Deals
Iluka Resources has concluded an investment agreement with the private UK-based Metalysis Limited for an interest of 18.3 per cent of the company.
Metalysis has demonstrated that it is able to produce titanium powder directly from Iluka’s main high grade titanium feedstock products of rutile.
Iluka’s managing director David Robb says: “Iluka’s involvement as a major shareholder and funding partner provides Iluka shareholders with access to a new, potentially disruptive technology which is close to commercialisation, and the potential benefits of a new source of high grade titanium dioxide feedstock demand, as well as a commercial involvement in a
Ardian, formerly AXA Private Equity, has acquired a 49 per cent stake in Micropross, a provider of smart card testing solutions and communicating objects.
The transaction was completed alongside Philippe Bacle, CEO, and Max-André Lepoutre, managing director, who continue to lead the company and retain a majority stake in the company.
Founded in 1979 in Lille, France, Micropross supplies products and solutions for the smartcard industry.
Following a 2008 management buy-out led by Bacle and Lepoutre, Micropross has enjoyed a strong period of growth. Eighty per cent of the group’s sales now achieved outside France.
Bacle says:
Polaris Private Equity has signed an agreement to acquire Louis Poulsen Lighting, a supplier of architectural lighting, and the company’s subsidiaries.
Louis Poulsen manufactures and sells lighting fixtures – including the iconic “PH” lamps – to private consumers and professionals.
The company’s current owner – Italian Targetti Sankey Group – acquired Louis Poulsen in 2007 from shareholders including Polaris, which had owned the company since 1999.
“We are pleased that, in Polaris, we have a financially strong owner with extensive knowledge of our business and the ability to give Louis Poulsen the best conditions for focusing on continued
Facebook’s announced acquisition of WhatsApp for USD16 billion is a simultaneously offensive and defensive move that will send a shiver up the spines of social platforms and telcos worldwide, according to Victor Basta (pictured), managing director of Global M&A advisory firm Magister Advisors…
Under Facebook’s ownership we can expect WhatsApp to ramp even faster, and extend its international reach even more aggressively. With the parallel sale of Viber to Rakuten, this means that two major ‘over the top’ messaging companies have traded hands into much larger players.
The WhatsApp deal is a conquest of another emerging platform by Facebook
An affiliate of Sun European Partners has acquired Applied Drilling Technology International (ADTI), an offshore project management business focused on North Sea well design, construction and completion services.
The business was acquired from Transocean for an undisclosed value.
Established in the UK in 1991, ADTI has managed approximately 370 wells and 180 completions in Northwest Europe, with an emphasis on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS). The company currently employs 84 professionals and support staff, which allows its customers to completely outsource their offshore drilling and completion operations.
The company, based in Aberdeen, Scotland, operates its business through five
Private equity firm Court Square Capital Partners has acquired a majority interest in AFS Technologies, a provider of software solutions for the consumer packaged goods industry.
The investment, in partnership with current AFS management, provides growth capital as well as capital for future acquisitions.
“For AFS customers and employees, having Court Square as a financial partner will provide capital to accelerate our investment in current technology and solutions, as well as continue to grow through acquisitions. Strategic acquisitions help accelerate our offerings and provide global support for our customers,” says Kurien Jacob, CEO of AFS Technologies. “This investment by Court
Mid-market private equity provider LDC has completed the sale of its stake in Benson Group in a GBP100m deal with Graphic Packaging International.
LDC took a significant stake in Benson Group in December 2011.
Based across four production sites, Benson Group is a supplier of printed folding carton board packaging to the food retail sector. The business also has a major presence in the healthcare market, as a manufacturer of cartons, patient information leaflets and labels for pharmaceutical customers in the UK and Europe.
Benson Group’s customer base includes Two Sisters Food Group, Reckitt Benckiser, Greencore and Samworth
Middle market private equity firm Wynnchurch Capital has sold Android Industries to a buyer group consortium principally led by Mitsui & Co (USA), Dundee Corporation, Rick Renaud and management.
The company will continue to be led by the current executive management team. Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.
Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, Android specialises in outsourced complex modular assembly and sequencing for the automotive industry, and related supply chain logistics. It provides assembly services for a variety of chassis and interior modules, including tyre and wheel, engine, suspension, instrument panels and consoles, across 16 plants in
TradeRiver Finance is to increase the level of funding it will make available to UK SMEs following an investment from GLI Finance (GLIF).
The investment, which is in the form of equity and debt to the total of GBP2.8m, enables TradeRiver to accelerate its growth plans and offer trade finance solutions to more UK businesses.
TradeRiver is a non-bank online funding solution which finances trade, both cross-border and in the UK. The company provides businesses with finance to purchase goods and services through a convenient online platform. GLIF will be the first institutional/trade investor into TradeRiver.
SMEs are increasingly
JTC Group has formed alliance partnerships with two firms within the EU to widen its geographical reach.
The alliances are with Trust Company Amsterdam in the Netherlands, which has a strong focus on corporate structuring work, and Aspen Trust Group in Cyprus, which provides a range of services to both private and corporate clients, including structuring cross-border solutions.
JTC Group chairman and chief executive Nigel Le Quesne (pictured) says: “Our ‘Alliance Partner’ strategy is to extend our international reach and provide additional services to our worldwide client base. There is a growing trend for clients to seek flexible, multi-jurisdictional
Events
12 November, 2026 – 8:00 am
12 November, 2026 – 5:00 pm
