News
UK - 3i offloads portfolio of 10 mid-market buyout investments
Saints Capital, in partnership with Lexington Partners and Fortress Investment Group, announced that it has acquired a portfolio of 10 mid-market buyout investments from 3i. The transaction involved privately held industrial companies all based in the...
UK - Permira Funds acquire Principal Hotels
Permira has announced the acquisition of Principal Hotels from Royal Bank of Scotland by Permira Funds.
NL- Waterland sells Harting-Bank to NPM Capital
Waterland Private Equity Investments has sold its stake in Harting-Bank, a leading Dutch supplier of mobility aids and care provider, to NPM Capital. No financial details have been disclosed.
NORDICS - CapMan receives Nordic achievement award
Nordic private equity and venture capital associations awarded The Nordic Private Equity Achievement Award 2006 to CapMan at SVCA's Nordic Private Equity Congress in Stockholm yesterday.
FRANCE - 3i backs the LBO of Selective Beauty
3i has announced it has invested EUR 50m of equity to acquire a 45% stake in perfumes and cosmetics distributor Selective Beauty.
NORWAY - FSV teams up wih SINTEF
SINTEF and Four Seasons Venture (FSV) have signed a cooperation agreement, providing SINTEF with increased access to capital and competence to commercialise technology deriving from its research environment.
GERMANY - JC Flowers-led consortium to acquire HSH Nordbank stake
According to press reports JC Flowers & Co is leading a consortium of investors in the acquisition WestLB's stake in HSH Nordbank. The transaction is valued at EUR 1.25bn.
GERMANY - Nokia acquires gate5 from Innoven and Target
Innoven Partenaires and Target Partners have exited their stakes in gate5 AG, a supplier of mapping, routing and navigation software services.
UK - Cinven to delist Pizza Express parent?
Market sources report that Gondola, the owner of Pizza Express and ASK restaurants that was floated in 2005, has received an approach from Cinven. The ТЃ559m offer attaches a 415p price to Gondola shares.
FRANCE - Capzanine restructures Utram
Capzanine has announced its participation in the restructuring of audiovisual equipment rental business Utram. The deal means a partial exit for previous investor Naxicap and the arrival of management as a minority holder.
GERMANY - 3i sells SR Technics to Emirates consortium for EUR 1bn
In spite of long-standing rumours that 3i was planning to list SR Technics this Autumn, the investor has gone the route of a direct sale. The consortium acquiring the company is made up of investors Mubadala Development (Abu Dhabi), Dubai Aerospace Enterprise...
UK - Close Growth Capital exits Goodridge UK
Close Growth Capital (CGC), the provider of combined equity and debt funding, announced today that it had sold its stake in Goodridge UK to the incumbent management team. CGC first invested in Goodridge in 2001 providing a sub ТЃ10m funding package. Goodridge...
UK - TA Associates acquires SmartStream from 3i
SmartStream Technologies, the software provider which through its Transaction Lifecycle Management solutions provides services to 70 of the world's top 100 banks, has been acquired by TA Associates. The deal represents an exit for previous majority shareholder...
FRANCE - Butler Capital to buy Sernam
Sernam, a former subsidiary of the French railways company SNCF, has announced it has entered exlcusive talks with Butler Capital Partners, concerning the buyout house's acquisition of a majority stake.
SPAIN - Private equity misses out on Pullmantur deal
The long-awaited sale of Pullmantur, a Madrid-based cruise and tour operator, has finally reached an end with Royal Caribbean Cruises reaching an agreement to buy all of the capital stock of the company for a reported sum of EUR 430m, plus about EUR 270m...
GERMANY - AKsys up for refinancing
German automotive supplier AKsys, which is owned by Deutsche Beteiligungs AG, AXA Private Equity, PPM Capital and Süd Private Equity, is set to be refinanced. Mandated lead arranger for the process is Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein.
FRANCE - IPO backs clothes horse business
IPO has taken a minority stake in Herby, a manufacturer of clothes horses.
UK - McCarthy & Stone acquired by HBOS consortium
The builder of private retirement homes and flats, McCarthy & Stone has been acquired by an HBOS consortium named Mother Bidco following the withdrawal of Permira and Barclays Capital's recommended offer. The withdrawal was sparked by Vincent Tchenguiz,...
UK - Primary Capital acquires Haines Watts Business Recovery & Insolvency
Primary Capital is pleased to announce the ТЃ27m management buyout of Credere Limited, the vehicle formed to acquire the Haines Watts Business Recovery & Insolvency (HWBRI) practice.
UK - Imperial Innovations appoints new chief investment officer
Imperial Innovations Group Plc, one of the leading technology transfer and commercialisation companies in the UK, has announced the appointment of Russell Cummings to the board of directors as chief investment officer. He joins from Scottish Equity Partners...
GERMANY - CVC to run dual track for Ista
According to press reports CVC has appointed Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank to prepare the sale or IPO of Ista, formerly Viterra Energy Services.
UK - Graphite Capital acquires NES Group from Bridgepoint for £86m
Graphite Capital, the leading UK mid-market private equity specialist, is backing the ТЃ86m management buyout of the NES Group from its founders and previous backer, Bridgepoint. The exit generated a money multiple of 2x for Bridgepoint.
UK - Blackstone and Premier only remaining bidders for United Biscuits
The final round of the auction for United Biscuits gets underway this week with Blackstone and Premier Foods the only remaining contenders. While Blackstone's bid is fully funded, there is doubt as to whether the Premier consortium can raise the capital...
FRANCE - Norton Rose bolsters its Paris office with three hires
Norton Rose has announced the addition of three associates to its Paris office.