News
UK - Close Brothers announces senior management changes
Corporate finance house Close Brothers has today announced a reshuffle of its senior management team. The changes are part of the companyтs strategy to position itself for its next stage of evolution. Martin Gudgeon, currently Head of European Special...
UK - Hotxt closes $6.5m financing round
Hotxt, the text proposition that is revolutionising the text market, today announced the closing of a $6.5m financing round by entities affiliated with the Tudor Group1.
NL-Cinven and Warburg Pincus agree to acquire Casema
Cinven and Warburg Pincus have announced that they have signed an agreement to acquire cable operator Casema from The Carlyle Group, Providence Equity Partners and GMT Communications Partners.
UK - Clearbrook makes first exit
Clearbrook Capital Partners announces that it has agreed to sell Eclipse Scientific Group, the leading independent laboratory company, for ТЃ50m to Inspicio Plc, the testing and inspection group. The sale is the first disposal by Clearbrook, the private...
UK - Aberdeen Asset Managers private equity team moves Manchester office
The Manchester-based private equity and growth capital teams of Aberdeen Asset Managers have moved to new premises in the centre of Manchester. After more than 15 years in their current location, the teams have moved to larger, newly refurbished offices...
UK - Terra Firma's waste unit set to be acquired by Spain's FCC
Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas, S.A (FCC), a Spanish construction and service group, is set to acquire the waste disposal arm of Waste Recycling Group Holdings (WRG) from Terra Firma. The deal values the waste disposal side of the business at ТЃ1.4bn....
SPAIN - Inova exits La Estrella Digital
According to reports in the Spanish press, private equity firm Inova has sold its 30% stake in the e-newspaper La Estrella Digital to communications entrepreneur Mariano Álvarez Gutiérrez for an undisclosed sum.
NL-Cinven and Warburg Pincus to acquire Casema
Cinven and Warburg Pincus have reportedly reached an agreement with Carlyle, Providence Partners and GMT Communications to acquire Casema for around EUR 1.2bn. Carlyle and Providence each hold a 46% stake in Casema, with GMT Communications making up the...
UK - Microsoft executive Judy Gibbons joins Accel London
Accel Partners has announced the appointment of Judy Gibbons as venture partner in its London office, which focuses on early stage Internet, software and communications investments in Europe and Israel.
UK - Misys 'management walk in' to prevent company being sold off too cheaply
Control of software firm Misys is reported by the Times to have been assumed by three former directors who want to prevent the firm being sold off too cheaply to private equity or trade buyers. Under plans by the directors, the ТЃ1bn firm will be broken...
GERMANY - Candover's Qioptiq tenders strategic add-on
Candover portfolio company Qioptiq has launched a strategic public tender for Frankfurt-listed Linos AG. The acquisition is being made via a Qioptiq acquisition vehicle called Optco Akquisitions GmbH and is funded from the company's balance sheet.
UK - Caudwell's mobile phone empire snapped up by private equity
The mobile phone empire of John Caudwell is to be acquired by three private equity groups according to a report in the Sunday Times.
UK - Taylor Nelson Sofres receiving private equity interest
The international market research firm Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) is said to have attracted private equity interest. The company has encountered the dissatisfaction of its institutional investors after it revealed revenues in the US had fallen and were...
UK - Blackstone and KKR target Argos and Homebase
GUS, the parent company of Argos and Homebase retailers (ARG)and Experian, the business information provider, which is intent on a demerger of the two divisions in October, is reported to have received private equity offers for both arms of the company....
UK - McCarthy & Stone to recommend Permira's offer
The nearly ТЃ1bn joint offer from Permira and Barclays Capital for McCarthy & Stone is today expected to be recommended by the board of the company, according to the Times.
UK - Quester to open US office
Quester has announced the appointment of Rudy Burger as director of US business development. Burger will open an office for Quester at 2420 Sand Hill Road San Francisco. He will work with Quester portfolio companies to develop and implement their strategies...
FRANCE - Deadline for PagesJaunes bids
Bidders for France Telecom's 54% stake in directory service PagesJaunes are expected to place binding offers today.
SPAIN - Gamesa launches fund for the development of eolic energy
Renewable energy player Gamesa is set to launch a fund to attract investments for the development and promotion of eolic energy. The new vehicle, named Gamesa Inversiones Energeticas Renovables, has registered at the Comision Nacional del Mercado de Valores...
AUSTRIA - Blackstone to target Telekom Austria
According to press reports the Blackstone Group is in discussions with the Austrian government over a possible participation in Telekom Austria. Reports from investment bankers at UBS Bank also confirm that financial investors are likely to consider the...
GERMANY - Hogan & Hartson expands private equity practice
Hogan & Hartson LLP has appointed Dr Uwe Steininger as a partner within its Munich practice. Steininger, who formerly worked for SJ Berwin as an international private equity and funds lawyer, will help lead the German and pan-European expansion of Hogan...
UK - European Capital recruits two new directors to buyout team
European Capital today announces the addition of Alex Morey, director, and Julian Masters, investment director, to its UK buyout team in its London office. In addition, Athesan Guna and Ivan Stoyanov join the team as associates. With these recent appointments,...
FRANCE/GERMANY - Aforge Finance in cross-border partnership
Giuliani Capital Advisors (US), Aforge Finance (France) and Sal Oppenheim (Germany) have agreed to form an alliance focused on cross-border acquisitions.
FRANCE - Alven generates a 40% IRR on trade sale of financial software developer
Alven Capital has sold its entire stake in middle and back-office software developer Emos Futures to its main competitor, GL Trade, a deal which generated an IRR of 40%.
FRANCE - Société Générale to finance acquisitions from new Hong Kong office
Société Générale Coporate & Investment Banking has announced the expansion of its activity to Asia, with the opening in September of an office in Hong Kong.