News
FRANCE - Investcorp acquires office supplies giant Orefi
Investcorp has backed the buyout of Orefi, for an undisclosed sum.
NETHERLANDS - Apollo Management to list publicly traded fund
Following KKR, Apollo Management is now planning to raise $1.5bn in a publicly traded fund, according to press reports.
UK - Hellman & Friedman set to announce £550m buyout of Gartmore
US private equity firm, Hellman & Friedman, is reported to have backed the management buyout of fund management group Gartmore. The ТЃ550m deal is expected to be announced today following seven months of negotiations, according to The Daily Telegraph....
NORWAY - NeoMed's Clavis Pharma to go public
Clavis Pharma ASA has applied for listing on the Oslo Stock Exchange and plans to go public this summer. The company, which is backed by NeoMed, plans to conduct an IPO in the order of NOK 200m. The present largest shareholders intend to participate with...
GERMANY - Q-Cells nominated World Entrenpreneur of the Year
Reiner Lemoine and Anton Milner, who founded Q-Cells in 1999, will be representing Germany in the World Entrepreneur of the Year awards run by Ernst & Young in Monte Carlo. The maker of photovoltaic cells currently employs a staff of more than 700 in...
FRANCE - OTC AM injects EUR 2m in RVR Systems
RVR Systems has secured a EUR 2m first round of financing from OTC AM.
UK - LDC backs buyout of PayStream
LDC has backed the MBO of PayStream, for an undisclosed sum. LCD has acquired a significant majority of shares in the accounting and payroll service provider.
UK - Red Diamond Capital set to acquire Avon Rubber's automotive business for £63m
The Financial Times reports today that Red Diamond Capital has arrived at a conditional agreement with Avon Rubber to purchase its automotive business. Red Diamond Capital will back management in a deal worth ТЃ63m.
UK - Bank of Ireland announces strong Q1 for corporate banking
Bank of Ireland Corporate Banking today announced the completion of deals in excess of ТЃ400m in the first quarter of 2006. Corporate Banking completed financing for companies in a diverse range of sectors including retail, support services and financial...
SWEDEN - Indap announces no further increases to Gambro offer price
EQT’s and Investor’s Indap AB has clearified that it has made its final offer to shareholders in Gambro AB on May 15 when it increased the offer price from SEK 109.70 per A and B share to SEK 113.70. The offer price represents a premium of 35.7% relative...
NETHERLANDS - Unconditional offer for VNU
VNU NV and Valcon Acquisition BV have announced that Valcon declares its public offer for VNU unconditional after 78.70% of VNU's share capital was tendered or committed during the acceptance period that ended Friday, 19 May.
GERMANY - U3 Pharma raises EUR 27m in third round
The translational medicine-focused oncology company, U3 Pharma AG has raised EUR 27m in its third financing round, led by Life Sciences Partners (LSP) as well as existing investors. The funding will be used to accelerate the further development of antibody-based...
UK - US-based Saints Capital buys technology portfolio for cash
The sale of the entire portfolio of unquoted investments and certain restricted quoted investments of Amerindo Internet Fund Plc (AIF) and Emerging Technology Portfolio (ETP) have been sold to funds managed by Saints Capital and Willowridge Inc for cash....
BELGIUM - Carlyle acquires 80% of Transics NV
The Carlyle Group has announced that it has acquired an 80% stake in Transics NV, together with the founders and co-chief executive officers, Walter Mastelinck and Ludwig Lemenu. The transaction signifies the third investment from its European technology...
GERMANY - VTC acquires Soudronic Automotive
Munich based investor VTC Industrieholding GmbH has announced the acquisition of the shares of Soudronic Automotive AG from Capvis and Gilde. Soudronic Automotive is based in Neftenbach, Switzerland and makes annual sales of approximately CHF 60m. It...
FRANCE - Franco-American placement agent wants to float on Euronext
Triago-X, the leading European placement agent which specialises in secondary transactions, has announced its intention to float on Euronext Paris.
UK - Amadeus Capital Partners wins ECF award
Amadeus Capital Partners, one of the UKтs top technology venture capital firms, has won Government backing to establish an Enterprise Capital Fund (ECF). The Government funding of ТЃ6.5m will be put to work alongside ТЃ3.5m from private investors and...
SPAIN - Permira set to acquire fast-food giant Telepizza
Permira is set to acquire Spain's biggest pizza delivery chain in a EUR 572m deal according to reports in the Independent on Sunday. Permira was favoured by the board of Telepizza, which will be de-listed from the Madrid stock exchange as a result of...
UK - Exponent Private Equity acquires Magicalia for £13m
Exponent Private Equity today announces the ТЃ13m acquisition of Magicalia, a leading UK online publishing group which was launched in 1999 by joint managing directors Adam Laird and Jeremy Tapp.
UK - CVM backs opening of 37 degrees healthclub
Close Venture Management (CVM) has announced the opening of 37 degrees healthclub at More London, the new 13 acre development next to Tower Bridge on the Thames.
UK - 3i sells stake in Tensar to US-based Tensar Corp
3i has sold its minority stake in Tensar, which provides innovative engineering solutions to a wide range of construction problems, to US-based Tensar Corp in a ТЃ68m deal.
UK - ECI to sell Kirker Holidays
ECI Partners is to sell the upmarket short break specialist it bought in 2003 for ТЃ15m, according to reports in today's Times. Kirker Holidays sells about 23,000 holidays a year and has a forecast turnover of ТЃ25m.
UK - Sir Peter Vardy sets up new venture capital fund
The motor retailer, Sir Peter Vardy, has set up his own venture capital fund which will start operating this week with a ТЃ50m fund. Vardy Venture Capital will make investements of between ТЃ500,000 and ТЃ2m focusing primarily on his native north-east...
UK - Lion Capital expresses interest in Campbell soup brands
The Financial Times reports that Campbell soup has put its UK and Irish grocery brands up for sale at auction in order to allow itself to concentrate on overseas business. The auction has attracted strong interest from both trade buyers and private equity,...