News
UK - Chronicle Solutions receives £3m 3i backing
3i has led a £3m series-A investment in Chronicle Solutions along with syndicate partners Scottish Equity Partners and Societe Generale Asset Management Alternative Investments. As part of the deal, Nick Kingsbury, sector partner at 3i, is appointed...
UK - 3i generates 43% IRR from sale of builders' merchants
3i has sold its minority stake in Belfast-based JP Corry Group, one of the largest independent builders’ merchants in the British Isles, to Saint-Gobain Building Distribution. 3i originally invested in JP Corry in 1996 and further supported the acquisition...
UK - Refinancing of Manchester United debt
Financial News reports that Och-Ziff Management and Perry Capital, the two private equity firms who along with the Glazer family own Manchester United, are considering a refinancing of the £540m debt they took out in order to purchase the football club.
DENMARK - Nordic Capital acquires Dangaard Telecom
A subsidiary of Nordic Capital fund VI has signed an agreement to acquire Dangaard Telecom from BHS Holding, debitel, Fleggaard Holding and Dangaard Telecom Partners. The value of the deal has not been disclosed.
UK - Hotbed recruits two new investment professionals
Hotbed has appointed Tim Lawrence and Russell Pope as private equity investment directors to spearhead its activities in London and the South East.
UK - Rothschild leads bid for MFI Retail
The Times today reports that Rothschild has joined forces with Merchant Equity Partners to launch a bid for the retail division of MFI. The ailing retail arm of MFI Furniture recorded losses of £85m in 2005 and it is thought that the vendor will have...
FRANCE - Medica to float on Euronext
Medica, the third largest French retirement homes company has announced it has submitted documentation to AMF (Autorité des Marchés Financiers) in view of its flotation on Euronext Paris.
FRANCE - Berwin Leighton Paisner appoints cross-border lawyer
Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has announced the appointment of Antoine-Audoin Maggiar to their corporate finance team as a senior partner. He will be focusing on developing the firm’s international portfolio of clients to offer an exceptional legal...
UK - Jefferies hires Alex Hofman from Credit Suisse First Boston
Jefferies International Ltd, a subsidiary of US-based Jefferies Group Inc has announced the appointment of Alexander Hofmann as a director of Jefferies Broadview, the bank’s technology investment banking practice. Alexander Hofmann will be based in...
FRANCE - Triago X announces new board of directors
Triago-X, the private equity secondary transactions specialist, has announced three new appointments that will form the board of company directors. This change comes prior to a planned company expansion and their listing on the Alternext of Euronext™...
FRANCE - EUR 10m backing for sports publisher
Iris Capital and London-based Complete Leisure Group are joining previous investors Galiléo Partners and Crédit Agricole Private Equity (CAPE) in a EUR 10m financing of French publisher Sports Medias & Stratégie.
SPAIN - Vista Capital acquires Play by Play for EUR 4.8m
Vista Capital, in a move to expand its toy manufacturer portfolio company Famosa, has purchased 100% of Play by Play from Catalana d’Iniciatives and its other investors for EUR 4.8m.
SPAIN - Ibersuizas appoints new partner
Jorge Delclaux has just joined Ibersuizas as a private equity partner and will be the vice president of the Spanish firm. The new addition to the team will strengthen the company’s new private equity project, launched a few months ago.
SPAIN - Savia Coinversión SCR invests in EUR 5m in MSS
The Zaragoza-based private equity firm has announced an investment of EUR 5m in Mobile Security Software (MSS). MSS is working on the development of a high security system for mobile devices that includes coding and uncoding, authentication control and...
SPAIN - Ibersuizas appoints new vice president
Jorge Delclaux has joined Ibersuizas as a private equity partner and will be the vice president of the Spanish firm. The new addition to the team will strengthen the company’s new private equity project, launched a few months ago.
UK - KPMG survey returns anxiety
The Financial Times reports that a survey to be released today by KPMG's Corporate Finance practice that relates industry concern over the over-leveraging of buyout deals. Over 70% of private equity companies agreed that many deals had become too high...
UK - Permira and Barclays Capital team up in bid for retirement home builder
McCarthy & Stone, the builder of retirement housing, is the subject of competing bids from two consortiums who both see promising returns from this sector thanks to the ageing population, despite the fact that McCarthy has struggled recently.
UK - Misys the latest take-private target
The Sunday Times and the Financial Times have both reported that the healthcare and financial-services software firm Misys is being circled by private equity firms following its announcement on Friday that it is the subject of a possible management buyout.
UK - Hedge funds competing against private equity for Photo-Me
Photo-Me has received interest from Bain Capital and Warburg Pincus over the last week.
UK - Blackstone and CapVest court Unilever's frozen foods
Unilever is selling off its frozen foods division in an auction which is expected to value the Birds Eye and Findus producer at approximately £1bn, according to the Times. The auction is being run by Goldman Sachs with Blackstone and CapVest favourites...
NETHERLANDS - Centaurus increases its stake in Ahold
Centaurus Capital is believed to have increased its stake in supermarket group Ahold. The private equity firm, which until now held a 4% stake (EUR 400m), is not the only investor increasing its stake in the firm. US-based Paulson, for example, is also...
NETHERLANDS - Rabobank to acquire Connexxion
Rabobank is reportedly looking to acquire transport company Connexxion from the Dutch state, which currently holds a 100% stake in the company.
UK - Blenheim Advisors expands team
Blenheim Advisors, the provider of leveraged debt advice, has recruited David Parker as an executive director and Romain Lanier as an associate.
NETHERLANDS - VNU to be delisted on 11 July
Following a tendering of 98.97% of the share capital of VNU, the Valcon consortium has announced that it will commence a squeeze-out procedure to acquire the remaining shares and that it will delist the company on 11 July.