Bridgepoint invests in French risk manager Forward Global
Deal values Forward Global at over €200m
Bruin Capital extends sports focus with acquisition of tech firm PlayGreen
This latest deal follows the GP's February investment in Box to Box Films, producer of Netflix hit Formula 1: Drive to Survive
BGF exits engineering design company Hydrock
The sale to NYSE-listed Stantec comes after a six-year hold
Afinum exits IT services firm FAST LTA
Summa Equity has invested in the company via its €2.3bn Article 9 Fund III
Inflexion reaps over 6x return from exit of automotive tech company
Inflexion completed eight exits in 2023, delivering gross return of 2.9x
Family law lender Level raises £10m
The capital injection comprises a £5m equity capital investment from Kendal Capital and £5m debt investment from Correlation Risk Partners
Comment: Secondary by name, not by nature
Thibaud Roulin, head of North America private equity, Pictet Alternative Advisors, explores three broad trends worth noting in private equity’s secondary market
Riverside-backed Dastex expands Nordic presence with new acquisition
The New York-headquartered GP first invested in Dastex in March 2023
Lincoln appoints valuations and opinions MD
Dr Simon von Witzleben joins the investment bank from Kroll
Operational Technology Report 2024
The 2024 Operational Technology Report - with in-depth analyses of the latest tech state of play in midmarket PE, profiles of key operational leaders, and more - is now available to download on our sister publication The Drawdown
Locate Bio attracts £9.2m in latest fundraise for LDGraft Clinical Study
Oversubscribed round included investments from existing shareholders Mercia Ventures and BGF
Ventech reaps 36x return from exit of digital music company Believe
Divestment represents France’s biggest venture capital exit of the past decade, Ventech says
Polaris takes majority stake in Swedish engineer Vinnergi
Polaris’s investment is made in partnership with management and employees
Former Monzo leader launches angel fintech fund
The $12m solo GP fund will back fintechs at pre-seed and seed stage
Goldman Sachs to buy Adler & Allan from Sun European affiliate
Sun European acquired the UK-based environment advisory firm in 2020
BGF completes multimillion-pound investment in UK-based sports marketer Eleven
Eleven plans further expansion in the US with a new office opening in 2025
Deal in Focus: Automation a priority for Nexxus Iberia’s portco Creaciones Marsanz
Nexxus Iberia’s lead partner on the investment Juan Pedro Dávila speaks to Real Deals about its majority stake in the Spanish retail equipment manufacturer
Comment: Why private equity needn’t see impact investment as binary
Clearwater's Jo Daley on why impact should be viewed not as a binary investment strategy, but a chance to identify and amplify impact-led growth
Ufenau acquires German engineer IPP
The Swiss investor backed the business through its Ufenau Fund VII
Ardian enters into exclusive negotiations for HR Path financing round
The GP first invested in the French human resources business in 2015
TDR and I Squared succeed in bid for Spanish certification firm Applus Services
The successful bidding entity, Amber Equity Company, will now enter an acceptance period for the business
Agathos backs UK surveyor Plowman Craven
Investment is the fourth from the PE firm’s Fund II
Institutional LPs reducing exposure to PE in the near term: State Street
New strategies are needed by private market sponsors to overcome macro challenges, institutional investors told State Street for its third annual private markets survey
BC Partners-backed Valtech completes take-private of Kin + Carta
The acquisition of the digital services firm follows unsuccessful bids from Apax Partners last year
GP Profile: MidEuropa’s ambitions for its 25th year
As the firm reaches a quarter century, managing partner Robert Knorr speaks to Real Deals on his ambitions for the year, and thoughts on strategy expansion and opportunities
Endless buys metal recycler Enablelink
The deal is the fifth platform investment from Endless Fund V
Apiary-backed accountancy firm Shaw Gibbs adds sixth bolt-on
The lower midmarket firm invested in Shaw Gibbs in November 2022 to support the management team’s buy-and-build strategy
Providence acquires VivaGym from Bridges
Bridges first invested in VivaGym in 2015
Beech Tree backs UK sustainable-energy consultancy
Investec provided further funding
Miura Partners backs new Spanish waste management equipment business
The deal sees the GP acquire a 20% stake in Bianna through its Impact Fund
L Catterton buys majority stake in beauty brand KIKO
The consumer has so far backed more than 30 beauty brands, including Intercos, Elemis, ETVOS, Maria Nilla and Oddity
UK regional dealflow: future growth stars?
