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Candover makes 2.5 times return on Swedish company Thule
31/05/2007. European buy-out firm Candover has sold Malmö, Sweden-headquartered Thule Group to Nordic Capital Fund VI. The sale represents a return of 2.5 times Candover's original investment and an IRR of more than 40 per cent, according to a statement. Other financial details have not been disclosed. 
Geoffroy Dubus to head GIMV's French ICT investment activities
31/05/2007. Benelux venture capital firm GIMV has appointed Geoffroy Dubus to their team. Dubus will lead the French ICT investment activities and establish GIMV's new office in France.
Advent International opens office in Prague, headed by Chris Mruck
31/05/2007. Buy-out firm Advent International has opened an office in Prague. The Prague team will be responsible for the firm's investment activities in the Czech and Slovak Republics and in Hungary.
Zurmont Madison Private Equity holds first closing on CHF72m
31/05/2007. Zurich-based Zurmont Madison Management has held a first closing on its new fund, Zurmont Madison Private Equity, on CHF72m (approximately €44m). The new fund is expected to raise a total of CHF250m. It will focus on investments in mid-market industrial and consumer goods companies in Switzerland, Germany and Austria.
Madison Dearborn to buy CDW for $7.3bn
30/05/2007. The US PC and technology supplier CDW Corporation has signed a definitive merger agreement to be acquired by Chicago-based private equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners in a deal valued at approximately $7.3bn.
HM Capital to exit Swift in Latin American trade sale
30/05/2007. HM Capital Partners is to sell their stake in food processing firm Swift & Company to J&F Participações of Brazil in an all-cash transaction representing an enterprise value of approximately $1.4bn.
Trimaran Capital Partners hires Robaina as managing director and general counsel
30/05/2007. New York-headquartered Trimaran Capital Partners has appointed Alberto Robaina as managing director and general counsel. Robaina will be responsible for legal and administrative matters for the firm's private equity business and for Trimaran Advisors, the firm's fixed income management business.
Bridgepoint buys Global Design Technologies from Stirling Square
30/05/2007. European private equity firm Bridgepoint has acquired aerospace component supplier Global Design Technologies from Stirling Square Capital Partners in a transaction totalling $343m.
CapVest to sell Vaasan & Vaasan to Lion Capital
30/05/2007. UK-based mid-market buy-out firm CapVest has agreed to sell Vaasan & Vaasan, a producer and distributor of branded bakery products in Finland, Sweden and the Baltic region, to fellow UK firm Lion Capital.
Highland Capital Partners hires Hugh Simons as COO
30/05/2007. Venture capital firm Highland Capital Partners has appointed Hugh Simons as COO. In his new role, Simons is expected to strengthen and drive the firm's planned expansion into Europe and Asia. He will also continue the strategic development of the firm's investment strategies and organisational structure.
KKR, CVC Asia Pacific reportedly leave Coles consortium
30/05/2007. Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and CVC Asia Pacific have reportedly left the consortium trying to acquire Australian retailer Coles Group.
Terra Firma buys Pegasus Aviation Finance Company for $5.2bn
29/05/2007. Terra Firma's aircraft leasing platform AWAS has acquired San Francisco-headquartered Pegasus Aviation Finance Company from Oaktree Capital Management and Pegasus management for $5.2bn. Pegasus provides capital to airlines for new deliveries and fleet management solutions.
Actis to sell power assets in Latin America, North Africa, Asia
29/05/2007. Emerging markets private equity investor Actis has reached agreements to sell operating power businesses in Latin America, North Africa and Asia. The power businesses are owned by Globeleq, a company 100 per cent owned by CDC Group. Actis manages CDC's investment in Globeleq.
Amanda Capital closes fund of funds for Eastern Europe on €110m
29/05/2007. Helsinki-based Amanda Capital has closed its latest fund of funds, Amanda III Eastern Private Equity, on €110m. The fund had an original target of €100m. A total of 36 domestic and international investors have committed to the new fund.
