Private equity funds managed by Blackstone and KIRKBI A/S are to acquire Armacell, a manufacturer of flexible foam products for equipment insulation and technical applications, from Charterhouse. The company operates within two main businesses, Advanced Insulation and Engineered Foams.  The Advanced Insulation business develops flexible foam products for the insulation of mechanical equipment in a range of end markets where energy distribution is required, such as commercial and residential construction, industrial applications, and the oil and gas industry. The speciality insulation products are primarily used for air conditioning and plumbing pipes. The second division focuses on speciality light Engineered Foams

Barcelona-based pharmaceuticals company Almirall is to acquire one hundred per cent of the share capital of Poli Group Holding, the holding company of Poli Group, which comprises three operating companies – Taurus Pharma, Polichem SA and Polichem Srl. Poli Group has a diversified and growing portfolio of proprietary and well-established drugs, focused on Dermatology and complemented with a strong portfolio of Gynaecology and Respiratory products, the latter promoted through distributors. The acquired brands include Ciclopoli, the flagship product that has led Poli Group to become a world leader in nail diseases (onychomycosis), a large and underserved market affecting approximately 10-15

BaltCap portfolio company Impuls LTU, the operator of Lithuania’s biggest fitness chain Impuls, is to acquire Estonia’s Arctic Sport Clubs creating the first pan-Baltic fitness centre operator in the region. The company signed a share purchase agreement with the Estonian chain operator on Wednesday. Sales of Arctic Sport Clubs are expected to reach EUR2.3 million in 2015.   Impuls LTU and Arctic Sport Clubs announced that Impuls LTU will acquire all of the outstanding shares of the company that owns the Arctic Sport Club chain. The acquisition will be financed by Nordea Bank and BaltCap Lithuania SME Fund and is

Affiliates of global investment firms Warburg Pincus and General Atlantic are to acquire a 49 per cent stake in the Network Internationa from The Abraaj Group. Emirates NBD will continue to own a 51 per cent stake in the Company. 
 
Established in 1994, Network International is a payments processing business focused on the Middle East and Africa. The Company provides services across the entire payments ecosystem with a focus on Merchant Acquiring services, in which it processes transactions for merchants covering online, offline and mobile, and Issuing Processing services, in which it processes payment transactions for banks. Network International offers

MarketLive and Shopatron, providers of software solutions for the global retail industry, are to be acquired simultaneously by private equity firm Vista Equity Partners. “This is a unique opportunity to unite two complementary market leaders to advance the way that retailers and branded manufacturers connect with consumers in a world that relies on seamless digital and in-store experiences,” says Robert F Smith, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners. “By integrating best-of-breed commerce solutions and combining industry-leading expertise, MarketLive and Shopatron are incredibly well-positioned to bring a highly adaptive omni-channel commerce platform to the rapidly expanding retail market.”   MarketLive

Entertainment Benefits Group (EBG), one of the largest privately-held travel and entertainment providers in the US, has acquired Boston-based Working Advantage, an employee deals portal that provides shopping discounts at more than 10,000 organisations to more than ten million employees. EBG’s Corporate Program Division, which provides perks and reward solutions to over 60 percent of the Fortune 1000, will integrate Working Advantage’s portfolio of discount entertainment tickets and shopping discounts into its existing product offerings. The acquisition increases EBG’s user base from 50 million to over 60 million users, and increases the number of corporations it works with to 40,000