Mattel is to acquire HIT Entertainment for USD680 million in cash from a consortium led by Apax Partners funds. HIT Entertainment owns a global portfolio of popular preschool brands, including Thomas & Friends®, Barney, Bob the Builder, Fireman Sam and Angelina Ballerina. With more than USD180 million of revenues, HIT

CDC Group plc (CDC), the UK’s development finance institution (DFI), has announced a new USD50 million investment in the first-ever equity investment fund to focus on the very poorest parts of India. CDC is an anchor investor in the Pragati Venture and Incubator Fund (‘Pragati’) and has played a significant

Aura Capital, a Finnish venture capital firm, has divested its share in Fromdistance, a device management software company, to the American-based Numara Software. Aura Capital invested in Fromdistance in 2008.    Fromdistance, founded in 2004, is a software company specialised in device management and sophisticated mobile applications for business use.

Private equity investment firm ClearLight Partners is to sell 100% of Switchcraft Holdco, Inc to HEICO Corporation. Financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. Founded in 1946, Switchcraft is a premier designer and manufacturer of high-performance electronic connectors, cable assemblies, and other value-added products and systems used in

OMERS Private Equity, the private equity arm of the OMERS Worldwide group of companies, has partnered with existing management to purchase GEDC Super Holdings Inc. (together with its affiliates, "Great Expressions" or the "Company") from affiliates of private equity firm Audax Group. Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Bloomfield Hills,

Atlantic Street Capital, a private equity firm investing in the lower middle market, has acquired Z Wireless, a retailer of Verizon Wireless voice and data communications services operating throughout the Great Plains. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, SD, Z Wireless markets and sells a full suite of Verizon Wireless products and

Mid-market private equity firm Palamon Capital Partners has acquired a majority stake in QualitySolicitors, a leading UK brand of high-street solicitors for individuals and SMEs. Details of the transaction have not been disclosed.   QualitySolicitors was founded in 2009 with the aim of building a national legal brand focused on providing

Lithuania SME Fund managed by BaltCap, the largest private equity and venture capital investor in the Baltic countries, has invested in Impuls LTU, operator of the leading Lithuanian health and fitness club chain.  With eight gyms in Lithuania’s main towns, Impuls LTU will be the largest health club chain in

Mid-market private equity firm LDC has funded the acquisition of US based MetricTest for portfolio company Microlease, the international provider of rental and asset management services to the test equipment market. LDC originally backed the GBP30m management buyout of Microlease in 2006, investing a further GBP8.3m in 2009 to provide