French firm AXA Private Equity sells Larivière to SIG for €300m
25/05/2007. France-based AXA Private Equity, a subsidiary of AXA Investment Managers, has sold Larivière, a distributor of roofing products in France, to Sheffield, UK-headquartered construction services company SIG for €300m.
Geoff McKay to join Vulcan Capital
25/05/2007. Vulcan Capital has appointed Geoff McKay as a managing director in its private equity group. McKay will report to Vulcan Capital president Lance Conn and be responsible, along with managing director David Capobianco, for identifying and overseeing new investment opportunities.
ECP closes $523m private equity fund for Africa
25/05/2007. Emerging Capital Partners, a private equity firm focused on investing across the African continent, has closed its EMP Africa Fund II on $523m.
3i sells Hayley Conference Centres in £358m transaction
25/05/2007. Permira-owned Principal Hotels has acquired Hayley Conference Centres from its founding management team and 3i for £358m. 3i originally invested £41m in Hayley in September 2005.
Brynwood Partners V buys Turtles brand from Nestlé
25/05/2007. Brynwood Partners V has agreed to acquire the Turtles confectionery brand from Nestlé USA, through a newly formed company, DeMet's Candy Company.
Nomura closes Nomura European Mezzanine Fund I on €175m
24/05/2007. Tokyo-headquartered financial services group Nomura has closed its first mezzanine fund, the Nomura European Mezzanine Fund l, on €175m, which includes a 25 per cent commitment from Nomura. It will also use a senior debt facility to lever the fund, resulting in a total fund capacity of €350m.
Rutland hires Daniel Freed
24/05/2007. UK private equity firm Rutland Partners has appointed Daniel Freed. He has joined the firm's investment team. Rutland now has nine investment professionals.
CapMan Life Science IV closes on €54m
24/05/2007. CapMan Life Science IV has closed on €54m. The fund invests in medical technology and service companies, mainly in the Nordic countries.
Providence to buy Decision Resources
23/05/2007. Providence Equity Partners has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Decision Resources, a research and advisory firm focusing on pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, from Boston-based private equity firms Castanea Partners and Boston Ventures Management for an undisclosed amount.
LS Power closes LS Power Equity Partners II on $3bn
23/05/2007. The LS Power Group has closed its new fund, LS Power Equity Partners II, on $3.085bn. The original target of the fund was $2.5bn.
Wellspring adds John Morningstar as principal, William Ramsey as executive director
23/05/2007. New York-based private equity firm Wellspring Capital Management has appointed John E Morningstar as principal and William E Ramsey as executive director. Morningstar will be responsible for senior-level activities surrounding the acquisition, monitoring and sales of portfolio companies, while Ramsey's primary responsibility will be interfacing with portfolio company management teams to foster continuous improvement in operating performance.
KPS Capital Partners closes $1.2bn KPS Special Situations Fund III
23/05/2007. Special situations private equity firm KPS Capital Partners has announced a first and final closing of KPS Special Situations Fund III, a $1.2bn fund focused on controlling investments in turnarounds, restructurings, bankruptcies and other special situations. The fund's original target size was $1bn.
BC Partners to acquire Foxtons and Alexander Hall Associates
23/05/2007. BC Partners has agreed to acquire Chiswick, London, UK-headquartered estate agency Foxtons and mortgage broker group Alexander Hall Associates. The deal is reportedly worth about £400m.
TPG Capital, GS Capital Partners to acquire Alltel in $27.5bn deal
22/05/2007. TPG Capital and GS Capital Partners have agreed to acquire Alltel Corp. in a transaction valued at approximately $27.5bn. Alltel is a US wireless network operator with 12 million customers.
China's government to acquire stake in Blackstone
22/05/2007. The State Investment Company in China, a foreign exchange investment company that will soon be established by the Chinese government, has agreed to make a $3bn investment in The Blackstone Group in the form of non-voting common units.
SBI teams up with Goldman Sachs to jointly invest in Japan's mid-market
22/05/2007. Japanese financial services provider SBI Holdings has agreed with Goldman Sachs to jointly invest in mid-market companies in Japan. Under the agreement, SBI will sell 40 per cent of its buy-out and enterprise revitalisation funds unit, SBI CAPITAL Co., to Goldman Sachs.
