Allocations
The management team of outdoor retailer Mountain Warehouse has completed a GBP85m acquisition of the business backed by Royal Bank of Scotland and Alcentra.
The transaction enables the team, led by founder and chief executive Mark Neale, to take full ownership of 169-strong chain, while providing an exit for its mid-market private equity backer LDC which acquired a significant minority shareholding in August 2010 as part of a GBP47m buyout.
The transaction delivers a strong return for LDC, more than doubling its original investment within three years, during which time the business has traded through two recessions.
Mountain
Private equity provider LDC has invested GBP22m for a minority stake in lifestyle brand Joules.
Established in 1980 and headquartered in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, Joules is a British premium lifestyle brand that is renowned for its distinctive designs and prints, high-quality product range and authentic country heritage. The business offers a broad range of womenswear, menswear and childrenswear and has more recently extended into babywear alongside a variety of accessories and homeware.
With current annual turnover approaching GBP90m, the company operates a multi-channel model with its direct and wholesale channels being supplemented more recently with own retail stores, which
High Road Capital Partners’ portfolio company The Crown Group has completed the acquisition of Electra-Finish.
Electra-Finish is a provider of plastic coating services and solutions to the automotive, agricultural, heavy truck and other industrial end markets.
The company is based in Asheboro, North Carolina with a second facility in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The transaction represents the first add-on acquisition The Crown Group has completed under High Road’s ownership.
“The acquisition of Electra-Finish expands The Crown Group’s product offerings to include high-end plastic coating solutions. It is a perfect complement to the high-end metal coating solutions for which Crown
Renewables infrastructure specialist Platina Partners has completed the sale of its Long Mountain wind farm to independent Irish energy company Energia, a member of the Viridian Group.
The project was the last asset to exit Platina’s Mistral Energy I (ME I) fund, which has now completed its full investment cycle. Earlier this year Platina completed the full investment cycle for its Mistral Wind Farm I Fund.
Launched in 2002, ME I focused on the development of UK and French onshore wind assets and delivered a gross IRR above 60 per cent to its investors. Previous investments from the fund
Funds managed by CapMan have completed their exit from the Curato, a provider of medical imaging services in Norway, as announced on 16 September 2013.
CapMan funds sold their equity stakes in Curato to Altor Fund III.
CapMan Buyout is the largest mid-market private equity team in the Nordic region, with 20 investment professionals in Finland, Norway and Sweden and 23 years of experience. The team has made a total of 69 investments and 45 exits and is currently investing from CapMan Buyout X.
OrbiMed, an investment firm focused on the healthcare sector, has closed its next venture capital fund, OrbiMed Private Investments V, with just over USD735m in commitments.
That total includes approximately USD36m from the general partner. Investors in the fund include some of the largest endowments, foundations, sovereign wealth funds and financial institutions globally.
Consistent with its predecessor funds, the new fund will invest in all stages and sectors of the healthcare industry, with a focus on biopharmaceutical, medical device, and diagnostics companies located in North America and Europe. The new fund is expected to invest in approximately 30 portfolio
Babson Capital Management has provided subordinated debt and made an equity co-investment to support High Road Capital Partners’ acquisition of SMB Machinery Systems.
Babson Capital was the sole provider of subordinated debt for the transaction.
Founded in 1993 and based in Ball Ground, Georgia, SMB Machinery Systems is a provider of used packaging and process equipment to the food and beverage industries.
“High Road Capital Partners is pleased to work with Babson Capital’s mezzanine and private equity group on our investment in SMB Machinery Systems,” says Benjamin Schnakenberg, High Road principal. “Babson Capital’s deep experience and expertise in
Olympus Partners has sold its investment in Neptune Finance CLS.
Olympus formed Neptune to create a diverse portfolio of senior second loans in April 2008 to take advantage of the massive decline in the pricing of senior loans due to the fear in the financial markets.
Olympus more than doubled its investment in Neptune over the period.
This investment is a continuation of Olympus’ focus on financial services transactions which have accounted for more than 20 per cent of the capital invested over the life of its funds.
Financial services investments have included insurance and reinsurance carriers
Law firm Eversheds has advised the UK arm of private equity group Baird Capital on its purchase of a majority stake in Alpha Financial Markets Consulting.
Alpha is a provider of management consultancy services to the asset and wealth management industries. The transaction values the company at GBP28m.
Founded in 2003 by Nick Kent and headquartered in London, Alpha provides a range of consulting services with respect to back and front office improvements, information technology, benchmarking, acquisition integration, compliance, and regulatory and operational improvements. Alpha employs almost 100 consultants and has locations in Luxembourg, New York and Paris, servicing
Franklin Templeton Private Equity Strategy (FTPES), a fund advised by Darby Private Equity, has sold its equity holding in Symbiotec Pharmalab to private equity firm Actis.
Symbiotec, based in Indore in Central India, is engaged in research, development, manufacturing and marketing of research based active pharmaceutical ingredients for corticosteroids and hormones. Symbiotec has over 200 customers, including large multinationals as well as generic pharmaceutical companies.
FTPES, a fund advised by Darby, invested in Symbiotec in September 2011 to support its growth and backward integration plans.
FTPES was established in 2008 with total initial capital commitments of around Rs
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12 November, 2026 – 8:00 am
12 November, 2026 – 5:00 pm
