News
UK - Northern Trust makes four strategic appointments
Northern Trust, the provider of asset servicing, investment management and wealth management services, has made four appointments to its asset servicing business development team for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.
UK - Beringea provides follow on investment in Espresso Broadband
Beringea, the private equity fund manager which manages ProVen VCT and ProVen Growth & Income VCT, has made a follow-on investment in Espresso Broadband Ltd, the leading provider of educational broadband content in the UK. The two funds have committed...
UK - Sovereign acquires residential care specialist
Sovereign Capital Partners LLP, the independent lower mid-market UK private equity provider, has completed the £22m acquisition of Alkare, the specialist provider of residential care for adults with mental health needs.
UK - Phoenix bags Radley
Radley, the UK’s biggest-selling handbag brand, has sold a majority shareholding to Phoenix Equity Partners in a £45m deal.
UK - Kleinwort Capital trust unveils annual results
Kleinwort Capital Trust has announced its preliminary results for the year ended 31 December 2005, approved by the board of directors on 27 February 2006.
UK - 2005 sees Archangel portfolio bear fruit
Archangel Informal Investment Ltd's annual review, released over the weekend, reveals its continuing confidence in the Scottish market for young technology companies with the investment of a further £4m in 14 of its existing portfolio businesses during...
UK - D-Line secures £1.3m from investment syndicate
Newcastle-based DLine Ltd has recently received a £1.13m cash injection to develop its business. The new capital comes jointly from The North East Co-investment Fund, a £23m investment fund that invests in high-growth technology focused SMEs, and a...
UK - BP Marsh investee firm floats on AIM
B.P. Marsh & Partners Plc, a niche venture capital provider to early-stage financial services businesses, today announces its first transaction following the company’s flotation on AIM on 2 February 2006.
US - KKR to launch first hedge fund
Press reports suggest that Kohlberg Kravis Roberts will launch its first hedge fund, KKR Strategic Capital Fund, at the end of the second quarter. According to a potential investor, the fund will focus on buying bonds and loans in the secondary market...
UK - Imperial Innovations to take stake in ParOS Plc
Imperial Innovations Ltd, the technology commercialisation company of Imperial College London, is pleased to announce that spin-out company Parametric Optimization Solutions Ltd (ParOS) has entered into a conditional agreement to be acquired by Oak Prospects...
ITALY - BS buys Arena from Investitori
BS Private Equity has taken over 100% of the Arena Group from Investitori Associati, worldwide leading company in the sports/waterwear category.
UK - Duke Street appoints operating partner
Duke Street Capital has announced the appointment of Sir Neville Simms as operating partner.
UK - Investcorp Technology Ventures acquires Conduit for EUR 90m
Conduit Ltd, one of Europe’s leading directory assistance businesses, has signed a definitive agreement with an entity controlled by Investcorp Technology Ventures to acquire the company for EUR 90m. InfoNXX, Inc., the largest independent directory...
FRANCE - Electra sells electronic security group to Honeywell
Electra Partners Europe has today announced the sale of Gardiner Europe’s largest independent distributor of electronic security equipment, to Honeywell. Gardiner is headquartered in France and has operations in ten European countries: the UK and Ireland...
FINLAND/UK - VC-backed Ark Therapeutics awards management
AIM-listed biotechnology company, Ark Therapeutics Group plc, has awarded options to members of its management team.
UK - Alchemy leads race for Parkdean
Weekend press reports suggest that Alchemy Partners has emerged as the favourite to acquire Parkdean, the caravan parks operator.
UK - Permira to raise HMV bid, say reports
Press reports suggest that Permira is preparing a 200 pence a share revised bid for HMV, the book and music retail chain.
UK - Apax emerges as mystery House of Fraser bidder
According to press reports over the weekend, Apax Partners is preparing a bid for House of Fraser, the £300m department store.
FINLAND - Argentum invests NOK 160m in new Eqvitec fund
Norwegian Argentum has agreed to invest NOK 160m in Eqvitec Technology Fund III, which expects to raise around NOK 1.2bn.
DENMARK - VC-backed 7TM Pharma receives milestone payment
7TM Pharma has received an undisclosed milestone payment for its research into therapeutic angiogenesis in collaboration with Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals Inc.
NORDICS - Five players in battle for 'Nordic Private Equity Firm of the Year' title
Accent Equity Partners, Altor, EQT, Industri Kapital and Nordic Capital have been nominated for 'Nordic Private Equity Firm of the Year' by Financial News Private Equity News: Awards for Excellence in Private Equity - Europe 2006.
GERMANY - Permira and Goldman Sachs line up Cognis for IPO
According to press reports, Permira and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners are shortly expected to announce the IPO of Cognis, a speciality chemicals company.
GERMANY - Gilde portfolio firm signs licensing deal with pharma investor
Munich-based IDEA AG has announced that Celtic Pharmaceutical Holdings LP, an international private equity firm focused on the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, has acquiredthrough its subsidiary TDT an exclusive global licence to IDEA’s...
FRANCE - PPM buys jewellers from Apax
PPM Capital, a mid-market private equity specialist, has reached an agreement in principle to acquire Histoire d'Or, a leading French jewellery distributor, from a group of investors led by Apax Partners for a consideration of EUR 230m. The transaction...