After a lacklustre end to 2024, dealflow across the UK has enjoyed a strong start to the new year, with deal volumes up across almost all of the UK’s regions. Julian Longhurst charts the last 12 months in numbers
Midmarket stars in modest first quarter – Real Deals Data Hub
The market headwinds that led to a somewhat lacklustre end to 2023 appear to remain firmly in control into the new year, though activity in the midmarket saw a welcome boost in the period. Julian Longhurst reports
Thoma Bravo scoops up cybersecurity company Darktrace
The take-private values the company at £4.3bn
3i exits eyecare provider Nexeye to KKR
The buyer is acquiring the business primarily through its $8bn European Fund VI
Goodwin hires Travers Smith duo
Partners Ian Keefe and George Weavil join the UK private equity practice
Synova backs Synectics Solutions
The GP typically invests £15-150m into companies valued between £20m and £250m
IK Partners raises maiden continuation fund
The vehicle will allow the firm to extend its hold of Yellow Hive
BC Partners partially exits pharma CDMO Aenova Group in trade sale
BC Partners acquired the company from Bridgepoint in 2012
BGF backs UK-based human risk management platform with £3.25m
Yorkshire and Northeast investor Rob Johnson, who led on the deal, will join the portco's board
Nexxus Iberia marks debut investment from second fund
The Spanish GP has acquired a majority stake in retail equipment manufacturer Creaciones Marsanz
Mutares acquires majority stake in Sofinter
The investor expects synergies between Sofinter and its other engineering and technology portfolio companies
Neqst exits Swedish data management provider to GRO
Neqst first backed DigitalRoute in 2008, and most recently had a 94% ownership stake in the portco
British Patient Capital commits $50.8m to Evolution Technology Fund III
Evolution Equity Partners has raised $1.1bn for its latest vehicle
Mayfair Equity promotes two to partner
Managing directors Nick Keegan and Yusuf Hoballah have been inducted into partnership
Exclusive: Apiary Capital closes oversubscribed fund
Managing partner Mark Salter reveals the factors that helped the firm win LP commitments and his advice on fundraising
Raymond James bolsters private capital advisory business
Senior bankers Callie Kourniotis, Guy Hume, Michael Henningsen and Ash Rajah have joined the team in New York and London
Triton exits specialty installation company EQOS in trade sale
The sale to Eiffage Énergie Systèmes comes after a 10-year holding period
Trill Impact backs Austria-based TT medic
The portfolio company was established through the combination of three DACH family-owned businesses
Palatine exits UK specialist vehicle provider to Astatine Investment Partners
Palatine originally acquired a majority stake in NRG Group in October 2020
CapMan exits Havator to construction joint venture
The seller first invested in the portfolio company in 2010
Deal in Focus: EMH Partners eyeing up geographic expansion for newest portco
Speaking to Real Deals off the back of the firm's recent investment in Stonebranch, partner Jens Zuber says engagement with the company intensified towards the beginning of 2023
Fund in Focus: INVL’s Baltic vehicle with wider ambitions
Fund "will be the top choice for local and foreign investors who understand our region" says INVL's Deimante Korsakaite
Main exits healthtech firm Evolution in trade sale
The exit is the largest in the firm's 20-year history in terms of enterprise value
Ardian partially exits Audiotonix to PAI
The sound engineering company was acquired by Ardian in March 2020
IK Partners invests in A-Safe
The Yorkshire-based company produces polymer-based products for factories and warehouses
Seraphim Space’s sophomore venture fund holds first close
The new fund is aiming to build a portfolio of approximately 30 companies
KKR invests in Impilo-backed Immedica Pharma
Existing owner Impilo will reinvest to become an equal owner alongside KKR
Hidden gems
Dunport Capital’s Ross Morrow examines the lower midmarket – an overlooked and underappreciated segment of the private credit market
Staying competitive
MUFG’s David Rochford explains why Ireland is taking a greater role as an operational centre in the alternatives industry
Eurazeo acquires Eres Group
IK Partners has exited the French company after five years
Alternative asset classes set to see biggest increase in fundraising in 2024
Some 71% of wealth managers and institutional investors surveyed by Carne Group expect to increase their allocation to private equity by 10% or more this year
Epiris appoints Mike Ebeling as partner
He joins Epiris having spent 15 years at Goldman Sachs Private Equity
Europe’s refinancing wave
GPs struggled to refinance portco debt in last year’s choppy markets. But with interest rates expected to come down, fortunes could be improving, as Xhulio Ismalaj reports
Genesis Capital’s HP TRONIC Group buys back shares from GP
The Central European investor first backed HP TRONIC in 2017
