Deals
Rutland Partners has completes a GBP85 million investment in Maplin Electronics, the UK electronics retail chain.
Having started in 1972 as a small mail order business, Maplin has grown considerably over the years and has established itself as a national electronics chain with over 210 stores across the UK and Ireland.
After a challenging few years, a new management team was introduced in 2012, led by John Cleland, chief executive, to reposition the business. In particular, they have refreshed the store experience, invested in a new web platform and refocused the business on innovation and 'first in, last out'
A private equity consortium led by Ethos Private Equity has acquired approximately 80 per cent of the RTT Group for an undisclosed sum.
Other key shareholders in the consortium are African Development Partners II, a private equity fund advised by Development Partners International (DPI), and the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF), represented by the Public Investment Corporation (PIC).
RTT’s current senior management team and a black empowerment staff trust will hold the remainder of RTT’s share capital.
Freddy Moore, RTT Group chief executive, says: “My management team and I are delighted to be partnering with our new shareholders.
Arma Partners acted as exclusive financial advisor to Rule Financial on its sale to GFT Technologies, a Frankfurt Stock Exchange-listed provider of IT services to the financial services industry.
Rule is a specialist in the provision of business consultancy, IT consultancy and IT services to the global investment banking industry.
Rule’s clients include nine of the top 10 global investment banks.
Rule has over 800 employees around the world focused on servicing the needs of the financial services sector.
The Association of the Luxembourg Fund Industry (ALFI) and the Asset Management Association of China (AMAC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) designed to deepen their collaboration.
The agreement focuses on developing activities to create mutually beneficial opportunities for the fund industries in both countries.
Luxembourg is the second largest investment fund industry in the world after the US and a valuable partner for the Chinese asset management industry in its strive to diversify internationally.
The agreement was signed in Beijing by Marc Saluzzi, chairman of ALFI, and Sun Jie, chairman of AMAC, on the sidelines of
Kingdom Holding Company (KHC) and PineBridge Investments Middle East are to establish a joint venture platform to invest in direct private equity opportunities in Africa.
The MOU was signed by both Dr Adel Alsayed, KHC’s executive director for private equity and international investments, and Talal Al Zain, chief executive officer of PineBridge Investments Middle East.
The joint venture between KHC and PineBridge Middle East will invest in African companies, in response to rising investor demand for exposure to the continent’s fast growing economies. Key focus sectors include manufacturing, consumer driven sectors, infrastructure, financial services and other sectors.
Prince Alwaleed Bin
Oakley Capital Corporate Finance (OCCF) has advised ISIS Equity Partners on its GBP45 million secondary buyout of Metronet (UK) from Lloyds Development Capital.
The OCCF team, led by James Chapman-Andrews and supported by Anthony Yaneza, provided full M&A advisory services to ISIS throughout the deal and ran a competitive leveraged debt process simultaneously.
Based in Manchester, Metronet (UK) is a business only internet services provider that combines wireless technology with traditional fibre to deliver connectivity solutions from leased lines to complex, multi-site networks across the UK. The company has over 1,200 customers including Laing O’Rourke, Autotrader, Capgemini and Umbro.
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) has invested in Afriflora, a Dutch company operating in Ethiopia with 450 hectares of land and 8,700 employees and the world's largest producer of fair trade roses.
The deal is the US private equity firm’s first in Africa.
The Barnhoorn family, a father and his two sons, will remain active as management after the transaction.
Marktlink Mergers & Acquisitions advised the Barnhoorn family in the course of this transaction.
During the entire process, Marktlink had a coordinating role, including advising the Barnhoorn family on finding the right investor. Marktlink was responsible for the
BC Partners portfolio company Mergermarket Group has acquired Perfect Information, the London-headquartered provider of global workflow solutions and financial information for investment banks and corporate finance advisory professionals, for GBP26 million.
Founded in 1991 as the first online provider of original corporate filings, Perfect Information offers a suite of digital subscription-only products to around 17,000 users in 42 countries.
The group’s core products include:
· PI Navigator and newly-created Filings Expert, a corporate finance and capital markets database providing access to 18 million filings for 50,000 companies worldwide. Filings Expert launched in Q1 2014, upgrading PI Navigator users
DKG Group has obtained USD10 million in a new round of fundraising, which raised its net worth to an estimated value of USD800 million.
Private equity firm CPC, KGV venture group and DAG Asia investment advisors have jointly invested.
DKG Group has targeted its listing onto the preferred exchanges in Europe, and intends to raise USD85 million. With an approximate total issued share of 100 million shares (excluding underwriters’ over-allotments), DKG Group will have a market capitalisation of USD500 million to USD800 million.
DKG’s future development and growth will be focused on gaming and leisure, while the O2O
Alter Domus has completed the acquisition of Vigel & Associés, based in Paris, France.
Vigel & Associés specialises in providing accounting, tax compliance and administration services principally for real estate firms but also for private equity, corporate and private client structures for both international and local French clients.
The firm was founded in 2002 by Claude Vigel and comprises of 17 people, who will all join Alter Domus as part of the acquisition. Vigel will head up the Alter Domus overall operations in France.
Laurent Vanderweyen, chief executive officer of Alter Domus says: “The acquisition of Vigel &
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