Ontex, a European private label hygienic disposables manufacturer, has been sold to GS Capital Partners and investment funds managed by TPG Capital for EUR1.2bn. This deal is the largest ever private equity transaction in Belgium. The transaction, which is subject to customary regulatory approvals, is expected to be completed before

NBTY, a manufacturer and marketer of nutritional supplements, has signed a definitive merger agreement under which The Carlyle Group will acquire NBTY in a transaction valued at USD3.8bn. Under the terms of the merger agreement, Carlyle will acquire all of the outstanding common shares of NBTY for USD55.00 per share

Private equity firm Riverside has acquired Tropikal, an Istanbul, Turkey-based pet food company. Tropikal began as a distributor for international pet care brands like Sport Mix, Pro Pac and Beaphar. In 2005, the company became the first domestic pet food producer in Turkey and launched its own product range when

HarbourVest Global Private Equity, a closed-end investment company, had an estimated economic net asset value of USD709.4m or USD8.55 per share as at 30 June 2010.  This represents a 1.1 per cent decrease from the 31 May 2010 estimated economic NAV per share of USD8.64.  This change resulted from a

Atlassian, a Sydney-based provider of software tools for streamlining product development, has closed a USD60m investment from Accel Partners for a minority equity position. Rich Wong (pictured), partner at Accel Partners, will join Atlassian’s board of directors. The funds will help Atlassian expand into Europe and Asia, while additional focus

Venture capitalists in the US expect their industry to contract while those in emerging markets, including China, India and Brazil, expect to see their ecosystem expand over the next five years, according to the 2010 Global Venture Capital Survey by Deloitte and the National Venture Capital Association. According to the

Newton, an operational and financial improvement specialist in Europe, believes current market conditions have created an opportunity for private equity portfolio companies to deliver value and efficiencies. During the depths of a recession, some companies go under and this sets up a new marketplace dynamic that only really reveals itself

LLR Partners, a middle market private equity firm with over USD1.4bn under management, has provided over USD35m of growth equity to IOD of Green Bay, Wisconsin. IOD is a provider of release of information, scanning and imaging, EMR conversion, and other information services to hospitals and medical clinics across the

E-Trader Group, founded by serial entrepreneur Harvey Sinclair and ex net-a-porter finance director Murray Salmon, has secured second round funding from its existing backer MMC Ventures to support the growth of the business. E-Trader has also appointed John Morris as chief operating officer. Morris joins with a wealth of online

Nogales Investors, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm, has made a USD6m follow-on investment in its portfolio company Naartjie Kids, a branded retailer for children’s clothing. This follows Nogales’ USD15m growth equity investment made in 2008 to expand the company’s store base beyond the western US and capitalise on the