News
EUROPE – US interest in European offers co-invest opportunities but increases valuations
‘The sign of a bubble is when the IPO market goes from push to pull,’ said Gerard Lopez this morning at the Benelux unquote" Private Equity Congress in Luxembourg. The Skype backer explained that valuation levels are increasing and cited the example...
EUROPE – Pipeline of EUR 10bn funds
There is a pipeline of mega funds coming to market in the coming months, according to Stef Oostvogels at law firm Oostvogels Pfister Roemers, speaking at the Benelux unquote" Private Equity Congress in Luxembourg this morning. He indicated that many are...
FRANCE - EdRIP backs BestofMedia with hybrid deal
Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners (EdRIP) invested EUR 2m in equity in an a-typical acquisition financing deal, allowing online IT publisher BestofMedia to Tom’s Hardware Guide.
UK - Aberdeen Asset Managers Growth Capital expands team
Aberdeen Asset Managers Growth Capital has made three appointments: Andrew Symmonds joins as a portfolio manager within the portfolio management team; Atul Devani joins as a consultant to the South East Growth Capital team and Kimberly Martin joins as...
UK - Macquarie strengthens grip on UK communications sector with £1.9bn Airwave purchase
Macquarie is to acquire Airwave, the telecom network used by UK emergency services, from O2 in a £1.9bn deal. O2 is a subsidiary of Spanish telecom group Telefonica. The purchase by Macquarie was made through its Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund...
UK - General Atlantic to float Xchanging valuing it at £500m
General Atlantic is to float portfolio company Xchanging, an outsourcing and processing portfolio company. The IPO is expected to value the group at approximately £500m with an indicative share price range of 210-240p per share. It is understood that...
UK - Octopus backs novelty confectionary business with £5m of expansion capital
Octopus Investments has backed Sweet Cred Ltd, a branded children’s novelty confectionery business, with £5m expansion capital financing. Octopus was introduced to the deal by Acanthus, a London-based corporate finance firm. Based in Sidcup, Kent,...
AUSTRIA - capiton exits Trenkwalder Personaldienste
caption AG has sold its stake in temporary staffing company Trenkwalder Personaldienste AG to the Trenkwalder Private Foundation. The transaction value has not been disclosed. caption had acquired a minority stake in Trenkwalder at the beginning of 2003.
UK - Brightstation Ventures backs internet fashion network with £1m
Brightstation Ventures has provided Osoyou.com, an internet-based fashion social network start-up with £1m of funding. The website is due to launch this summer and will compete with the likes of Conde Nast's stylefinder.com.
GERMANY - Advent International recaps Vinnolit
Advent International has completed a EUR 495m refinancing of German chemicals company Vinnolit. Dresdner Kleinwort has been mandated as sole bookrunner to arrange the senior debt facilities. The refinancing has been driven by the Vinnolit’s continuous...
GERMANY - GANYMED receives EUR 33.7m financing
GANYMED Pharmaceuticals AG has closed an EUR 33.7m series C financing round led by Venture Incubator Partners. Other investors committing to this round are Future Capital, Ingro Finanz, LVVW, MIG, Nextech, ONC Partners, Varuma and a consortium of Swiss...
GERMANY - DZ Equity Partner sells Morgen & Morgen
DZ Equity Partner has exited its stake in Morgen & Morgen-Gruppe to the management. The transaction value has not been disclosed and CEO Joachim Geiberger will wholly acquire the company.
UK - Aberdeen zooms in on CCTV investment
Aberdeen Asset Managers Growth Capital has backed the BIMBO of Camwatch Ltd, a CCTV monitoring company. Aberdeen and the management team provided equity funding as part of a £6.8m investment package involving debt supplied by Barclays and Royal Bank...
UK - TVM Capital leads EUR 15.26m round for Azea Networks
TVM Capital has led the EUR 15.26m series-D funding round for Azea Networks, a submarine optical network solution specialist. Previous investors Accel Partners and Atlas Venture also participated in the round.
SPAIN - Pan-European houses to race for Codere
The deadline for offers for the 49.9% stake of Codere is tomorrow. Reportedly, pretty much every pan-European house based in Spain has demonstrated interest in the gambling business. Permira, Apax, Texas Pacific Group, Carlyle and BC Partners are all...
UK - Lion Capital appoints Mary Minnick as partner
Lion Capital has announced that Mary Minnick will be joining the firm as a partner in May. Minnick comes from The Coca-Cola Company where she has been for 23 years, having had world-wide responsibilities in general management, strategy, innovation, marketing,...
ITALY - Atlantis and Orlando compete for Livingston
Turnaround groups Atlantis Capital and Orlando Italy have made an offer for airline Livingston-Lauda Air, owned by tourism player Viaggi del Ventaglio.
NL - Permira-owned Nutrilux acquires Provimi from CVC and PAI Partners
Following the announcement in January that Permira was to acquire animal feed producer Provimi from CVC Capital Partners and PAI Partners, clearance has now been received.
NL - CVC and AlpInvest exit entire shareholding in Wavin
Wavin, a provider of plastic pipe systems and solutions, has announced that CVC and AlpInvest have sold their entire shareholding in the company in a block trade to ABN AMRO Rothschild and Fortis Bank. The transaction represents approximately 45.65%...
NL - Doughty Hanson to acquire Norit from Gilde Buy Out Partners
Doughty Hanson has announced that it is likely to reach a final agreement with Gilde Buy Out Partners regarding the sale of Norit. Gilde currently owns a 70% stake in the firm and is understood to have acquired the firm in 2003 for around EUR 150m. No...
NL - Cordys completes EUR 60m equity financing round
Cordys Holding BV, a provider of industry-leading business process management suite (BPMS) enterprise software, has announced the successful completion of a $ 80m (cEUR 60m) financing round. Argonaut Private Equity led the round with an investment of...
UK - Apax-backed Travelex disposes of ATMs in £12.9m deal
Travelex, the non-bank provider of commercial foreign exchange owned by Apax Partners with Standard Chartered Bank is to dispose of its 1,070 surcharging ATMs. The ATMs will be acquired by AIM-listed Cardpoint Plc for a cash consideration of £12.9m.
UK - Endless and NorthStar Equity back pharmaceutical services firm
Endless and North Star Equity Investors have provided pharmaceutical and biotechnology services firm Excelsyn with a seven-figure investment to underpin the company's strategy of becoming a leading provider within the pharmaceutical supply chain.
FRANCE - Diana Ingrédients to be sold by Cognetas
European private equity firm Cognetas (formerly known as Electra Partners) has mandated both Hawkpoint and BNP Paribas to run the sale of Diana Ingrédients, according to French press reports.