Quadrangle opens new office in London
22/05/2007. New York-based Quadrangle Group has opened a London office to expand its private equity activities in Europe. This is the firm's first international office.
Advent to acquire Lloyds TSB Registrars for £550m
21/05/2007. Advent International has agreed to acquire Worthing, UK-headquartered share registration business Lloyds TSB Registrars from Lloyds TSB for a total consideration of £550m.
Adele Cirone Oliva joins Quaker BioVentures from Apax
21/05/2007. Quaker BioVentures, a venture capital firm dedicated to investing in life science companies in the US Mid-Atlantic region, has appointed Adele Cirone Oliva as a partner.
Blackstone to acquire Alliance Data for $7.8bn
18/05/2007. The Blackstone Group has agreed to acquire Alliance Data Systems Corporation, a Dallas-headquartered provider of loyalty and marketing solutions derived from transaction-rich data, in a transaction valued at approximately $7.8bn, including the assumption of debt. The investment will be made from Blackstone's new fund, Blackstone Capital Partners V, which is expected to close on more than $20bn later this year.
David Beisel, Ilya Levtov join Venrock to focus on media investments
18/05/2007. Venrock, a US venture capital firm originally established by the Rockefeller family, has appointed David Beisel and Ilya Levtov as vice presidents. They will focus on growing Venrock's media initiative.
Institutional Venture Partners closes $600m fund
18/05/2007. US technology venture capital firm Institutional Venture Partners has closed a new later stage venture capital fund, IVP XII, on $600m.The firm will invest its new fund in businesses operating in the communications and wireless, internet and digital media, and enterprise IT sectors.
Permira reportedly in negotiations to acquire majority stake in Valentino
18/05/2007. Permira is in exclusive negotiations with majority shareholders the Marzotto family to acquire more than 50 per cent of Valentino Fashion Group, Reuters reported. The London-based private equity firm has already bought a 29.6 per cent stake in the Group for €782.6m - or €35 per share, plus a €0.65 per share dividend.
Silver Lake, ValueAct Capital to acquire customer data integration provider Acxiom
17/05/2007. Silver Lake and ValueAct Capital have agreed to acquire 100 per cent of the outstanding equity interests in Little Rock, Arkansas-headquartered Acxiom Corporation in an all-cash transaction valued at $3bn, including the assumption of approximately $756m of debt.
Turner to lead Guardian Life Insurance Company's pe investment initiative
17/05/2007. David Turner has joined New York-based The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America as head of its private equity investment initiative. Turner will be responsible for originating and leading a broad array of investments in both established and emerging private equity partnerships.
US venture capital firm Milestone Venture Partners raises $50m for new fund
16/05/2007. New York City-based early stage venture capital firm Milestone Venture Partners has held a second closing on its latest fund, Milestone Venture Partners III, on $50m. The fund expects to hold its third and final closing on $75m in autumn. Milestone Venture Partners will continue to invest in technology-enhanced service businesses in the greater New York metropolitan area.
GTCR to sell TransFirst to Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe for $683m
16/05/2007. Chicago-based private equity firm GTCR Golder Rauner has agreed to sell TransFirst, a provider of transaction processing services and payment enabling technologies, to Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe for $683m.
Aberdeen Asset Managers Private Equity exits Plaxton
16/05/2007. Aberdeen Asset Managers Private Equity has sold luxury coach and bus manufacturer Plaxton Holdings to Alexander Dennis for an undisclosed amount. The sale represents a full exit for Aberdeen's investors and generates a return of in excess of 2.6 times the cost of the original investment, according to a statement.
CapMan appoints Jukka Härmälä as senior advisor
16/05/2007. CapMan has appointed Jukka Härmälä as senior advisor. Härmälä retired from his position as CEO of Stora Enso at the end of March 2007.
