Allocations
HSBC’s North West leverage finance team has played a key role in supporting three acquisitions made by the Manchester-based Concept Life Sciences Group, a newly formed scientific laboratory and consultancy business.
Following backing from Equistone Partners Europe, which has taken a majority stake in the group, Concept Life Sciences has acquired Scientific Analysis Laboratories (SAL), Resource & Environmental Consultants (REC) and Peakdale Molecular.
The group will led by executive chairman Michael Fort and chief executive Alan Morgan.
HSBC acted as joint mandated lead arranger for the senior acquisition debt facilities to support the transaction, alongside Lloyds Banking
Horizon Technology Finance Corporation has led a USD25 million venture loan for mBlox, one of the world’s largest providers of A2P (application-to-person) text messaging.
The venture loan was fully funded at closing, with Horizon funding its commitment of USD10 million. mBlox will use the funds to support its continued growth.
"We are excited to add mBlox to our quality investment portfolio," says Gerald A Michaud, president of Horizon. "The company's rapid revenue and earnings growth is directly related to its global leadership in the expanding, multi-billion-dollar A2P messaging market. As an industry pioneer, mBlox has created a cloud-based mobile
Private equity firm Thoma Bravo is to acquire Sparta Systems, a provider of enterprise quality management solutions (EQMS), from current investors Summit Partners and Altaris Capital Partners.
Financial details have not been disclosed, and the transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2014.
“We are excited about the Sparta Systems acquisition due to the compelling opportunities for growth, both organically and from additional acquisitions that enhance the company’s offerings,” says Scott Crabill, a managing partner at Thoma Bravo. “As a proven EQMS leader with a strong customer base and a defensible position in the industry, it
An affiliate of private equity firm CI Capital Partners is to acquire Maroon Incorporated, which has changed its name to Maroon Group, a North American distributor of specialty chemicals based in Avon, Ohio.
Maroon’s management team retains a significant equity interest in the company. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Founded in 1977, Maroon has become a leader in the specialty chemical distribution industry. Through a network of distribution centres across North America, Maroon supplies nearly 900 customers with more than 30 million pounds of specialty additives, resins and pigments annually, with a focus on the plastics, coatings,
Taliance, a global analytics provider serving the alternative investments marketplace, has sold its back office-focused accounting and transactional solutions to asset management software provider Cassiopae.
Taliance now intends to concentrate on the rapidly-growing and evolving alternative investments space.
Cassiopae, which has a global focus on back office solutions for the real estate market, will acquire Taliance’s staff, software and clients dedicated to back-office operations. The senior management team of the firm will remain with Taliance. The two companies will collaborate moving forward and work together closely to share market expertise and development opportunities where synergies exist for the mutual benefit
The management team at Oxford company bChannels Limited has completed an equity backed buyout of the business.
Led by chief executive Matt Rowland-Jones, the four-strong team has acquired a majority stake in the company following a GBP3.5 million secondary buyout from RCapital.
The deal, backed by private equity house WestBridge Capital, also includes a significant amount of development capital to enable bChannels to pursue ambitious plans for further growth.
The business, which outsourced marketing services and customer engagement strategies to global technology companies, employs 126 staff at its headquarters in Oxford and has offices in the USA and
Funds advised by Triton are to acquire Scandinavian Business Seating, a manufacturer of Scandinavian-designed ergonomic swivel and meeting chairs for office use.
The transaction is funded by the Triton IV fund, has an enterprise value of NOK1,925 million, and includes all assets of Scandinavian Business Seating.
The transaction is subject to approval by the relevant anti-trust authorities.
“Scandinavian Business Seating has potential to benefit from growth in its current Western geographies and its Asian hubs. We are confident that the management team in partnership with Triton will take Scandinavian Business Seating to the next level,” says Peder Prahl,
Mid-market advisory firm Clearwater International has completed its first deal since its merger, advising boutique gym chain Gymbox on its GBP10m investment of growth capital from Business Growth Fund (BGF).
This comes after Clearwater Corporate Finance merged with Danish firm Advizer and IMAP Lynx, based in Spain and Portugal, forming Clearwater International.
Gymbox currently has five clubs across London and will use BGF’s capital to continue its site roll-out in the capital with three additional sites already secured. Beyond these, the company now has the funding in place to open several further gyms in London, and in other UK cities.
Traity, which enables individuals to own their own online reputation, has secured a USD4.7 million Series A investment led by ACTIVE Venture Partners.
The investment was led by ACTIVE Venture Partners through its Amerigo Innvierte Spain Ventures Fund , together with Horizons Ventures, the venture investment arm of Li Ka-Shing; KRW Schindler Private Ventures with Philipp Schindler as a cornerstone investor; Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments (BDMI); Lanta Digital Ventures; 500 Startups; Lisa Gansky, US entrepreneur; Juan Lopez, chief digital officer at Pearson; Matthew Bothner, chair of HR and leadership at ESMT; and Dalibor Siroky, Australian entrepreneur.
Traity’s purpose is to
London-based house builder London Square has been sold by private equity firm Graphite Capital to Ares Management in a joint investment by its private equity and real estate funds, for GBP110 million.
Adam Lawrence, chief executive of London Square, says: “London Square has grown into one of London’s leading house builders with the invaluable support of Graphite which backed us at a challenging time for the property market. As we move on to the next stage in our plans for growth, the backing of Ares Management is a tremendous vote of confidence to support our expansion – and the delivery
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12 November, 2026 – 8:00 am
12 November, 2026 – 5:00 pm
