News
ITALY - Advent portfolio company Argenta merges with Cafebon,
Argenta Group, an Italian vending-machine services company controlled by Advent International has announced that it has merged with Cafebon, a Lombardy-based vending-machine operator.
UK - 3i appoints Rupert Bell as director
3i has appointed Rupert Bell as a director within its Growth Capital business, based in London.
GERMANY – GermanCapital buys into ALNO AG
GermanCapital has acquired a minority stake in German kitchen manufacturer, ALNO AG via its bidding company Küchen Holding. The strategic investor acquired its 20.6% stake from Commerzbank AG and has now made a voluntary public takeover bid of EUR 7.20...
UK - Ingenious Music VCTs invest £2.6m
Ingenious Ventures, part of Ingenious Media, the specialist media investment and advisory group, has invested a total of £2.6m through its two Music VCTs. The money will support debut albums of up-and-coming bands Passenger and Apartment, and solo-artist...
UK – Esprit backs WAYN
Esprit Capital Partners has led a $11m series A round of funding for UK travel and lifestyle social network business Where Are You Now? (WAYN).
SPAIN - Potential SOS Cuetara takeover
According to reports in the Spanish press, shares in rice and oil group SOS Cuetara were up 4.28% this week, making the company a possible target of a hostile takeover bid.
FRANCE - Chevrillon and IDI buy insurer from Barclays PE and AXA
Chevrillon & Associés and IDI have each acquired 40% of insurer Albingia, while management retained a 20% stake. The vendors, Baclays Private Equity (Barclays PE) and insurance group AXA, have sold their entire stake after a Rothschild-run auction which...
FRANCE - OTC AM invests in picture certification software CodaSystem
OTC Asset Management has contributed EUR 1.7m in a EUR 2m second round of funding for digital photography certification company CodaSystem. The additional EUR 300,000 was invested by Cap Décisif, which had already injected EUR 500,000 in 2005.
PORTUGAL - Portugal Telecom's saga continues
Portuguese news reports suggest that telecoms regulatory body Anacom does still not approve the revised recommendations from the antitrust authority on Soneacom's EUR 13.9bn takeover bid for Portugal Telecom.
SWEDEN - Bonesupport secures SEK 135m in funding
The medical technology company Bonesupport AB in Lund, which develops synthetic, injectable ceramic bone substitute, has received SEK 135 million. The new investors include HealthCap and NBGI Venture and the existing owners include Innovationskapital,...
UK - Close Brothers Private Equity backs buyout of Alex Stewart
Close Brothers Private Equity (CBPE) has backed the management buyout of Alex Stewart(Assayers) Ltd, part of the Alex Stewart Group, for an undisclosed sum. The business focuses on providing metals and minerals inspection and testing services. Debt was...
UK - North West Equity and NWBIS invest in SnG Technologies
Cheshire-based technology company SnG Technologies has received total funding of £250,000 from North West Equity Fund and NWBIS. The deal includes a further potential investment of £750,000 in aggregate based on progress within the business. SnG Technologies...
GERMANY - HC Starck sells for EUR 1.2bn
Financial investors Advent International and Carlyle Group have acquired H C Starck from German chemicals and pharmaceuticals group Bayer for EUR 1.2bn. Swiss bank UBS ran the limited auction process, which had attracted trade as well as financial buyers....
CZECH REPUBLIC – Consortium announces largest ever Central European buyout
A consortium comprising Abu Dhabi-based Al-Bateen Investment Company, Lehman Brothers Private Equity and Mid Europa Partners has acquired Radiokomunikace and a 39.23% stake in T-Mobile Czech Republic from Altima for EUR 1.2bn. ING Bank NV provided a EUR...
UK - Finance Wales announces its largest ever deal
Finance Wales has announced its largest ever deal - a £4m investment in Bluestone, a £110m unique, ‘green’ holiday village in Pembrokeshire targeting the high value, high growth short break market. The investment is over three times Finance Wales’...
SPAIN - Vueling to float in December
The Spanish stock market regulator CNMV has approved the IPO of 42.62% of low-cost airline Vueling. The share price should oscillate between EUR 24-32 and will give the company a capitalisation of around EUR 359-478m.
ITALY - Blackstone eyes Italian industrial giants
Reports in the Italian press suggest that US firm Blackstone is ready to invest in Telecom Italia and its TIM mobile unit, as well as assets belonging to electricity provider Enel SpA. Rumour has it that Blackstone's president Tony James will partner...
FRANCE - Eurazeo will float Fraikin on Euronext Paris
Eurazeo has finally opted for a flotation of Fraikin on the Paris market, according to press reports.
FRANCE - EdRIP invests EUR 10m in Groupe Sibille
Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners (EdRIP) has invested EUR 10m in industrial group Sibille, a manufacturer of electrical and automobile renovation equipment.
UK - Alcuin team joins Core Capital
Core Capital has announced that it has expanded its team with the appointment of Mark Storey and Ian Henderson-Londoño, formerly of Alcuin Capital. Mark and Ian worked together at BancBoston Capital, where Mark had worked since 1984 and was the UK managing...
FRANCE - Pascal Noguera joins Astorg Partners' investment board
French mid-cap buyout firm Astorg Partners has nominated Pascal Noguera as associate.
SWEDEN - Accent Equity divests Cefar to Blackstone-controlled Encore
Accent Equity has sold its holdings in Swedish med-tech company Cefar to US-based Encore Medical. Encore was recently bought out from Nasdaq in a public-to-private transaction led by Blackstone Capital Partners.
UK - New recruit joins MSIF’s venture fund
Merseyside Special Investment Fund (MSIF)has appointed Jon Wormald as investment manager for its £40m venture fund. Wormald joins the fund from PricewaterhouseCoopers where he spent six years working in audit and transaction services in the entertainment,...
NL - PPM Oost invests in Stichting Diaphora
PPM Oost has invested an undisclosed sum in Stichting Diaphora, a social housing provider, which offers homes to relatively young people suffering from dementia. These housing complexes are adapted to cater for their inhabitants' needs, but allow them...