Exponent sells TSL Education to Charterhouse Capital Partners
16/05/2007. London-based buy-out firm Exponent Private Equity has sold UK educational publisher TSL Education to Charterhouse Capital Partners for an undisclosed amount.
Mekong Capital launches $100m Vietnam Azalea Fund
16/05/2007. Mekong Capital has launched its third fund, the $100m Vietnam Azalea Fund. An initial closing is expected to occur on or around 31 May 2007, according to a statement.
Allianz Capital Partners buys Selecta
16/05/2007. Compass Group has agreed to sell its European vending business, Selecta, to a company managed by Allianz Capital Partners for a consideration of £772.5m on a debt and cash free basis, subject to customary closing adjustments.
Graphite closes seventh UK mid-market fund on £475m
16/05/2007. UK mid-market private equity firm Graphite Capital has closed its seventh fund, Graphite Capital Partners VII, on £475m. In addition, the firm also raised a co-investment fund of £80m for the purpose of investing alongside CP VII in selected larger transactions.
Warburg Pincus to acquire Bausch & Lomb in $4.5bn transaction
16/05/2007. Warburg Pincus has agreed to acquire Rochester, New York-headquartered eye health company Bausch & Lomb in a transaction valued at approximately $4.5bn, including approximately $830m of debt.
Venture capital investment up in Québec in Q1 2007
16/05/2007. Venture capital investment in Québec increased to $175m in Q1 2007 from $116m invested at the same time last year, according to Réseau Capital and Thomson Financial.
CAM Private Equity establishes Swiss subsidiary, appoints Brenninkmeijer
15/05/2007. German fund of funds manager CAM Private Equity has established a Swiss subsidiary, based in Zurich. CAM Private Equity Schweiz is run by Benedickt Brenninkmeijer.
Asia Alternatives Capital Partners closes on $515m
15/05/2007. Asian private equity fund of funds manager Asia Alternatives has closed Asia Alternatives Capital Partners on $515m, well above its original target of $350m.
KKR hires Shusaku Minoda as co-CEO of Japan operations
15/05/2007. Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. has appointed Shusaku Minoda as a managing director of KKR and co-CEO of the firm's Japan operations.
Apax, OMERS to acquire Thomson Learning higher education assets for $7.75bn
14/05/2007. Apax Partners and OMERS Capital Partners have agreed to acquire the higher education, career learning and library reference assets of Thomson Learning and Nelson Canada from The Thomson Corporation for a combined total value of approximately $7.75bn.
Welsh, Carson and Carlyle to sell USIS to Providence
14/05/2007. Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe and The Carlyle Group have agreed to sell USIS to US media and communications buy-out specialist Providence Equity Partners for approximately $1.5bn.
Cerberus buys majority stake in Chrysler for $7.4bn from DaimlerChrysler
14/05/2007. New York-based private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management has agreed to acquire an 80.1 per cent equity interest in Chrysler Holding from DaimlerChrysler for $7.4bn. Chrysler Holding will own the future Chrysler Corporation, which produces and sells Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles, and the future Chrysler Financial Services, which provides financial services for these vehicles in the NAFTA region. DaimlerChrysler will hold the remaining 19.9 per cent stake in Chrysler Holding.
European venture capital investment down in first quarter, report
14/05/2007. Venture capital investment in Europe was down to €1.4bn in Q1 2007 from €1.6bn in the Q4 2006. Furthermore, several substantial exits mean that there has been a €627m net outflow of equity capital from venture-backed companies during Q1 2007, representing almost two per cent of the total, according to figures released by Library House.
Wind Point Partners buys US company RailWorks Corporation
11/05/2007. US private equity investment firm Wind Point Partners has acquired New York-based RailWorks Corporation in partnership with RailWorks president and CEO Jeffrey M Levy and other members of the management team.
Terra Firma buys Pegasus Aviation Finance Company for $5.2bn
11/05/2007. Terra Firma's aircraft leasing platform AWAS has acquired San Francisco-headquartered Pegasus Aviation Finance Company from Oaktree Capital Management and Pegasus management for $5.2bn. Pegasus provides capital to airlines for new deliveries and fleet management solutions.
