From now on, it will operate with three labels: Rabo Capital, Rabo Participaties and Rabo Innovatiekapitaalfonds.
ITALY - Apollo Management buys Jacuzzi for $ 1.25bn
According to press reports, US firm Apollo Management has agreed to buy Jacuzzi, the manufacturer of baths, showers and hot tubs in a take-private valued at $1.25bn, including $257m in debt.
SPAIN - Atitlan Capital completes its first investment
Private equity firm Atitlan Capital has recently completed its first investment in Dafsa, a company producing juices, soups, broths and creams. The expansion deal is valued at EUR 6m. Atitlan is based in Valencia and it is dedicated to the management...
UK - Inflexion backs £24m buyout of Parasol Ltd
Inflexion Prviate Equity has led the ТЃ24m management buyout of Warrington-based Parasol Ltd, an employment services company. Inflexion-managed funds have invested ТЃ9.4m for a majority equity position. HSBC provided a ТЃ12m debt package.
SPAIN - 3i and Lar to exit Ballesol
Insurance group Santa Lucía is reported to be in advanced negotiations to join the shareholding structure of Ballesol, one of the Spanish market leaders for elderly homes. Ballesol's shareholders, real estate group Lar and 3i, have expressed their intention...
SPAIN - Calvo opens its doors to private equity
The brothers Calvo Pumpido have reportedly given Nmás 1 mandate to find suitable shareholders for their company Calvo. The Galician family owns 77.8% of the business, which is dedicated to fishing, production and sale of canned fish. The remaining stake...