Mutares acquires Greenview Group from Cordovan Capital and CEO
The platform investment is Mutares' fourth acquisition in 2024
Vulture: Getting your priorities right, and when internal emails go external…
The Old Bird is back with a couple more juicy morsels
RSM UK announces head of private equity
Stuart Clowser succeeds Charlie Jolly who now joins the consulting leadership team
CVC invests in HR company platform World of Talents
The deal follows an exit by Belgian investment firm Baltisse
DB AG reaps more than 3x on In-tech sale to Infosys
The German GP invested in the company in 2022
Greenpeak Partners closes inaugural continuation fund on €350m
The vehicle was led by HarbourVest Partners
Private Equity Awards 2024: Winners announced
Real Deals’ 23rd annual Private Equity Awards ceremony recognised Europe's very best private equity transactions, and the most successful firms and advisers
Deal in Focus: Progressio’s Archiva deal reflects focus on IT, but some sub-sectors ‘too fragmented’
Beatrice Capretti, partner at Milan-based Progressio, speaks to Real Deals about the "caution" required when shopping around for tech deals
Battery Ventures-backed Proemion expands industrial asset analytics platform
The German company has acquired TrendMiner for €47m
bValue raises €90m to back tech scaleups in CEE
The announcement comes a year after bValue’s first close
Wellington Management raises $385m for climate innovation fund
The private investment manager will target late-venture and early-growth companies
Unigestion strengthens secondaries practice
The asset manager has appointed Jordan Dimmock
Ardian-backed Planisware launches IPO
The software company postponed its intention to float in October last year
Herbert Smith Freehills boosts global team with 27 promotions
A total of 14 of the 27 promotions are aligned with private capital
Roundtable: Lending in times of volatility
In this discussion, we discover how lenders have kept deploying capital and supporting private equity firms in the face of stiffening market headwinds
Apax-backed Palex Medical forms European medtech platform with new add-on
Apax first invested in Palex in July 2023
Magnesium Capital raises €135m for energy-transition investments
The maiden vehicle kicked off fundraising last year
All Seas Capital invests in Reducate EdTech Group
The deal marks the GP's first investment in the Netherlands
Equistone sells work-platform lifts company Acces Industrie
During Equistone’s four-year hold the company’s headcount grew from 445 to 650 people, while revenue grew from €90m to €140m
FairCap carves out Swedish agricultural manufacturer
Transaction was "complex", involving several offices, according to FairCap
FCDE acquires French textile-fibre designer
Kermel’s management team, led by CEO Philippe Declerck, has also invested in the firm
Cairngorm Capital sells industrial specialist distributor
During the GP's holding period the business completed one acquisition
Genesis Capital acquires Hungarian automotive-distribution IT specialist
The GP aims to capitalise on the ongoing digital transformation in vehicle distribution chains
Lincoln International bolsters business services practice
The investment bank has appointed Lewis Gray as managing director
Apax acquires Zellis Group from Bain Capital
The payroll provider counts Harrods, Iceland and Jaguar among its clients
BGF pumps £6.25m into energy utility consultant Skewb
The funding will support expansion of the company’s suite of products and services
Venture Views: Two Magnolias on a mission to embrace diversity every step of the way
Real Deals' Shivani Khandekar catches up with co-founders Jessica Rasmussen and Marie Korde to understand the importance of diversity in venture capital and what makes their firm stand out
Apheon exits Italian luxury brand Visionnaire
Leopoldo and Eleonore Cavalli will reinvest in the company and continue in their positions of CEO and creative director respectively
Bowmark Capital sells UK-based digital specialist
Bowmark acquired a stake in Focus Group in 2020
Buyout behemoth CVC unveils plans for long-awaited IPO
The sponsor has announced its intention to launch an offering and list on Euronext Amsterdam in what would be one of Europe's largest IPOs
Genesis Capital’s first growth equity fund marks inaugural exit
The GP first invested in Homecare Holding in 2020
Jolt Capital appoints IR director
Zineb Semlali joins from Cathay Capital, where she supported fundraising since 2021
Beyond Capital Partners closes third fund on €180m hard-cap
The new fund will continue to acquire majority stakes in profitable DACH companies
Deal in Focus: Triton’s Norstat exit preparation started on ‘day one’
"Identify likely buyers early" is the firm's approach, Triton partner Daniel Björklund tells Real Deals
Karmijn Kapitaal invests in tree-conservation company
InvesTree is the latest addition to the firm's Dutch SME portfolio, which includes companies active in biogas, art and culture, clothing and beer