News
SPAIN - Diana Capital and ICO buy 12.7% of Guascor Group
Diana Capital and the Instituto de Credito Oficial (ICO) have acquired a 12.7% shareholding in Guascor Group, a company focused in the development of marine propulsion equipment and engines. Private equity firm Diana Capital and ICO, the state-owned...
SPAIN - Vista and Apax divest Itevelesa for EUR 500m
Apax and Vista Capital have sold their entire shareholding in Spanish vehicle inspection company Itevelesa to Australian investment bank Macquarie. The bank, which had been looking for opportunities in Spain since its divestment from road management company...
SPAIN - Permira secures Telepizza in EUR 850m deal
The five-month battle for Spanish pizza delivery chain Telepizza has come to an end with the winning bid of EUR 3.21 per share from Foodco Pastries and Medimosal, companies jointly owned by Permira and Telepizza founding family Ballve's investment vehicle...
ITALY - Candover opens office in Milan
Candover's Milan office is now officially open for business. The firm announced earlier this year that it intended to expand its activities in Southern Europe.
SWEDEN - CapMan creates Nordic healthcare group
CapMan funds and Plena AB have signed an agreement for the acquisition of two Swedish healthcare companies SelefaTrade AB and Förbandsmaterial AB. The acquisitions have been made via the holding company that owns Finnish Tamro MedLab Oy, a business CapMan...
UK - Clayton, Dubilier & Rice refinances Brakes
Brakes, a food service solution provider and portfolio company belonging to Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) is the subject of a £275m refinancing. The refinancing is lead-arranged by JPMorgan, Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank, with UBS as co-manager....
UK - Bank of Scotland Corporate invests in Sunseeker International
Bank of Scotland Corporate has provided luxury yacht builder Sunseeker International with an integrated finance and debt package, taking a minority stake in the business following the transaction.
GERMANY - Nordic Capital's Nycomed acquires ALTANA for EUR 4.215bn
Nycomed, a portfolio company owned by Nordic Capital, has acquired ALTANA Pharma AG for four times its own enterprise value. Headquartered in Konstanz, the company is the pharmaceutical business of ALTANA AG's pharmaceuticals and chemicals group. If the...
SWITZERLAND - Helbling joins the fray
Swiss engineering and consulting firm Helbling Gruppe has launched its own private equity fund, Helbling Capital. The group will focus on special and restructuring situations, corporate spin-offs and management buyouts, targeting companies with a turnover...
NETHERLANDS - LSP leads EUR 3m investment round in BMEYE
Life Science Partners has announced that it has led a EUR 3m Series A financing round of BMEYE, a Dutch medical device company. The round was led by LSP and included a group of Silicon Valley and Dutch groups TechFund and BAT (Business Angels Technostarters)....
UK - Risk Capital Partners acquires Patisserie Valerie
Risk Capital Partners has acquired a majority stake in London's famous upmarket patisserie chain Patisserie Valerie. The acquisition has been made with a view to expanding the business and taking it national. The company has revenues in excess of £8m.
UK - Bank of Scotland Corporate backs MBO of Conran Restaurants
Bank of Scotland Corporate Banking has provided a £47m integrated debt and equity package to support the existing management in the buyout of Conran Restaurants. The deal has enabled management, who have invested new cash, to significantly increase their...
UK - Sun Capital acquires Pearl Fittings representing partial exit for Endless
Endless has sold its majority stake in Pearl Fittings Ltd to Sun European Partners, the European adviser to Sun Capital Partners. The deal represents a partial exit for Endless, which first invested in the company in March 2006 since when turnover has...
SWEDEN - Accel invests EUR 4m in Swedish software business
Telepo, a Swedish software company, has raised EUR 4m in funding from Accel Partners. The Telepo Business Communication Solution integrates mobile and fixed communication, VoIP and existing enterprise voice infrastructure, using standards based protocols.
FINLAND - CapMan acquires industrial maintenance from Fortum
Funds managed by CapMan have signed an agreement with Fortum to acquire its industrial services business unit, a provider of industrial maintenance services, for an undisclosed sum.
FRANCE - CICLAD takes minority stake in internet tourism portal
CICLAD has taken a minority participation in Come To Paris, an online provider of tailored services to the tourism industry.
UK - Apax launches bid to delist unquote" publisher Incisive Media
Apax Partners has made an offer to acquire global B2B publisher Incisive Media Plc. The deal, which has been recommended by the independent directors of the business, values the London Stock Exchange-listed company’s shares at £199m, and offers shareholders...
SWEDEN - Eqvitec invests SEK 44m in Netadmin
Eqvitec Technology Fund III has agreed to invest SEK 44m in Linköping-based software company Netadmin. Netadmin has developed a system that gives network proprietors and broadband operators full supervision and control of all connected equipment, right...
UK - Investec launches new asset-based lending proposition
Investec Private Bank’s growth & acquisition finance business has expanded its proposition with the establishment of a dedicated asset-based lending team to enhance its mid-market capability in growth & acquisition financing. Headed by Gary Edwards,...
GERMANY - Financial investor knocked back on first DAX takeover
The first ever DAX-takeover attempt by a private equity bidder has been prematurely knocked back, according to an article in today's Handelsblatt. According to automotive supplier Continental, which has a market capitalisation of EUR 13bn, a tentative...
SPAIN - Doughty Hanson opens office in Madrid
Doughty Hanson & Co has recently announced the opening of its Madrid office. The launch has also seen the appointments of Francisco Gutiérrez Churtichaga (ex JPMorgan) as head of operations in Spain and Juan Barba Silvela (ex Arthur Andersen) as investment...
SWEDEN - InnovationsKapital invests SEK 25m in Ludesi
Ludesi AB, a global provider of bioinformatics solutions to the life science industry, has secured SEK 25m in funding from InnovationsKapital. Ludesi’s current investors include FöretagsByggarna and AP6.
FINLAND - Lannox receives EUR 400,000 from Finnish Industry Investment
Finnish Industry Investment has provided EUR 400,000 in funding to road construction company Lannox Oy. Founded in 2006, Lannox is based in Helsinki and the new capital will fund business development and marketing.
BELGIUM - Pro Natura acquires Biomarché
Activa Capital-owned Pro Natura, the former number two wholesaler of organic fruit and vegetables in Europe, has acquired Biomarché, the leading organic fruit & vegetable wholesaler in Belgium.