News
FRANCE - Wendel consortium prepares Legrand’s EUR 1.8bn IPO
Wendel Investissement is planning Legrand’s IPO, which has been valued at around EUR 1.8bn. Owing to the current good performances of the French financial markets, coupled with the fact that Legrand’s revenues are forecast to exceed EUR 3bn this year,...
FRANCE - Eurazeo to acquire Europcar from Volkswagen
Eurazeo has entered into exclusive negotiations with Volkswagen AG to acquire Europcar. The private equity house has fought off competition in two rounds of the auction run by Citigroup. Europcar is the European leader in hire cars and counts more than...
FRANCE - Avenir Tourisme purchases Yachts de Paris
Avenir Tourisme has backed the buyout of Yachts de Paris, alongside co-investor Perspectives et Participations. The buyers have taken a 30% stake in the business, while the company’s managing director, Marc Bungener, holds the balance. A private investor...
FRANCE - Activa Capital organises MBO of Logitrade
Activa Capital has organised the management buyout of Logitrade, France’s leading procurement externalisation business for non-strategic purchases. Logitrade has been purchased from its founder, Bernard Mercadier, who will remain as chairman of the...
NORWAY - Norsk Vekst Equity Partners becomes Norvestor
Oslo-based Norsk Vekst Equity Partners AS has changed name to Norvestor Equity AS and opened offices in Stockholm.
FRANCE - Naxicap backs mannequin business
Naxicap Partners has backed the buyout of COFRAD to take a minority stake. It has invested a sum of EUR 2.6m through its funds Banque Populaire Développement and FIP Banque Populaire Proximité IDF Nord 2004. The company’s founding CEO, Serge Beltramino,...
THE NETHERLANDS - Permira leaves VNU consortium
Press reports suggest that Permira has dropped out of the private equity consortium which has tentatively offered to buy VNU for between EUR 28 and EUR 28.50 a share, because of concerns that the offer price is too high. This withdrawal reduces the consortium...
DENMARK - Nordic Capital's Nycomed achieves sales growth
Backed by Nordic Capital, Nycomed has announced that its net turnover grew by 16% in 2005 to a total of EUR 747.5m.
UK - PanOpSys Ltd receives $5.25m Quester funding
PanOpSys, a medical diagnostics company focusing on rapid quantitative detection of disease markers, has announced that it has raised $5.25m in a Series A round of funding from Quester.
GERMANY - Change Capital Partners acquires JIL SANDER Group
Retail specialist Change Capital Partners has agreed the buyout of Jil Sander Group from the Prada Group. The transaction, which was handled by Change Capital's Stephan Lobmeyr, remains subject to regulatory approval.
FRANCE - Stampede over Colony’s Buffalo Grill stakes
France’s largest shareholder action group is urging the AMF (autorité des marchés financiers) to refuse Colony Capital’s attempt to delist Buffalo Grill. Colette Neuville, head of Association pour la Défense des Actionnaires Minoritaires (ADAM),...
UK - Baker Tilly expands in Scotland
Stuart McCallum has joined Baker Tilly as a director within the corporate finance team based in Glasgow. He brings with him over ten years of corporate finance and business advisory across a diverse range of industries.
NORWAY - VC-backed Funcom plans new share issue
Backed by Northzone Ventures, Teknoinvest, Nordic Venture Partners and Stelt Holding, Norwegian game developer Funcom N.V. plans a share issue of up to 4.3 million new shares, which equals approximately 10% of existing outstanding shares.
DENMARK - Consortium pushes through squeeze out of TDC shareholders
The consortium buying TDC can apply for a delisting of the company following today's general meeting, according to press reports.
NORWAY - Ferd Private Equity Fund acquires Wonderland
Ferd Private Equity Fund (FPEF) has announced the acquisition of Wonderland AS. FPEF has committed capital of NOK 2bn and Wonderland is FPEF’s eighth acquisition.
UK - Barclays Private Equity exits Recruitment Solutions Group
Barclays Private Equity has sold its investment in Recruitment Solutions Group for £18.5m to Hays Plc, the global leader in specialist recruitment and HR services.
UK - LDC appoints Farazmand to head London team
LDC has appointed Tim Farazmand as London regional director to lead its seven-strong team based in Old Bond Street.
SWEDEN - Industrifonden appoints Anders Grånäs as investment manager
Anders Grånäs has been recruited as new investment manager at Industrifonden and will focus on ICT ventures.
DENMARK - Erhvervsinvest acquires 85% of Elite Gaming A/S
Erhvervsinvest has bought 85% of Elite Gaming A/S from Genua A/S. The value of the deal has not been released. Thomas Marstrand of Erhversinvest will join the board of Elite Gaming A/S.
SWEDEN - Segulah recruits Håkan Dahlin as CFO
Segulah has appointed Håkan Dahlin as CFO to start in his new position in the spring.
FINLAND - FVCA says 2005 was best year ever for exits
2005 was a year of fundraising and exits in Finland, according to a survey by the Finnish Venture Capital Association (FVCA).
FRANCE - Asiatex to take Petitboy out of receivership
Pau’s regulatory court has selected Asiatex to acquire Petitboy from CIC Banque de Vizille and bring the company out of receivership. The children’s clothing company has been held under observation for the past four months. Asiatex has agreed to acquire...
THE NETHERLANDS - 3i sells UTT in reverse takeover
3i has announced the sale of Rotterdam-headquartered United Transport Tankcontainers Holdings BV (UTT), the international tank container operator, to AIM-listed Interbulk Investments Plc in a net EUR 67m reverse takeover deal.
UK - Granville buys care services firm
Granville Baird Capital Partners, the international mid-market private equity firm, has today supported the management buyout of Choices Holdings Ltd, a provider of supported living and residential care services to people with learning disabilities. Granville...