News
SWITZERLAND – NovImmune raises SFr 58m
Geneva-based drug development company Novlmmune has announced the closing of a Series B private financing round. New investor BZ Bank led the SFR 58m financing round. Pictet Private Equity Investors SA as well as previous investors Lombard Odier Darier...
GERMANY - VC investments drop significantly
According to VC-Panel, German venture capital investments have dropped to EUR 58m in the third quarter of this year, after averaging EUR 100m for the previous two quarters. The state funded High-Tech Gründerfonds and KFW Bankengruppe also invested EUR...
IRELAND - 3V raises EUR 20m from Atlas and Benchmark
3V Transaction Services Ltd, the pay-as-you-go VISA voucher company, today announces it has raised EUR 20m in Series-A funding from Atlas Venture and Benchmark Capital Europe. The proceeds will be used to launch its innovative pay-as-you-go 3V VISA Voucher...
UK - Review of private equity for HSBC
Like many of its banking competitors, HSBC is currently reviewing its position on private equity. Although its European private equity arm spun-off as Montagu Private Equity a number of years ago, HSBC retains a number of Asia-focused funds. Earlier this...
DENMARK - 3i sells Damcos
3i and funds managed by 3i have signed an agreement to sell its 60% stake in Damcos, a global supplier to the shipbuilding industry, to Emerson Electric Co. The value for 100% of the company is approximately EUR 162m.
FRANCE - Apax Partners to delist Prosodie
Apax Partners has announced its has agreed to acquire 46.42% of Prosodie's shares from Alain Bernard via Camélia Participations for EUR 20 per share. Apax also announced its plan to file a tender offer for the remainder of the Prosodie's shares before...
UK - European Capital acquires Whitworths from Gresham for £86m
Gresham Private Equity has exited Whitworths through the sale of the business to European Capital in a deal worth £86m. The exit has generated a return of over 6x for Gresham, which acquired the company in a £15m management buyout in 2001.
FRANCE - Lion Capital sells jam maker to Activa Capital
Lion Capital has announced it has agreed to sell Materne, a leading French jam manufacturer to French mid-market buyout firm, Activa Capital.
UK - Yahoo! corporate development executive joins Accel London
Accel Partners has announced that Simon Levene has joined the investment team in the London office. Levene's areas of expertise include internet, infrastructure, software and services.
UK - Primary Capital makes two new appointments
Primary Capital has announced the appointment of two new associates. Brett Corkery has joined from Macquarie Funds Management. He has a bachelor of commerce in finance and econometrics from the University of Sydney and is a chartered financial analyst...
FRANCE - Crédit Agricole Private Equity invests EUR 2m in SplitGames
Crédit Agricole Private Equity (CAPE) has completed the EUR 2m first round of funding in online video games exchange community SplitGames.
FRANCE - UFG Private Equity invests in children's shoes retailer
UFG Private Equity, formerly known as Nord Europe Private Equity, has invested EUR 1.5m in Petits Petons.
FRANCE - Activa Capital backs the buyout of Françoise Saget
Activa Capital has backed the spin-out of Françoise Saget from Yves Rocher. The deal was leveraged by a debt package underwritten by Banque Palatine.
ITALY - Doughty Hanson acquires Zobele for EUR 300m
Doughty Hanson has agreed to purchase Trento-based company Zobele from its founders for around EUR 300m, according to reports in the Italian press. Zobele is active in the development of products and solutions for pest control, healthcare and household,...
GERMANY – Intel Capital invests in BrainLAB
Intel Capital has acquired an interest in Munich-based medical technology company BrainLAB. The venture capital organisation invested $7.3m that will be used to accelerate the development of mobile point of care solutions to provide patient with consistently...
SPAIN - Baring Private Equity Partners invests in the educational sector
Baring Private Equity Partners has taken a significant stake in multilingual school Estudios Agora for an undisclosed sum. According to reports in the Spanish press, the acquisition is the first step of a buy-and-build operation which aims to create a...
UK - ECI Partners sells Kirker Travel to Kuoni
ECI Partners, has sold Kirker Travel to Kuoni for an undisclosed amount. Kirker is an independent provider of luxury holidays, offering tailor-made itineraries for holidays across 150 destinations in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Far-East and New...
UK - Triago-X appoints head of US Office
Triago-X, the private equity fund secondary transactions specialist, has announced the appointment of Jean-Marc Cuvilly, as head of its US office.
SPAIN - Advent looks at exit opportunities for Parques Reunidos
According to reports in the Spanish press, Advent International has hired investment bank UBS and M&A boutique Socios Financieros to find a a new financial partner for its portfolio company Parques Reunidos. Both advisers are looking at strategic options...
UK - Inventages invests in CMP
Oxford-based allergy specialist CMP Therapeutics Ltd has raised another EUR 1m from Inventages Capital Investments Inc. The funds are part of a Series A round, which saw Inventages invest EUR 1m in the first tranche in December 2005. The company, which...
SWEDEN - Candover beds Hilding
Candover has signed an agreement to acquire Swedish mattress manufacture Hilding Anders from Investcorp for an enterprise value of SEK9.2bn (approx. €1bn).
ITALY - Candover is the most probable buyer for Ferretti
After months of speculation about the future of Ferretti, it seems that the luxury yatch group is set to be acquired by Candover. Market sources suggest that the UK buyout house is in final talks with Permira, majority shareholder with a 70% stake. Although...
FRANCE - IPO leads AltéAd buyout
IPO, Synergie Finance and Ouest Croissanec have invested EUR 6m of equity, half of which in convertible bonds, in industrial machinery transportation and maintenance business AltéAd.
ITALY - MPS Venture et al acquire 30% stake in Gruppo SDN
MPS Venture SGR, coinvesting with Centrobanca Sviluppo Impresa and Sanpaolo IMI Investimenti per lo Sviluppo SGR has signed an agreement to acquire a 30% shareholding in Gruppo SDN. The deal value has not been disclosed. Naples-based Gruppo SDN provides...