News
UK - Electra Private Equity to sell Capital Safety
Electra Private Equity is reported to be putting Capital Safety, the height safety equipment business, up for sale. It is thought the asset will fetch between £200-250m at auction with Permira and Advent International expected to bid.
UK - Barclays Private Equity sells Phase Eight to Kaupthing consortium
Phase Eight, the women’s wear retailer, has been sold by Barclays Private Equity, in a deal that values the company at £51.5m. Phase Eight has been acquired by an investor consortium comprising management, Kaupthing Principal Investments, the Tchenguiz...
UK - New ECF E-Synergy makes first investment
E-Synergy has made its first investment from its recently launched £30m Sustainable Technology Fund by providing Earthcare Products Ltd with £325,000. Earthcare is developing and commercialising new natural refrigerants that can enhance energy efficiency...
FRANCE - Ciclad injects EUR 6m in real-estate manager
Ciclad has invested EUR 6m in two tranches in Maisons de Biarritz, a multi-activity real-estate management business.
SPAIN - Nazca buys Acens Technologies alongside management
Nazca Capital has wholly acquired IT outsourcing business Acens Technologies alongside its management. Although the consideration has not been disclosed, the deal is understood to be worth around EUR 40m.
UK - Synergis invests £1.6m in cell encryption technology
Synergis Technologies has committed £1.6m in Cellcrypt, a company focused on secure voice encryption software for mobile phones and other mobile devices. Established in 2005, Cellcrypt is based in London with offices in California.
UK - NewMedia SPARK backs MarketClusters with $3m funding round
NewMedia SPARK has led a $3m series-A funding round for MarketClusters Ltd, developer of the 'StrategyWire' intelligence platform which enables corporates to accurately filter expert opinions created in blogs and news feeds.
UK - Rutland acquires ATM operator in £45.3m deal
Rutland Partners' portfolio company Notemachine Ltd has acquired TRM (ATM) Ltd, the UK operations of TRM Inc. for £45.3m. Notemachine, formerly Scott Tod was delisted from AIM by Rutland in September 2006 and TRM is a complementary business involved...
US - 3i growth capital business enters US
3i has recruited nine private equity professionals to form its new US growth capital team and has opened an office in New York to spearhead its growth activities in the US. An additional five investors will join over the course of 2007. The founding partners...
UK - Founder of Ingenious Media joins NESTA board
Patrick McKenna, founder and chairman of Ingenious Media and a leading figure in the creative industries, will join the 11-strong NESTA board of trustees. The board, led by chairman Chris Powell, exists to help NESTA shape and develop its strategy and...
FRANCE - Sasa's take-private blocked by speculative fund
Investment managaer Jousse Morillon Investissement has taken just over 5% of Sasa Industrie, blocking Weinberg Capital Partners' attempt to reach the 95% needed to delist the bakery equipment manufacturer.
FRANCE - MBO Partenaires acquires 35% of Degetel
MBO Partenaires has backed the management buyout of IT services company Degetel. The private equity firm took a 35% stake, with the balance being retained by management. Banque Palatine led the pool of banks which underwrote the debt package.
FRANCE - AXA Private Equity backs European expansion of rich contents producer
AXA Private Equity has announced it has invested in Brainsonic, a Paris-based rich media contents producer.
SPAIN - Permira refinances DinoSol's debt package
Following its investment of DinoSol (formerly Ahold's) in 2004, Permira has refinanced the supermarket chain's debt, which currently sits at just under EUR 500m.
CEE - Private equity eyes up Bulgarian telco… again
Private equity firms are reported to be interested in the Bulgarian Telecommunications Company after Novator, the investment vehicle owned by Icelandic billionaire Thor Bjorgolfsson, brought in Lehman Brothers to advise it. Novator acquired a 65% stake...
ITALY - BC Partners joins the competition for Alitalia
Press reports suggest that pan-European firm BC Partners is also interested in troubled airline Alitalia.
ITALY - Ferretti deal obtains antitrust approval
The purchase of luxury yacht manufacturer Ferretti, by Candover from Permira received clearance from the Italian antitrust authorities yesterday.
UK – The Capital Funds injects £250k into LFH
London growth investor The Capital Fund has invested £250,000 in LFH Brand Identity, a print and design management agency. The funding will be used to procure new business, as well as to consolidate existing client relationships. The Capital Fund is...
FRANCE - XAnge and Aurinvest pair up to back business search engine developer
XAnge and Aurinvest have injected EUR 4m in software developer Sinequa. XAnge invested three quarters of this series-A funding through XAnge and Capital and two of its FCPI funds.
UK - Blackstone, Bain, KKR and Carlyle boost BVCA
US-based Blackstone, Bain Capital, Carlyle and KKR have all joined the BVCA reflecting the body's important role in promoting the image of private equity.
UK - Ingenious VCTs back Peter Gabriel
Ingenious Media's two music VCTs have made a further joint investment, totalling £2m, to support the North American release of the next solo album of international artist, Peter Gabriel. The investment will be made through the formation of a joint venture...
EUROPE - European Buyout Review shows 2006 record year for private equity
2006 was a record year for European buyouts with the total value of deals topping over EUR 160bn for the first time ever, according to the latest European Buyout Review due to be published in March 2007 by Incisive Media in association with Bridgepoint....
NL - Apax to sell stake in PCM
Apax Partners has reportedly sold its 47.5% stake in Dutch publishing firm PCM Uitgevers to Stichting Democratie en Media (SDM), currently owner of 41.9% of the shares.
UK - Braveheart invests £1m in NiTech Solutions
Braveheart Investment Group has invested approximately £1m in NiTech Solutions Ltd, a spinout company from Heriot Watt University, which has developed a patented mixing technology for process industries. The investment includes monies from the Scottish...