Arma Partners acted as exclusive financial adviser to Saffar Capital (Saffar) on the sale of Zawya Limited (Zawya) to Thomson Reuters, Inc (Thomson Reuters).  Zawya is the leading independent subscription provider of online proprietary data, business intelligence and unique financial information in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Zawya enables approximately 750,000 unique visitors to find and connect to the best business and investment opportunities in the region.   Saffar’s investment in Zawya is one of the most successful internet and media investments in the MENA region. Since Saffar’s acquisition of a majority stake in the company, Zawya has

Groupe SVP, a services company for businesses and local authorities, has acquired FYM Conseil, a vocational training company founded in 1976 and based in Lorient, western France. The acquisition is Groupe SVP’s fourth since 2005 and represents a new milestone in its build-up strategy. It was completed with the support of Omnes Capital (formerly Crédit Agricole Private Equity), which first acquired a stake in Groupe SVP as part of a majority LBO in 2011.   FYM Conseil has developed expertise in the areas of team management, business efficiency and personal development. Its training is designed to be pragmatic and innovative

LumeJet, the Coventry-based technology developer, has just raised GBP1.87 million in a major funding round. The new investment will be used to develop and commercialise LumeJet’s ultra-high quality imaging technology and brings the total investment in the company to more than GBP4.5m. The funding round has been notable as one of the largest Angel rounds in the UK, a reflection of the interest in this company and its technology. LumeJet has developed a new enabling imaging technology that can provide high precision "printed" solutions for a variety of specialist markets and will launch an LED based printer product later this

Raptor Consumer Partners (RCP), a leading consumer-focused growth equity firm, has partnered with Boston-based food company Unreal Brands, Inc) to help launch a line of “unjunked” chocolate candies in over 30,000 US stores, beginning this summer. RCP is Unreal’s lead investor, along with Michael Bronner, the Company’s co-founder. The terms of RCP’s investment in the Company were not disclosed. RCP also announced that John Burns, Managing Director at Raptor Consumer Partners, has joined Unreal’s Board of Directors. “We are excited about our partnership with Unreal,” says Burns. “The combination of a large market that has lacked meaningful innovation coupled with

European private equity firm Cinven has reached agreement to acquire a majority stake in Pronet Güvenlik (Pronet), a provider of security electronic alarm systems in Turkey.   Pronet has been acquired from its institutional shareholders including Turkish Private Equity Fund I LP, advised by Turk Ventures Advisory Limited (Turkven), and Dutch Development Bank (FMO). The transaction is subject to regulatory clearances and it is expected to close during summer. Pronet is the leading electronic security systems company in Turkey, primarily installing and monitoring residential and commercial alarm systems, as well as installing integrated electronic systems. It has more than 130,000

Bain Capital is to acquire a 50 per cent stake in Jupiter Shop Channel Co, Ltd, Japan’s leading TV shopping company, from Sumitomo Corporation. The agreement signals a significant partnership between a large Japanese company and private equity to realise the full potential of a leading company. Financial terms of the transaction, were not disclosed. Headquartered in Tokyo, Jupiter Shop Channel was established in 1996 as the first channel in Japan devoted to TV shopping, and today has the leading market share position and the highest sales in the industry. Shop Channel broadcasts live 24 hours a day, 365 days

Gerard Lopez, a founding partner of The Genii Group and Mangrove Capital Partners, which was an early investor in Skype, delivered a talk at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum 2012 this week where he presented possible technological advancements that will change the world in the next decade and offered his expertise on how to successfully invest in ‘The Next Big Thing’.   In a presentation to a distinguished audience, Lopez, who is an owner of the Lotus F1TM Team, offered potential solutions on a wide range of subjects; from the issues caused as a result of rapid urbanisation, to

Klöckner Pentaplast has completed a successful recapitalisation and strengthening of its capital structure with the support of its lenders. Following a cash equity injection of EUR190 million by a group of new investors led by Strategic Value Partners LLC and new debt facilities underwritten and funded by Jefferies & Company, Inc. and its affiliates (“Jefferies”), Klöckner Pentaplast has repaid, in full, the principal amount of EUR800 million of first lien senior secured credit facilities at par plus accrued interest. Following the equity injection, the SVP Investor Group has assumed ownership of the Company.   As part of the transaction, Klöckner

Private Equity (PE) firms in India invested USD1.8 billion in 91 deals in the first quarter of 2012, according to the first-ever MoneyTree India Report from PricewaterhouseCoopers Pvt Ltd (PwC), based on data provided by Venture Intelligence. The report is a quarterly study of private equity and venture capital investment activity in India, including further analysis by industry, region and stage of development. While quarterly PE investments decreased 24 per cent in the number of deals, the dollar value jumped 57 per cent compared to the fourth quarter of 2011 when USD1.1 billion was invested in 120 deals. The large