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CYP Design Ltd (CDL) has completed a seed funding round led by Mercia Fund Management (MFM) under the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS). CDL is a spin out from the Leicester School of Pharmacy, part of the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at De Montfort University (DMU). The company was founded to market new technology designed to speed up and reduce the cost of the development of new drugs and medicines.   A leading cancer studies expert at DMU, Professor Bob Chaudhuri, has invented the technology which will provide new products and services, based on a set of proteins,
High Road Capital Partners has completed the acquisition of SMB Machinery Systems, a provider of used packaging and process equipment to the food and beverage industries.  “SMB has grown to become the leading provider of used food and beverage equipment due to the company’s deep product knowledge, comprehensive service offering, and broad inventory,” says Benjamin Schnakenberg, High Road principal.  “The company is well positioned to capitalise on the proliferation of specialty beverages in both the US and emerging markets, and bring its know-how and reputation for reliability to new verticals. We look forward to working with SMB’s exceptional management team
The Abraaj Group has acquired a majority stake in Ghana Home Loans (GHL), a provider of residential mortgages in Ghana. Established in 2006, GHL, headquartered in Accra, has a primary focus on the Ghanaian residential home buyer, offering mortgages for first time buyers, as well as buy to let, equity release, refinance and home completion products. It has also supplemented traditional mortgage lending with consumer education via housing fairs and seminars.   Jacob Kholi, partner at The Abraaj Group, says: “We are pleased to be backing an experienced local management team that has grown GHL into the market leader it
Funds managed/advised by Hutton Collins Partners are to acquire Byron Hamburgers, the UK burger restaurant chain, for a consideration of GBP100m. Byron was founded by The Gondola Group in 2007 with a proposition based around a simple menu of classic hamburgers. Its restaurants are individually tailored to each particular property, locality and customer audience.    In six years, Byron has grown to 34 sites. Primarily focused on London, Byron has now expanded beyond the capital with strong openings being achieved in a number of key regional cities.   Byron’s management team, led by Tom Byng, will remain with the business.
Albion Ventures has invested GBP9.3m in partnership with Perth-based developer Green Highland Renewables (GHR) to fund the development of a single 2MW hydropower scheme on the Allt A’Chonais, close to Loch Carron in the Scottish Highlands. The scheme will benefit from the Feed-in-Tariff regime and it is expected to generate its first electricity in Q1 2015. The installation is forecast to generate an average 7GWh of electricity per year, enough to power up to 2,000 households.   This investment is Albion’s 11th investment into renewable energy and second investment into a hydroelectric scheme.   Christoph Ruedig, investment director at Albion
Henry Kravis, co-founder, KKR
KKR & Co is to acquire Avoca Capital, a European credit investment manager with approximately USD8bn in assets under management. Financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.   Founded in 2002, Avoca is an investment firm specialising in the European leveraged credit markets. Avoca invests across five strategies – European loans and bonds, credit opportunities, long/short credit, convertible bonds and structured and illiquid credit. The Avoca platform has experienced strong inflows in recent years as institutional investors seek access to credit asset classes with a focus on attractive returns and downside protection.   Henry Kravis (pictured) and George
Russia-China Investment Fund (RCIF) has completed the acquisition of a 42% stake in RFP Group (Russian forest products group). RCIF’s investment in the company will support the construction of the “Centre for deep wood processing”, the biggest in the region.   The investment by RCIF supports the company’s strategy to further develop high value-added wood processing. The company recently commenced operations of a new manufacturing facility with production of premium larch veneer for the Japanese and Chinese markets. Furthermore, the company will utilize financing from shareholders, as well as debt financing, to construct a sawnwood plant scheduled to launch in
International Fiber Corporation has acquired Fibred, a provider of premium soy fibre products for numerous food end-markets, its first acquisition since being acquired by private equity firm Arsenal Capital in August. Founded in 1898 and headquartered in Cumberland, Maryland, Fibred manufactures dietary soy fibre sold globally for use in baked goods, meats, cereal, dairy products, health foods, and many other applications. The acquisition builds on IFC's industry leading position in insoluble fibre products, and adds significant breadth to IFC's product offering and manufacturing capabilities through Fibred's unique "wet" process. Fibred's flagship product is sold under the trade name FI-1 Soy
Private equity firm ClearLight Partners has acquired a significant ownership interest in Planet Fitness franchisee, Taymax Fitness, a leading health club operator in Texas and Tennessee. Planet Fitness is the fastest-growing full size health club franchise in the US, and provides its members with an unbeatable value and a relaxed Judgment Free atmosphere that allows them the opportunity to pursue an active, healthy lifestyle without being judged by others. Financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. Kyle Nagel, CEO of Taymax, says: “We are excited to have ClearLight Partners joining our team as we enter the next phase
Henry Kravis, co-founder, KKR
Funds advised or controlled by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co (KKR) are acquiring the SBB/Telemach Group from Mid Europa Partners. The executive management team led by founder Dragan Šolak will remain in place and retain a substantial stake in SBB/Telemach Group. Financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. SBB/Telemach Group is the leading Pay-TV (cable, DTH) and broadband operator in South-East Europe , with a population of over 20m in SBB/Telemach Group’s current operating perimeter. SBB/Telemach Group operates in Serbia, Slovenia, Bosnia, Croatia, Montenegro and Macedonia and has around 1.7 million cable and satellite TV, broadband, fixed and

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