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PureClarity, a York-based company, which has developed software that helps e-commerce businesses to increase sales, has secured a GBP500,000 investment from NPIF – Mercia Equity Finance, which is managed by Mercia Fund Managers and part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund. PureClarity’s technology uses big data and artificial intelligence to analyse customers’ behaviour and recommend the most relevant products when they search for goods in online stores. The funding will allow the business to further develop its product and create eight new jobs for sales and marketing staff at its premises in York.   PureClarity was set up in 2014 by
Electrocomponents has acquired IESA, a B2B digital disruptor providing value-added services to manufacturing, process and production orientated industries, for a cash consideration of GBP88 million. Founded in 2002 and headquartered in the Birchwood Science Park near Manchester, IESA employs approximately 500 people, providing value-added services in three key areas: procurement/sourcing; transaction processing; inventory and stores management. Its services allow clients to improve their efficiency and consolidate their indirect procurement vendor base via a cloud-enabled marketplace solution, MyMRO. The multi award winning MyMRO technology platform was developed specifically to meet the indirect procurement challenges of large-scale clients, integrating over 27,000 approved
Foresight Group has sold Thermotech, a facilities management provider based in Stockport, to Atalian Servest Group, the international facilities management group for an undisclosed sum. Thermotech is a hard facilities management provider, designing, installing and maintaining customised air conditioning and fire sprinkler systems for retail, commercial and residential properties. It has a number of high profile clients including M&S, John Lewis and Selfridges & Co. Foresight made its original investment of GBP2.5 million in August 2013.    With Foresight’s investment Thermotech was able to expand its high-quality customer base and develop further recurring maintenance revenue streams. Most notable was the acquisition
Ropes & Gray has advised global investment firm Avenue Capital Group on the GBP106.8 million sale of Hawthorn Leisure Holdings, the 298-strong UK pub group, to leading UK property investor NewRiver. Hawthorn Leisure, which was formed four years ago and was controlled by both its management and Avenue Capital, comprised a portfolio of 298 high quality community pubs. These pubs add to NewRiver’s existing pub portfolio, increasing the size of its estate to 629 pubs. Going forward, the combined NewRiver & Hawthorn Leisure estate will target scale-based synergies and other improvements in purchasing and logistics.   The Ropes & Gray team
Hedge fund, private equity and other asset management firms are using cutting-edge, values-based marketing technology to open new doors and build stronger relationship with allocators.  This new Valuegraphics profiling identifies more precisely what drives investor decision-making, rather than relying on cocktail party chatter and on-the-run elevator pitches.   “Gut level stereotyping of, and traditionally analog relationships with, target audiences isn’t good enough anymore,” says Kyle Dunn (pictured), founder and CEO of Meyler Capital, a leading integrated capital-raising and marketing services company serving alternative investment managers.   “Similar to what consumer-facing companies have done for years, Meyler’s new Valuegraphics profiling system
Green Network Energy UK is to acquire the energy branch of Burgo Energia with effect from 28 June 2018. The energy branch of Burgo Energia is an electricity and gas supplier with turnover and EBITDA both expected at EUR2 billion in 2018, before the agreement with Green Network Energy UK.   Burgo Energia handles a business clients’ portfolio of approximately 8,000 SME and each year sells a volume of approximately 1 TWh of electricity and 50 million cubic meters of gas, with a presence focused in particular in the Italian regions of Emilia Romagna, Piedmont and Veneto.   Following the
InMotion Ventures, Jaguar Land Rover’s venture capital arm, has invested in FATMAP, a platform for outdoor adventure lovers and mountain professionals with global 3D mapping technology. The investment from InMotion Ventures, along with Episode 1 and Capnamic Ventures, will support FATMAP with their global ambition to become a key destination for adventure and outdoor activities. Skiers, hikers, trail-runners, mountain-bikers and climbers can all use FATMAP technology to navigate the off-road world more easily.   Misha Gopaul, Chief Executive Officer, FATMAP, says: “Recent innovation in mapping has been focused on urban environments and until now the rest of the planet has
Smurfit Kappa Group (SKG) is to acquire Reparenco, a privately owned paper and recycling business in the Netherlands, for a cash consideration of approximately EUR460 million. Reparenco operates a two machine paper mill in the Netherlands with a capacity of 675,000 tonnes together with a 750,000 tonne recovered fibre operation. Reparenco employs 315 people with Gross Assets of EUR189 million and generated EBITDA of EUR41 million in the 12 months to April 2018, during which time the business continued to ramp up production.   The acquisition represents a transaction multiple, pre-synergies, of 6.4x the expected full year 2018 EBITDA for
Future Finance, Europe’s leading private student lender, has closed a GBP100 million funding facility agreement with Waterfall Asset Management. To date, Future Finance has raised over EUR90 million in equity and GBP150 million in debt. The new debt facility will allow Future Finance to continue to grow its student lending business, which has already funded close to GBP70 million in loans to deserving students.   Future Finance’s mission is to expand access and opportunity for deserving university students and young professionals in the UK.   Future Finance CEO Alex King says: “This funding facility agreement is an important piece of the puzzle
Idinvest Partners, an investor in SMEs across Europe, has appointed Guillaume Santamaria as Investment Director for the firm’s Growth Capital team, which held its first closing at EUR250 million in November 2016. In this role, Guillaume Santamaria me will be involved in sourcing, analysing and executing investments for the Growth Capital team, both in France and across Europe.   Before joining Idinvest Partners, Santamaria originated and executed over 10 operations on both fundraising and M&A with Apparius Corporate Finance, an independent M&A firm specialised in TMT where he started the digital health practice. Prior to this, Santamaria was part of Quilvest Group,

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