News
UK - Imperial Innovations invests in Equinox Pharma
Imperial Innovations Group plc has invested £250,000 in Equinox Pharma Limited, a company providing advanced software products to the pharma and biopharma industry. The investment in Equinox was part of a £500,000 seed funding round, which also included...
ITALY - Investitori Associati denies rumours of possible Alitalia bid
Private equity firm Investitori Associati has refuted rumours that it is planning to launch a bid for airline Alitalia.
GERMANY - BC Partners teams up with Macquarie
In a surprise move BC Partners is said to have joined forces with Macquarie on the buyout of German utility billing specialist Techem, having previously bid against the Australian investor. Macquarie is favoured to acquire Techem, having topped BC Partner’s...
GERMANY - Wyser-Pratte invests in Balda
Financial investor Wyser-Pratte has acquired a 5.39% stake in German mobile phone components supplier Balda AG. Previously the company has been targeted by hedge fund Audley Capital, which in September 2006 made a public tender offer for the company for...
FRANCE - OFI Private Equity recruits CADIF debt specialist
OFI Private Equity has announced it has hired Erwann Le Ligne as investment executive.
GERMANY - BaFin warns banks
The head of the German financial supervisory authority BaFin, Jochen Sanio, is reported to have warned of the threat to the country’s banks posed by leveraged buyouts. Sanio mentioned that companies targeted in private equity deals run the risk of collapsing...
GERMANY - Faegre & Benson boosts Frankfurt office
Law firm Faegre & Benson has hired corporate partner Markus Wenserski from fellow US firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher to join its Frankfurt office. Wenserski specialises in private equity and M&A and had been a partner at Willkie since 2004.
NL - NPM to acquire carpet manufacturer H Desseaux
NPM Capital is reported to be in advanced discussions with Armstrong World Industries regarding the acquisition of H Desseaux, a Waalwijk-based manufacturer of carpets.
UK - Tate & Lyle Ventures makes first investment
Tate & Lyle Ventures, a fund launched with backing from the sugar refiner and ingredients producer to invest in next generation food ingredients, has completed its first deal. The fund has invested in food safety diagnostics company Lumora Ltd, a spin-out...
GERMANY - Allianz Capital Partners to increase investment activity
Allianz Capital Partners is reported to look to invest up to EUR 1bn in the next 18 months. Market rumours suggest that the financial investor is involved in and close to signing two transactions with a combined equity value of EUR 300m in the next few...
FRANCE - Novexel receives Europe's largest biotech fundraising in 12 months
Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners has led a EUR 50m series-B funding for Paris-based Novexel, a laboratory which researches and develops novel types of anti-infectives for the treatment of bacterial and fungal infections.
ESTONIA - Celecure receives EUR 1.6m from four Skype founders
Ambient Sound Investments (ASI) has agreed to invest EUR 1.6m in Estonian biotechnology drug developer Celecure to accelerate the international breakthrough of its projects.
BELGIUM - Barclays Private Equity France acquires Desmet Ballestra
Barclays Private Equity France has acquired a majority stake in Desmet Ballestra, operative in the fields of engineering and supply of plants and equipment for the edible oil industry, the detergent-surfactants and related chemical industry and the oleochemical...
UK - Stockwell Capital Investments announces proposed admission to AIM
Stockwell Capital Investments Plc, a newly formed, closed-ended investment company which has been established to invest in diversified private equity situations, directly through co-investments and indirectly through fund investments, today announces...
UK - Barclays Ventures exits Ancyra in £22m deal
Barclays Ventures has realised its investment in Care Holdings Ltd, an operator of care homes for the elderly which trades as Ancyra Health Ltd. The investor made the exit via a trade sale to Aermid Health Care Ltd following a direct approach to the vendors....
FRANCE - XAnge Capital raises EUR 15m
XAnge Private Equity's evergreen investment vehicle XAnge Capital has completed its second fundraising. The vehicle, which was created in April 2003, gathered EUR 15m from its previous investors.
UK - The Capital Fund provides instant messaging provider with £250,000
The Capital Fund has provided secure instant messaging service provider, Presence Networks, with £250,000 of expansion capital. One of a series of significant investments in Presence Networks, The Capital Fund’s backing will help take the company’s...
UK - Finance Wales invests £600,000 in animation company
Wales’ largest independent animation studio is planning further international expansion after securing a £600,000 capital investment from Finance Wales which will see it take a minority stake in the company. BAFTA award-winning company, Calon, will...
GLOBAL - SJBerwin loses three partners to Kirkland & Ellis
SJ Berwin LLP has announced that three private equity partners, Mark Mifsud, Richard Watkins and Justin Dolling, will move to rival law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP’s fund formation team.
ITALY - Mobango secures backing from Doughty Hanson
Doughty Hanson Technology Ventures has invested EUR 2m in Mobango, an online and mobile services developer.
UK - Mark Barrow leaves Close Brothers Corporate Finance
Unquote” can reveal that Close Brothers Corporate Finance has lost Mark Barrow, a director and head of Close Brothers' private equity coverage team. Barrow joined Close in 1996 and had been made head of the team in March 2005. Darren Redmayne, co-founder...
UK - Phoenix Equity Partners appoints John Rastrick
Phoenix Equity Partners has appointed John Rastrick to its team. Rastrick will have specific responsibility for Phoenix's activities and investments in the North of England, where he will be based.
UK - AIG expands its European leveraged loan group
AIG Global Investment Group has further strengthened its European leveraged loan group, with the appointment of Margarita Sabarny and Rebecca Reeve to its London office.
UK - AlixPartners names three new London managing directors
AlixPartners, the international corporate turnaround, performance improvement and financial advisory firm, has promoted three of its London team to the position of managing director: Laura Barlow, Andrew Grantham and David Hutchinson. The three professionals...