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International law firm, Addleshaw Goddard has successfully advised on the sale of ICS Learn in a management buyout backed by private equity firm Primary Capital Partners.
The MBO was led by existing ICS Learn CEO, Colin Kennedy and Finance Director, Alison Doyle.
The Glasgow-based digital learning platform, which dates back more than 128 years, has gone from strength to strength since the 2012 acquisition led by venture capital firm, Par Equity.
Since 2012 ICS Learn has been transformed into a purely online delivery model and is now recognised as a leading distance education provider, catering to more than
Be Relax, an operator of well-being and beauty services at airports, has secured an investment of up to EUR20 million from Activa Capital.
The transaction will help accelerate the pace of Be Relax spa openings at both existing airport locations and at new airports.
Founded in 2004 by Nicolas and Frédéric Briest, Be Relax now operates 52 airport spas in 11 countries across Europe, the US, the Middle East and Asia. The group employs nearly 500 staff worldwide.
Be Relax has experienced strong growth in recent years, particularly in the US and the Middle East, winning numerous tenders, including
TriState Capital Holdings’ Chartwell Investment Partners business officially closed on the acquisition of approximately USD1.06 billion of client assets under management (AUM) from Columbia Partners.
This combination brings Chartwell’s total AUM to more than USD9 billion. As part of the acquisition, the company acquired institutional client accounts with a mix of high-grade fixed income and large-cap equity assets, which generate annualised revenue of more than USD2 million, as well as a team of three experienced professionals.
“We are pleased to welcome Columbia’s exceptional investment professionals and clients into Chartwell,” says TriState Capital Chief Executive Officer James F Getz. “The
Calls from Guernsey for greater mutual recognition of financial regulatory standards have been endorsed in a new report from an independent think tank.
The Institute of Economic Affairs has made the recommendation as part of a report on improving global financial services regulation and fostering economic growth and innovation after the UK leaves the European Union.
The IEA has also called for the reinstatement of Section 270 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, which offered a marketing route into the UK for non-UCITS funds that was well-used by Guernsey funds before the introduction of the EU’s Alternative
Foresite Capital, a multi-stage healthcare and life sciences investment firm, has closed its fourth and largest fund with USD668 million in capital commitments.
The firm now has USD2 billion in assets under management.
Limited partners in Fund IV include new investors as well as a significant representation of existing investors, including university endowments, pension funds, insurance companies and foundations. Foresite Capital is led by founder and CEO Dr Jim Tananbaum. The firm recently announced expansion of its leadership team, with Dr Vik Bajaj joining managing directors Matt Buten, Dorothy Margolskee, Dennis Ryan, Jim Tananbaum and Brett Zbar.
“At
The Aberdeen Standard Investments infrastructure team has made a second investment in a gas pipeline and processing system, acquiring InfraVia Capital Partners Managed Fund’s 20 per cent interest in Noordgastransport (NGT), the owner of a pipeline and processing plant transporting and treating natural gas that is principally produced from the Dutch Continental Shelf.
The entire NGT system, which is operated by Neptune Energy, incorporates a 178km 36” pipeline constructed in 1975, a 140km 36” pipeline constructed in 1999 and a processing plant located onshore at Uithuizen. The system connects approximately 75 platforms of different operators to the processing facility.
Middle market private equity firm One Equity Partners (OEP) has acquired Gibson Omni Parent, the company that conducts publicly traded midstream energy company Gibson Energy’s US Environmental Services business.
The business will now be known as OMNI Environmental Solutions (OMNI).
Headquartered in Carencro, Louisiana, OMNI is a provider of environmental services focused on energy customers. Key services include water logistics and disposal, solid waste processing, treatment and landfilling, and a variety of other specialty environmental services such as offshore inspection and cleaning.
“Effective environmental management continues to be a focus for the energy industry,” says J B Cherry,
Private equity firm IK Investment Partners’ (IK) IK VIII Fund has entered into exclusive negotiations with Equistone Partners Europe (Equistone), Céréa Partenaire, Azulis Capital and the existing management team to acquire a majority stake in Mademoiselle Desserts.
The management team will reinvest alongside the Fund.
Established in 1984, Mademoiselle Desserts has grown to become the leading manufacturer of premium frozen industrial finished and semi-finished pastry in Europe. Through its manufacturing sites in France, the UK and the Netherlands and highly experienced teams, the Group works closely with its customers to develop bespoke desserts to the highest food standards.
Foresight Group (Foresight) has appointed Ray Harris to its Private Equity Investment team, following Ben Dawson’s appointment earlier this year.
Harris joins Foresight as a Principal on the recently awarded GBP35 million equity fund (for the East and South-East Midlands) from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF) delivered by the British Business Bank. He will be based in Foresight’s Nottingham office and the recently opened Leicester office. Harris’s appointment adds strength to the senior investment team in the region after Ben Dawson joined the team as Senior Investment Manager in January this year.
Previously a Director at Odyssey Corporate
Clearwater International UK has advised Synova Capital and members of the management team of Mandata, the provider of transport management software, on the GBP20 million sale of the business to private equity firm LDC.
Mandata designs and develops software that allows road transport operators to manage workflow and data more effectively. Its transport management system integrates a suite of end-to-end products, including traffic planning and management, tracking, telematics, and invoicing. Used by hauliers across the UK, Mandata helps customers to improve productivity, deliver efficiency savings, and improve real-time visibility of their operations.
Following Synova’s investment in 2013, Mandata has
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