News
UK - NBGI Private Equity appoints Lawrence Dean
NBGI Private Equity has announced that Lawrence Dean will be joining as investment manager. Dean holds nine years of corporate finance experience, having started his career with SBC Warburg (now UBS) and most recently working on the investment banking...
UK - Sitka Health Fund VCT plc announces positive performance
Sitka Ltd, manager of the Sitka Health Fund VCT (Sitka VCT) has announced results for the year ending 31st January 2006, with the net asset value per ordinary share reaching 89.7p. It has invested a total of ТЃ7.2m in 16 different companies and has managed...
UK - Barclays Capital appoints new head of corporate communications
Barclays Capital has announced the appointment of Siobhan Loftus as a director and head of corporate communications. She will be responsible globally for public relations, internal communications, advertising and brand. She will also be responsible for...
UK - August Equity backs MBO of Rixonway Kitchens
August Equity has announced that it has supported the management buyout of Rixonway Kitchens Ltd via the newco Rollfold Group Ltd for an undisclosed sum. This is the eighth investment from August Equity Partners IV.
FRANCE - Weinberg Capital Partners makes its first investment
Weinberg Capital Partners (WCP) has announced an agreement to acquire 70% of Pharmaceutical company Pharma Omnium International.
ITALY - Bridgepoint acquires Italian perfumery group Limoni
Perfumery chain Limoni, the Italian market leader with a network of 400 stores and a consolidated turnover of € 304 million (13.6% up on 2004), has been acquired by Bridgepoint through a management buy-out involving its founder Piofrancesco Borghetti....
FRANCE - AXA Private Equity set to secure first French take-private of 2006
AXA private Equity has announced an agreement to purchase MAAF Assurances SA's 85.45% share of TLD Group. The French buyout house will also acquire an extra 9.58% from minority shareholders who have irrevocable agreed to tender their shares in AXA's simplified...
UK - Esporta bidding for golf course business The Club Company
The Times reports that The Club Company (TCC), the golf and country club business, owned by Legal and General Ventures has three to four bidders left in the running to acquire it.
UK - Bridgepoint seeks exit from All3Media
All3Media, the television production company formed in 2003 by Bridgepoint's backing of the acquisition of Chrysalis Group's television division, is the subject of a bid by DLJ Merchant Banking Partners. The bid by the private equity arm of Credit Suisse...
FINLAND - CapMan exits Sentera
Finnventure IV, V and V ET funds managed by CapMan have sold their 30.1% shareholding in Sentera Plc to SysOpen Digia Plc for EUR 12.8m. SysOpen Digia Plc paid the main part of the transaction in cash and a small part with the company’s own shares.
SWEDEN - InnovationsKapital recruits Falkevall as investment director
Martin Falkevall has been appointed investment director of InnovationsKapital and will be part of the Stockholm-based information and communication technology team.
UK - Legal Services Bill presents new opportunities for private equity?
Last week's Legal Services Bill could lead to law firms receiving private equity investment, according to a report from The Lawyer.com. Taylor Wessing has become the first firm to reveal that it is considering selling an equity stake to private equity....
GERMANY - Deutsche Telekom could bid for BT
According to a report published in the FT today Deutsche Telekom, in which The Blackstone Group recently acquired a minority stake, might consider an offer for British Telecom.
UK - USS considers £6bn move from equities to alternative assets
The UK's second biggest pension fund, the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) is considering a major ТЃ6bn shift from equities into alternative assets, according to the FT.
NETHERLANDS - Bencis acquires Winsol Group
Bencis Capital Partners has reached an agreement to acquire a substantial equity interest in Winsol Group, a producer of PVC and aluminium windows and doors, sun protection systems, rollers shutters, sectional doors and balustrades.
BELGIUM - Big Bang Ventures leads investment round for Qlayer
Big Bang Ventures has announced that it has taken the lead in a EUR 1.3m first round of financing for Qlayer, a provider of virtualisation management software for commercial data centers. The transaction represents the first investment of Big Bang Ventures'...
UK - Permira to float Hogg Robinson
The Sunday Times reported on the expected IPO of Hogg Robinson over the weekend. Permira took Hogg Robinson private in a 2000 deal worth EUR 640m and now intends to return it to the stock market through a 'competitive' IPO. This controversial route to...
FRANCE - Bridgepoint acquires French publisher from Sagard
Bridgepoint has taken a majority stake in Groupe Moniteur in a secondary LBO. French buyout house Sagard is exiting the investment it made in 2004.
FRANCE - Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners backs Alturia's owner buyout
Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners and Socadif have taken minority stakes to back Henry Robet's buyout of Groupe Alturia.
UK - Private equity rumours continue to surround Britvic
Following rumours last week that poor sales at Britvic had sparked private equity interest in the underperforming soft drinks manufacturer, further reports have emerged today linking PAI to Britvic.
UK - PAI Partners bid for Cleanaway UK
Cleanaway UK, one of the UK's biggest waste management companies, has shortlisted about six bidders including French private equity company PAI Partners, in the final stages of its auction.
UK - CVC to back MBO of Helphire?
The Financial Times reports that CVC Capital Partners has been in talks with Helphire, a Bath-based company that provides replacement vehicles for drivers who claim to be the innocent victims of car accidents. Talks between Helphire and CVC are understood...
SWEDEN - CapMan invests in Spintop Netsolution
Funds managed by CapMan will invest in Spintop Netsolution AB, a Swedish software development and services company. Following this investment, CapMan funds will have a 30 percent stake in Spintop and the company’s founders and key employees will hold...
UK - Speculation about the future of Britvic
Soft drinks manufacturer Britvic issued its third profit warning in three months sparking a flurry in trading of the company's shares yesterday. Despite the dismal performance and volatility in the carbonated drinks market, Britvic shares closed 17.75p...