Global asset manager Capital Dynamics AG has sold its co-investment in Permasteelisa alongside lead investor Alpha Private Equity Fund 5, realising a multiple of investment cost of three times and a gross IRR of approximately 100%. The successful exit was achieved by way of a trade sale to JS Group Corporation, a Japanese construction and building materials conglomerate with approximately EUR 8.5 billion in revenues. Completion of the exit took place in December, 2011 following receipt of anti-trust approvals. Permasteelisa is the world’s largest player in the engineering, manufacture and installation of architectural envelopes known as “curtain walls”. The company

The Amplio Group’s solar subsidiary, Amplio Solar, has secured EUR16 million in financing from a leading Italian bank to invest in 7 MW of solar plants in the Italian province of Latina, Lazio. This expansion brings Amplio Solar’s fully operational solar portfolio to over 30 MW, with a total investment to date of approximately EUR120 million. Amplio Solar has built and project financed the 7 MW of solar plants in Latina, Lazio, with Rios Renovables of Spain as Engineering, Procurement and Construction (“EPC”) contractor. This latest investment underlines a successful 18 months for Amplio Solar, a period in which it

CN Creative, Ltd (CNC) has raised GBP2 million (USD3.1 million) in a Series A financing round led by Advent Life Sciences. The funds will be used to continue and finalise development of CNC’s Nicadex, a medically approved, electronic nicotine replacement inhaler.  Despite large-scale public health efforts, about 20% of adults in the UK and the US continue to smoke.  Smoking remains the most common cause of preventable death in the Western world and generates enormous costs for healthcare systems worldwide.  Two-thirds of smokers report that they would like to quit, and about three-quarters of current smokers say they have tried to

Dunedin-backed Hawksford is now the largest independent trust company in Jersey following its acquisition of Trustcorp Jersey Limited (Trustcorp), a Jersey based trust and corporate services provider. This is the eleventh acquisition made by a Dunedin backed business in the last twelve months and is a prime example of Dunedin’s buy and build strategy of backing businesses with international growth opportunities. The acquisition forms a significant part of the company’s growth strategy and follows recent expansion into the Middle East and Switzerland. Hawksford opened its Dubai office in June 2011 and acquired L-S&S GmbH, a Zurich boutique private wealth law

Morgan Stanley Private Equity has formed a strategic partnership with Jesus Reyes-Heroles, the former Director General of Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX), to pursue energy investments in Mexico and across Latin America. The goal of the partnership is to build a leading regional energy company involved in a broad base of investments and related activities across the energy sector. The partnership will focus on investments in energy companies to help enhance business growth, improve profitability and provide valuable strategic and financial guidance. Dr Reyes-Heroles is an experienced executive in both the private and public sectors of the Mexican energy industry. In the

OpenGate Capital, a global private investment and acquisition firm, has reached agreement to acquire the Latin American (LATAM) portfolio of businesses of global ICT service provider Getronics International, a subsidiary of KPN, a leading telecommunications and ICT provider in The Netherlands. The acquired portfolio consists of three distinct country-wide operations located in Brazil, Mexico and Colombia, businesses that employ more than 2,000 professionals and provide a highly specialised range of services in workspace management, connectivity, datacenters, and consultancy to the largest global enterprise accounts in each of their respective countries. KPN’s divestment of Getronics LATAM is in accordance with its

Global private equity investor Actis is paying USD102 million to acquire a significant minority stake in Brazil´s prestigious University Cruzeiro do Sul Educacional. Founded in 1965 Cruzeiro do Sul Educacional today has a total of 36,000 students across eight sites. Offering both undergraduate and post graduate study, long distance learning and higher education the University has been widely recognised for its academic excellence. Cruzeiro do Sul Educacional is currently made up of three institutions; the University Cruzeiro do Sul (São Paulo-SP), Centro Universitário do Distrito Federal (Brasília-DF) and Centro Universitário Módulo (Caraguatatuba-SP). It was awarded the highest grade by the

An affiliate of Sun European Partners, the European adviser to Sun Capital Partners, has acquired Bonmarché from the Administrators, KPMG.  It is intended that the business will trade from approximately 230 stores, thereby providing continued employment to approximately 2,400 employees in the UK. However, in order to ensure that the company can be placed on a sound economic footing, it is anticipated that approximately 160 stores will be closed. Bonmarché is one of the UK’s largest women’s only value retailers focused on selling affordable, quality womenswear in a wide range of sizes to women over 45 years old. Ranges include casual

RJD Partners has sold the operations of European Boating Holidays (EBH), the largest independent operator of European inland waterway boating holidays, to a French syndicate-backed management buy-in, led by Serge Naim and financed by Avenir Entreprise and AMS Industries. The value of the transaction was undisclosed. EBH is the sixth realisation from RJD’s first fund, RL Private Equity Fund I, which closed in April 2004. The remaining Fund I investments are ISG Technology and Equidebt. In July 2006, RJD led the simultaneous acquisition of Locaboat, the largest independent operator of European inland waterway boating holidays, and Cardinal Cruisers, a specialist