The European Investment Fund (EIF) has invested in Bridges Ventures Fund III, a UK-focussed sustainable growth investor, which held its first closing at GBP72m. This is EIF’s first commitment into the impact investing segment and illustrates its willingness to support European social entrepreneurship. Bridges Ventures will target ambitious businesses across

SEI has been selected by EIG Global Energy Partners to provide an operational outsourcing solution for the firm’s alternative investment business. Given its recent spin-out from Trust Company of the West and its aggressive growth projections, EIG required a partner with a global presence as well as greater processing depth

Blue Coat Systems, a provider of Web security and WAN optimisation solutions, has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by an investor group led by San Francisco-based private equity investment firm Thoma Bravo, LLC, in a transaction valued at approximately USD1.3 billion. The Blue Coat Board of Directors

Lyceum Capital has closed its 14th deal this year with the acquisition of Kent-based commercial drainage specialist Drain Control by its portfolio company UKDN. The deal is the second major transaction in as many months for UKDN which has so far invested over GBP15 million in its market consolidation strategy.

DiGiCo Europe Limited (“DiGiCo”) has announced a GBP50 million management buyout funded by ISIS Equity Partners (ISIS). The deal allows Matrix Private Equity Partners (Matrix) to substantially realise its investment in DiGiCo in which it invested in 2007. Since that transaction, the business invested heavily in R&D, creating the highly

Caledonia Investments has invested GBP24 million in cash to acquire a 20% preferred equity interest in B&W Group Limited (“Bowers & Wilkins” or the “Company”), a well-established and rapidly growing British company which designs, manufactures and distributes high-end audio equipment.  Bowers & Wilkins has been led by Joe Atkins, its

International law firm Eversheds has advised Isis Equity Partners and management on the sale and secondary buy out of Wiggle, the online cycling and tri-sports retailer, to Bridgepoint Capital for GBP180m. Wiggle was founded in 1999 initially to sell cycling accessories but by 2003 had expanded its offer to include

An affiliate of Sun European Partners, the European adviser to Sun Capital Partners, Inc, has reached an agreement to acquire shares in German retail chain Strauss Innovation (Strauss) from The EQT Opportunity Fund. The Geringhoff family will also sell its stake. The value of the transaction has not been disclosed.

The Mezzanine team at AXA Private Equity has arranged and subscribed the financing for the acquisition of Unither Pharmaceuticals by Equistone Partners Europe. Unither is being acquired by Equistone, alongside historical shareholders ING Parcom Private Equity, CM-CIC Investment and Picardie Investment. Unither Pharmaceuticals was originally purchased in 1993 from a