Lion Capital has been granted a period of exclusivity ina bid to reach a definitive agreement to acquire European optical retailer Alain Affelou in conjunction with Mr Alain Affelou and management of the Group. Alain Affelou will commence the communication and consultation process with employee representatives this week. This should

Ingenious Clean Energy, a division of UK based investment and advisory group Ingenious, has successfully closed its pioneering Ingenious Energy Efficiency EIS Fund, exceeding its GBP10m target fund raise. The fund, which is the first of its kind in the UK, has been launched in collaboration with the Investment Advisors

Business Growth Fund (BGF) and NVM Private Equity (NVM) have committed GBP10m of growth capital to acquisitive Northern pub chain, Wear Inns.  BGF has invested GBP8m and NVM has invested a further GBP2m in the business, which it has backed since start-up in 2006.  BGF will take a minority stake

AXA Private Equity, a European diversified private equity firm, will arrange a EUR22 million mezzanine tranche alongside Euromezzanine to support the acquisition of Stokomani by Sagard, the French investment fund. Stokomani is being acquired by Sagard from Advent International, a leading global buyout firm. The transaction is expected to complete

The Aureos Southern Africa Fund LLC (ASAF) has sold its stake in South African brick and clinker aggregate manufacturing group, SA Block (Pty) Ltd. SA Block manufactures bricks and clinker aggregate from clinker, the ash by-product produced when coal is burnt for electricity, thereby recycling what would otherwise be environmental

Lyceum Capital-backed energy consultancy firm M&C Energy Group is set to be sold to trade buyer Schneider Electric, a French-headquartered multinational energy management company.   Contracts have been exchanged and the deal, which is subject to customary regulatory approvals, is expected to complete in Q2 2012.   M&C was acquired

Kayne Partners Fund has partnered with Airborne Biometrics Group (FaceFirst). Kayne Partners is the growth private equity group of Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors, a USD15 billion alternative investment firm. This investment in FaceFirst is Kayne Partners’ third investment in the last two months. Founded in 2007, FaceFirst has developed an

HgCapital, the European sector-focused private equity investor, has acquired Qundis Group, a German foremost provider of submetering devices and systems for consumption-dependent billing of heat and water. HgCapital will acquire the company from financial investor Capcellence and Qundis management team, pending approval by the antitrust authorities. The Qundis management team

Sagard, Jean Jacques Namani (President of Stokomani) and his management team have signed an agreement to acquire, from Advent International, Stokomani, the leading French discount wholesaler of leading brands. This transaction should be finalised by June 2012. The value of the transaction was undisclosed. For over 50 years, Stokomani has