Greenhill Capital Partners Europe holds first closing on £106m
11/05/2007. Greenhill & Co. has completed the first closing of its first European mid-market buy-out fund, Greenhill Capital Partners Europe, on £106m. The firm expects to close the fund on around £200m by the end of this year.
Teachers' Private Capital opens first international office in London
11/05/2007. Teachers' Private Capital, the private investment arm of the CAN$106bn Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, has opened an office in London, its first office outside of Canada.
Halder sells door manufacturer PRÜM-GARANT Holding
11/05/2007. Mid-market buy-out firm Halder Beteiligungsberatung has sold its majority stake in PRÜM-GARANT Holding, a German interior doors and door frames manufacturer, to Swiss industrial company Looser Holding for an undisclosed amount. Halder did not release detailed return information but told AltAssets that it had made an 'above average' return.
Lyceum sells Coperion to Deutsche Beteiligungs AG for €300m
10/05/2007. UK-based Lyceum Capital, formerly known as West Private Equity, has sold Stuttgart, Germany-based Coperion Group to Deutsche Beteiligungs AG, a German private equity firm, for €300m.
MSBi Capital hires Francois Gauvin, John Elton as partners
10/05/2007. MSBi Capital, a Canadian venture capital fund that specialises in sectors including software, semiconductor, medical devices, biopharmaceuticals, cleantech and advanced technologies, has appointed Francois Gauvin and John Elton as partners. Gauvin will also be MSBi's new CFO.
H.I.G. hires Boughner as managing director, Baumstark as entrepreneur-in-residence
09/05/2007. Hank Boughner has joined H.I.G. Ventures, the venture capital affiliate of H.I.G. Capital, as managing director and John Baumstark has joined as entrepreneur-in-residence. Both will take active roles in the overall strategy of the fund as well as the development of portfolio companies.
US venture capital firm Sofinnova hires Bill Ringo as executive-in-residence
09/05/2007. Sofinnova Ventures, a San Francisco-based venture capital firm investing in early stage life science and IT companies, has appointed Bill Ringo as executive-in-residence. As part of the life science team, Ringo will help start new pharmaceutical companies and support existing portfolio companies.
European venture capital investment in Q1 down on quarter, down on year
09/05/2007. Venture capital investment into European in the first quarter of this year was down to €1.07bn invested in 207 financings from the €1.21bn invested in 233 deals in Q1 2006 and also down from the €1.18bn invested in 226 deals in Q4 2006, according to the quarterly European Venture Capital Report released by Dow Jones VentureOne and Ernst & Young.
Natural Gas Partners sells interest in Energy Transfer
09/05/2007. Energy investment firm Natural Gas Partners has sold approximately 55 per cent of its stake in Energy Transfer Equity and the majority of its equity interests in LE GP, the general partner of ETE, to Enterprise GP Holdings (NYSE:EPE) for a total purchase price of approximately $744m, reflecting a per unit share price of $42.
HgCapital buys French wind farm portfolio from ENERTRAG for €69m
09/05/2007. European mid-market private equity investor HgCapital has acquired a French wind farm portfolio from Germany's ENERTRAG for €69m. The portfolio consists of four wind farms located in the Picardy region of France using 23 Enercon-manufactured turbines with a total capacity of 47.5 megawatts.
Fortress holds $2.84bn first closing on new private equity fund
08/05/2007. New York-headquartered Fortress Investment Group has completed a first closing on its latest private equity funds with third-party commitments of approximately $2.84bn. The fund is ultimately expected to have approximately $5bn of capital commitments.
Industri Kapital to sell Elektrokoppar to Liljedahlsbolagen
08/05/2007. The Industri Kapital 1997 Fund has agreed to sell 100 per cent of its shares in the Elektrokoppar group, a European manufacturer of copper wire rod and winding wire, to Liljedahlsbolagen.
Orlando Italy's special situations fund closes on €180m
08/05/2007. Orlando Italy, a Milan-based private equity firm focused on special situations investments in Italy, has closed Orlando Italy Special Situations SICAR S.C.A. on €180m. The original target of the fund was €150m.
