Deals
UK private equity house Maven Capital Partners (Maven) has completed a GBP1.6 million investment in BioAscent Discovery Limited (BioAscent), an integrated drug discovery services business.
The funding will enable BioAscent to significantly expand its service offering, adding complementary chemistry and biology services and capitalise on the growing trend towards the outsourcing of drug discovery activities. The funding will support the creation of 10 new jobs, including in highly skilled scientific positions, and fund additional laboratory space.
BioAscent has recently assembled a team of expert biologists and medicinal chemists that have a track record of taking drugs from concept to
European private equity deal-makers have put the brakes on their frenetic exit pace, with the EUR100 billion-plus generated in each of the last four years from divestments now falling to just EUR39.9 billion for the first six months of 2018, according to provisional H1 data from the CMBOR at Imperial College Business School, sponsored by Equistone Partners Europe and Investec Specialist Bank.
The sum sees the overall value of exits in Europe drop by nearly a third (30 per cent) from EUR56.9 billion in H2 2017, though it was a half of two quarters, with EUR25.8 billion completed in
A Million Ads, a London-based start-up making digital audio advertising more relevant and context-aware, has raised GBP2.3 million in seed funding.
A Million Ads, which was founded by CEO Steve Dunlop, is a platform for producers and creatives to quickly and easily build millions of versions of an advertisement. The platform leverages information known about consumers, the brand and a campaign to influence the creative of the ad, such as the music, voice-over or sound effects. The result is highly relevant ads, which are delivered real-time, reducing noise for consumers. The ads are more context-aware, creating a more pleasant listening
WillScot Corporation (Williams Scotsman), a provider of innovative modular space and portable storage solutions across North America, is to acquire Modular Space Holdings for an enterprise value of approximately USD1.1 billion.
Williams Scotsman will indirectly acquire MS Holdings for a purchase price comprising USD1,063,750,000 of cash consideration, 6,458,500 shares of WSC Class A common stock and warrants to purchase 10,000,000 shares of WSC Class A common stock at an exercise price of USD15.50 per share, subject to customary adjustments. The transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to close in the third quarter of 2018.
ModSpace,
Private equity firm OpenGate Capital has completed the sale of one of its legacy, pre-fund investments, NorPaper Group (NorPaper), to Gemayel Freres & Chaoui Industriel Group, a Lebanon-based business specialised in recycled corrugated cardboard and packaging products.
Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.
OpenGate Capital acquired NorPaper from Canadian paper conglomerate, Cascades, in 2011. NorPaper is a leading producer of white top testliner paper that is sold to European packaging manufacturers. Realising an opportunity to increase capacity within NorPaper, OpenGate completed an accretive, add-on acquisition in February of 2015 of DS Smith Packaging Papeterie de Nantes SAS
AnaCap Financial Partners’ (AnaCap) AnaCap Credit Opportunities III has acquired a portfolio of UK 2nd lien performing and non-performing mortgage consumer loans from Welcome Financial Services (Welcome).
This transaction represents AnaCap’s third acquisition of assets from Welcome since August 2015, totalling over GBP250 million in aggregate. AnaCap’s reputation and long track record acquiring and managing both performing and non-performing debt portfolios, often working with repeat sellers, enabled a seamless completion of this transaction.
AnaCap’s best-in-class digital platform and deeply embedded expertise in consumer finance facilitated the granular analysis of over 19,000+ accounts included in this most recent portfolio
Foresight Autonomous Holdings, a specialist in automotive vision systems, has raised USD5.5 million through a private placement agreement with Harel Insurance, an Israeli institutional investor.
Following the closing of the private placement, Harel Insurance will hold an aggregate of approximately 8.15 per cent of Foresight’s issued share capital.
Foresight, subject to customary closing conditions, will issue 9,756,097 ordinary shares at a price per share of NIS 2.05 (approximately USD0.56 per ordinary share, or USD2.81 per ADS). In addition, Foresight agreed to issue warrants to purchase 9,756,097 ordinary shares at an exercise price of USD0.80 per share (approximately USD4 per
BGF has invested GBP3 million of growth capital into Cardiff-headquartered DevOpsGroup, a UK professional services company specialising in DevOps engineering consultancy and training.
This deal represents BGF’s first investment in Wales since it announced the launch of its Cardiff office earlier this year.
Founded in 2013 by chief executive James Smith and CTO Steve Thair, DevOpsGroup empowers digital transformation through high-performing IT capabilities for both enterprises, including ASOS, Admiral Insurance, BAE Systems, and Vodafone, and scale-ups.
In five years, the business has grown to a team of 70 specialists, based in Cardiff and London, with revenues of more
Twin Brook Capital Partners has served as sole lead arranger and administrative agent of USD17.5 million of financing to support Sterling Partners’ leveraged buyout of Academic Programs International (API).
API will now look to expand its safe, high-quality education abroad programs and services to as many US students as possible.
Of the nearly 20 million college-aged students in America, less than 330,000 go to another country each year to study, teach, work, intern, or volunteer. With expanded resources, API can offer universities new technology, innovative programming, and additional education products to help more students have diverse academic and cultural
KKR is to acquire a 49.99 per cent stake in new tower company, SFR TowerCo. The deal is subject to regulatory approvals in France and is expected to close in Q4 2018.
SFR TowerCo will comprise of 10,198 sites across France currently operated by SFR. KKR’s financial and operational support will help drive the continued growth and development of the company’s portfolio, strengthening its position as a leading telecom infrastructure provider in France. The transaction will give SFR TowerCo an enterprise value of EUR3.6 billion.
Under the terms of the deal, KKR and Altice France will partner to develop
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