News
UK - Boyden strengthens team
Boyden Interim Management Ltd has strengthened its UK team with the creation of a key senior position. John Bloor has been appointed director of restructuring and turnaround, reflecting the gathering momentum of demand for Boyden's input to business recovery.
UK - Phoenix Equity Partners promotes Chris Hanna to partner
Phoenix Equity Partners has promoted Chris Hanna to the position of partner.
DENMARK - Venture funds sell Ascio for over DKK 200m
IVS, Nordic Venture Partners and Vækstfonden have sold internet domain name company Ascio Technologies A/S to listed NBT in the UK. The value of the deal is over DKK 200m, with the sellers receiving cash, shares in NBT and options.
GERMANY - Partech invests in video-games search engine
Partech International has led a EUR 6m second round of funding in international video-games search engine Wazag.
UK - Aberdeen spinout Zeus reaches £50m first close
unquote” has learned that Zeus Private Equity, a new firm formed by members of the team at Aberdeen Murray Johnstone Private Equity (AMJPE), has reached a first close of £50m towards its £100m maiden fund. Investors include institutional outfits,...
UK - Corbett Keeling appoints Vincent Thompson
Corbett Keeling has appointed Vincent Thompson as an associate. Thompson qualified as an accountant with Peat Marwick Mitchell in 1978 and has since worked for the corporate finance division of Morgan Grenfell and Hambros Bank. In 2003, he joined the...
UK - Bridges backs Birmingham-based School Stickers with £1.42m of funding
Bridges Community Ventures has invested £1.42m in School Stickers, a Birmingham-based manufacturer of customised motivational stickers and postcards for schools. This is Bridges 2nd investment from its new fund, Bridges Community Development Venture...
UK - Welsh biopharmaceutical company receives £1m investment
The Welsh Assembly Government has invested £1m through its SMARTCymru programme to Protherics Plc, a biopharmaceutical company which has its main manufacturing operations in Ceredigion. The grant will be used to support the manufacture of Protherics’...
UK - 3i and Esprit exit CPS for $35m
Cambridge Positioning Systems Ltd (CPS), a 3i and Esprit Capital portfolio company, has been sold to CSR Plc for a total consideration of $35m. 3i and Esprit, through the Prelude Trust, first invested in CPS via a £1.75m funding round in 1998. Two further...
UK - Extra time called in 3i's Countrywide bid
A vote which would have decided the fate of 3i's mooted £966m take-private offer for Countrywide was postponed yesterday. Sources reported that an unofficial vote saw less than the required 75% of shareholders accepting the offer and consequently the...
UK - North West Equtiy Fund invests £250,000 in medical communications company
North West Equity Fund has invested £250,000 into Cheshire-based CSF Medical Communications Limited (CSF).
SWITZERLAND - 4-Antibody raises CHF 17m series-A financing round
4-Antibody AG has received a CHF 17m series-A financing round led by new investor Advent Venture Partners, together with existing lead investors Life Sciences Partners (LSP) and BioMedinvest AG. All other existing investors Grazia Equity, Mulligan Biocapital...
FRANCE - ACE Management and 123Venture invest EUR 3m in Tetco
ACE Management and 123Venture have invested EUR 3m in the third round of funding for VoIP software developer Tetco. ACE Management invested on behalf of Advance Capital Europe, UFF Innovation III and Financière de Brienne.
GERMANY - BayBG invests in biotech company
Venture capital investor BayBG Bayerische Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH has invested an undisclosed amount in CANDOR Bioscience GmbH, a supplier and service provider for GLP laboratories and pharmaceutical industry. The company will use the new capital...
UK - Carlyle in another defence deal
Carlyle is reported to have teamed up with BAE to acquire the Devonport naval yard in Plymouth from the Ministry of Defence. The yard, at which nuclear submarines are serviced, is likely to benefit from a £25bn proposal to replace the current submarine...
UK - Barclays Ventures acquires Christy Group in £21m deal
Barclays Ventures has backed the £21m management buyout of Christy Group Ltd, a designer, importer and distributor of children’s dress-up costumes based in Barnsley. Christy supplies major retailers worldwide such as Walmart/ASDA, Tesco, Marks and...
FRANCE - Innovacom backs online data stocking software developer
Software developer Agematis has received its first round of funding from French investor Innovacom. The private equity investor injected EUR 2.5m in the company.
SWEDEN - AOL launches $900m offer for VC-backed TradeDoubler
AOL has made a cash tender offer to acquire online marketing solutions company TradeDoubler AB for SEK 215 per share. Funds managed by TowerBrook Capital Partners, Arctic Ventures, Prosper Capital and Four Seasons Venture (now called Verdane Capital)...
FRANCE - Argan Capital to back buyout of luggage maker Delsey
Mid-cap private equity firm Argan Capital has announced it has signed an agreement to back the buyout of the world's second largest travel luggage maker Delsey.
UK - Oak Hill to acquire United Utilities' outsourcing business
A private equity consortium headed up by Oak Hill, the US group, is to acquire the United Utilities' business outsourcing division, Vertex. The £220m deal follows United Utilities decision to sell Vertex due to falling profits within the division.
NL - Nedschroef receives indicative bid from Gilde
Gilde Buyout Partners has reportedly made a non-binding indicative offer for Euronext Amsterdam-listed Nedschroef, at EUR 57 per share.
SWEDEN - 3i, InnovationsKapital and smac partners sell Nordnav for $75m
3i, InnovationsKapital and smac partners have sold Nordnav, a provider of GPS software solutions for mobile devices, to Camebridge Silicon Radio. The purchase price for all shares in the company is approximately $75m and InnovationsKapital has generated...
UK - Sovereign completes two recapitalisations
Sovereign Capital has announced a £37m recapitalisation of TRACSCARE Limited and a £16m recapitalisation of Truecare Holdings Limited. Both companies focus on providing specialist care to adults with learning difficulties and mental health needs in...
UK - Sovereign Capital announces promotions
Sovereign Capital has promoted two members of its team, Jose Rodriguez and Paul Egan, to the position of assistant director. Egan joined Sovereign Capital in June 2005 and has extensive experience of the business to business support services sector.