News
UK - Investment management company moves to Liverpool
A specialist multi manager investment firm with over £100m of assets under management is expanding into Liverpool with backing from Merseyside Special Investment Fund (MSIF). Mercater Capital Management has opened offices in Liverpool after receiving...
UK - Liverpool Ventures appoints new managing director
A new managing director has been appointed to Liverpool Ventures. Liverpool Ventures provides specialist support services to businesses applying to and backed by, the £27m Liverpool Seed Fund, an MSIF Fund. Malcolm Stewart, 45, joins the Liverpool Ventures...
GERMANY - IPO for Quest for Growth portfolio company Wilex AG
Quest for Growth has announced that Wilex AG, its portfolio company, has successfully placed new shares in its IPO on the Frankfurt exchange. Wilex is a biopharmaceutical company based in Munich, which was founded in 1997 by a team of physicians and oncologists...
SWEDEN - Nordic Capital sells fitness club chain SATS
Nordic Capital Fund IV has entered into a binding agreement to divest fitness club chain SATS to Tryg i Danmark smba. Tryg i Danmark smba invests in companies within the healthcare and security sector. The completion of the transaction is subject to approval...
UK - Inflexion sells ACIS to The Carlyle Group
Inflexion Private Equity has sold its entire stake in Advanced Communications and Information Systems Ltd (ACIS) in a secondary buyout to The Carlyle Group. The financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
ITALY - Allen & Overy to end activities in Turin
Law firm Allen & Overy (A&O) has decided to end its operations in Turin following the departure of Carlo Pavesio, the only A&O partner left in the city. Pavesio left to set up his own practice. From January next year, Pavesio & Associati will be fully...
FRANCE - French government to allocate additional EUR 2bn to benefit SMEs
The French government will invest an additional EUR 2bn in funds-of-funds, to help the development of the country's fast-growing SMEs.
UK - Enterprise receives approach from unknown private equity company
A company which provides outsourced planned and reactive maintenance services to utility companies and local authorities, Enterprise, has received a takeover approach from an unknown private equity company.
FRANCE - Natexis and Crédit Agricole back buyout of luxury bottle maker
Natexis Industrie, Natexis Investissement and Crédit Agricole Private Equity have backed the buyout of Saverglass, a designer, manufacturer and distributor of luxury glass bottles and decanters.
UK - Alchemy in takeover bid for Cathedral Capital
Alchemy Partners is set to acquire insurance and reinsurance group Cathedral Capital after 80% of the unlisted public company's shareholders recommended the offer.
IRELAND - Irish Venture Capital Association elects new chairman
Niall Carroll, managing director of ACT Venture Capital, has been elected chairman of the Irish Venture Capital Association.
SPAIN - ING and RBS on the lookout for partners forTelepizza's debt package
According to reports in the Spanish press, banks ING and Royal Bank of Scotland are currently searching for a partner to join in the long-term financing arranged for the Telepizza deal. The pizza chain was bought by Permira last September for around EUR...
BELGIUM - Clear2Pay raises additional EUR 2m from Iris Capital
Clear2Pay,a Belgian software vendor of next generation payment solutions for financial institutions, has received a EUR 2m capital increase from Iris Capital. In addition, the telco and media venture capitalist has purchased existing equity for the value...
UK - Sovereign Capital expands team
Sovereign Capital has expanded its team with the appointment of investment executive Alex Dampier.
UK - Permira, TDR and Apollo bid for Hard Rock Cafe
Hard Rock Cafe, the chain of 121 restaurants, four hotels and two casinos owned by UK leisure group Rank is being sold. Bidders include Permira, TDR Capital and US-based Apollo Management as well as trade interest from Seminole Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos,...
FINLAND/UK - BioFund exits Ark Therapeutics
BioFund Management Oy has sold all shares of Ark Therapeutics Group Plc, a biopharmaceutical company based in Finland and the UK. Bio Fund Ventures II LP invested in Ark in 2000 and Ark was listed on the London Stock Exchange main list in March 2004.
ITALY/GERMANY - Berlusconi and private equity funds to compete for media giant
According to reports in the Italian press, Silvio Berlusconi's broadcasting empire Mediaset is planning to launch a bid for 50.5% of German television network ProSiebenSat.1 Media. It is understood that a decision will be made next Tuesday, when the group's...
FRANCE - 21 Centrale Partners plans to delist Apem
21 Centrale Partners has entered negotiations to take-private Apem, a manufacturer of miniature switches for electronic applications notably.
FINLAND - CapMan redefines objectives
CapMan has redefined its financial objectives and revised vision, mission and values. CapMan’s financial objectives include average capital growth of funds under management of at least 15% per annum and equity fund performance above 15% net IRR to fund...
SPAIN - A good year for private equity in the Basque Country
The Sociedad de Gestión de Capital Riesgo del País Vasco, entity managing the private equity activities in the Basque country, is forecasted to end the year of 2006 with investments in 15 companies, totalling EUR 11m. The entity was launched in 1985...
ITALY - Stroili Oro Group partners with Upim
Jewellery business Stroili Oro Group has recently signed an agreement with department store chain Upim to sell an 'accessible' line in its 50 shops, based all over Italy. Rumour has it that both businesses have planned a tailor-made approach to the alliance,...
SPAIN - First Tuesday to discuss financing for web-based companies
Financing for internet-based and 'new-tech' companies will be one of the topics discussed at the fourth Barcelona edition of First Tuesday, to be held tonight at the Carpe Diem Lounge Club. The agenda of the business networking forum also includes advice...
UK - Ingenious appoints David Mansfield as a main board director
Ingenious, the media investment and advisory group, has appointed David Mansfield as a main board director. Mansfield joined the advisory board of Ingenious Media Active Capital Plc, the AIM listed fund, early this year and now joins the company in an...
UK - Probitas Parnters makes new London appointments
Placement agent Probitas Partners has announced that Jonathan Leinmuller and François Garcin have joined their London team. Leinmuller joins as a director from Matrix Private Funds Group, another placement agent. He has a degree in Economics from Bristol...