Swedish Segulah hires Percy Calissendorff as partner
04/05/2007. Stockholm, Sweden-based Segulah has appointed Percy Calissendorff, a Swedish national with about ten years of private equity experience and four years of investment banking experience, as a partner.
Earlybird IV holds first closing on €65m
04/05/2007. Earlybird has held a first closing on its latest fund, Earlybird IV, on €65m. The fund is expected to hold a final closing on €200m by the end of this year. Its focus is on deals in Europe.
Doughty Hanson Fund V closes on €3bn
04/05/2007. European private equity firm Doughty Hanson & Co has closed its latest private equity fund, Doughty Hanson V, on €3bn, the target of the fund.
CVC Capital Partners, PAI Partners submit offer for Spanish tobacco group Altadis
04/05/2007. CVC Capital Partners and PAI Partners have offered to acquire Altadis for €12.8bn. Shareholders would receive €50 per share. Altadis is a major cigarettes company in Spain.
CD&R in two new mega deals
03/05/2007. In the first transaction, New York and London-based Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. have agreed to acquire U.S. Foodservice from Royal Ahold for $7.1bn. Funds affiliated with CD&R and KKR are equal partners in the transaction. The second deal is CD&R's agreement to sell VWR International to Madison Dearborn Partners for an undisclosed amount.
Cinven to sell Klöckner Pentaplast to Blackstone for €1.3bn
03/05/2007. European private equity firm Cinven and its minority partner, JPMorgan Partners (CCMP Capital Advisors manages their investment), have agreed to sell Klöckner Pentaplast, a Germany-based manufacturer of rigid plastic films, to The Blackstone Group for €1.3bn.
Benchmark appoints Dave Goldberg as entrepreneur-in-residence
03/05/2007. Early-stage high-technology venture capital firm Benchmark Capital has appointed Dave Goldberg, former vice president and general manager of Yahoo! Music, and co-founder and former CEO of LAUNCH Media, as an entrepreneur-in-residence.
Skyline Ventures opens new office in Boston
02/05/2007. Skyline Ventures, a US venture capital firm focused on medical devices and life sciences, has announced that it will open a satellite office in Boston. Skyline has also announced that Dr Stephen J Hoffman has joined the firm as managing director. The addition of Dr Hoffman brings the number of investment professionals at Skyline to six.
Altamir and Amboise Investissement plan to merge
02/05/2007. Altamir & Cie and Amboise Investissement, both managed by Apax Partners SA, are planning to merge their businesses to create a listed vehicle with a market capitalisation of about €250m and a free float of more than 95 per cent. The listing of the shares of the merged entity would be transferred to Eurolist B by Euronext Paris.
ECI acquires UK healthcare software provider CliniSys for £61m
01/05/2007. UK mid-market buy-out firm ECI Partners has acquired Surrey-headquartered CliniSys for £61m, plus an earn out of up to £2m from its founding shareholders, some of whom are re-investing in the business. ECI is backing the current group CEO, Fiona Pearson, and has introduced Ken Briddon, formerly CEO of JBA, as chairman.
Riordan, Lewis & Haden closes $265m fund
01/05/2007. US mid-market private equity firm Riordan, Lewis & Haden has closed its new fund, RLH Investors II, on $265m. RLH focuses on investments in companies with revenues between $20m and $250m and headquarters located primarily in California or adjacent states.
Advent Venture Partners appoints Dr Richard Mason as executive-in-residence
01/05/2007. UK venture capital firm Advent Venture Partners has appointed Dr Richard Mason as executive-in-residence. Dr Mason will work with life sciences companies in the firm's portfolio.
Israeli high-tech companies raise $406m in Q1 2007
01/05/2007. In the first quarter of this year 121 Israeli high-tech companies raised $406m from venture investors, up 13 per cent from the $360m raised by 101 companies in the first quarter of 2006, but down 15 per cent from the previous quarter's $477m raised by 105 companies, according to the Quarterly Survey conducted by the IVC Research Center.
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