Mr Christmas, a multi-generational family-owned holiday décor business, has secured a capital investment from Sachs Capital and its affiliated entities. The transaction is the final investment of Sachs Capital Fund II, which is managed by Andrew Sachs and provides flexible, non-control, long-term capital to successful entrepreneurs and family-owned businesses.  Mr Christmas was founded in 1933 by the Hermanson family, and this is the Company’s first outside capital investment since that time.  The terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

LUCA Science, a global innovator in the development of a novel class of mitochondria biopharmaceutical agents, has closed a JPY3.86 billion ($30.3 million) oversubscribed Series B financing. The round was co-led by DCI Partners, 4BIO Capital and existing investor Fast Track Initiative and supported by an international syndicate of existing investors including Remiges Ventures and Nippon Venture Capital Co, and new investors including Nissay Capital, Asahi Kasei Pharma, QB Capital/NCB Venture Capital and SMBC Venture Capital. LUCA Science is pioneering a new class of mitochondrial therapy to restore cellular bioenergetics in dysfunctional or damaged tissues and organs.  Following the closing

Vehlo, a provider of software and financial solutions for the automotive repair industry, has secured a majority investment from family office Greater Sum Ventures (GSV), an entrepreneurial family office. GSV is joined by existing investors PSG, HarbourVest Partners, and Parkwood, and new investor Lightyear Capital (Lightyear).  Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed. Vehlo aims to empower automotive service providers with the tools they need to deliver an excellent customer experience and run a profitable business. 

Connection Capital-backed Mode Solutions, a provider of turnkey digital managed services, has acquired Huntingdon-based IT Managed Services provider, EACS.

Cairngorm Capital Partners’ portfolio company, Independent Builders Merchant Group (IBMG) has acquired Wantage Builders Merchants Limited (Wantage). Wantage is a single branch, independent builders merchant located in Wantage, Oxfordshire. It offers a mix of heavy and lightside building materials to local trade and retail customers. This acquisition continues IBMG’s strategy of developing its divisions through a combination of acquisition, new site development and organic growth. It extends IBMG’s builders merchant offering in South Oxfordshire and West Berkshire, providing a strong platform for further growth. 

RedBird Capital Partners (RedBird) is to acquire Associazione Calcio Milan (AC Milan), the newly crowned Champions of Italy’s Series A, from Elliott Advisors UK Limited (Elliott).

Nordic private equity investor Polaris has acquired a majority stake in Esoft Systems A/S (Esoft) – a specialist in photos, video, text and digital marketing for the real estate industry. Since its foundation in 2000, Esoft has become an internationally based company that is present in over 20 markets on four continents and employs approximately 850 people worldwide.  In connection with the change of ownership, Esoft’s founder and former Group CEO, René Dines Hermand, has resigned from the day-to-day management and joins the company’s board of directors. The new Group CEO will be Ian Holmgaard who has so far been CEO

OpenGate Capital, a global private equity firm, has exited its investment in EverZinc, a global provider of specialty zinc materials, through a sale to US Zinc, a portfolio company of Aterian Investment Partners. Terms of the investment have not been disclosed. EverZinc is headquartered in Liège, Belgium and has industrial operations in Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, China, and Malaysia. EverZinc specialises in four product lines: fine zinc powders, zinc oxide, zinc for batteries, and Zano, an ultra-fine zinc oxide.  The business is led by CEO, Vincent Dujardin, and was acquired by OpenGate Capital in 2016 through a corporate carve-out

Sortera, a portfolio company of Nordic Capital, is acquiring O’Donovan Waste Disposal Ltd, a London-based specialist in collection and recycling of construction waste, with about 100 employees. The acquisition of O’Donovan is Sortera’sthe  first in UK and is part of the company’s effort to expand in Europe’s major cities. 

Warner Pacific, a leading employee benefits–focused General Agency backed by private equity firm Lovell Minnick, has acquired Beta Health Association’s (Beta Health) commercial dental health platform. Beta Health was a provider of group voluntary and contributory dental, vision, life, and disability products in Colorado prior to the acquisition.  This is the Company’s first acquisition since entering into a strategic partnership with Lovell Minnick Partners in January 2022. Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.