Sovereign Capital, the UK private equity Buy & Build specialist, has acquired Careline Homecare Limited (Careline) – the market-leading domiciliary care provider in Newcastle – by portfolio company City & County Healthcare Group (“City & County”). This is City & County’s fifth bolt-on acquisition since Sovereign’s investment in 2009.   Similar to City & County, Careline provides care in the home, predominantly to elderly people and also to individuals with physical disabilities, mental health issues and learning difficulties.  The business has two branches, both of which are rated Excellent by the Care Quality Commission, serving clients across Newcastle, Gateshead, South

After several successful investments in start-up companies, Marshall of Cambridge has formed Martlet, a corporate angel initiative headed up by investment director Peter Cowley. Each year, Martlet will invest in several early-stage companies with high growth potential, as co-investees with other angels and seed funds. Investments will be made primarily in companies within Greater Cambridge and East Anglia at an early stage, with sums of GBP25,000 to GBP100,000 being invested in each selected opportunity. Martlet will not be concentrating on specific market sectors, and will invest in a variety of entrepreneurial people and teams with an idea, an identified market,

Data from Lyceum Capital and Cass Business School’s UK Growth Buyout Dashboard shows that 23 smaller private equity buyouts worth an aggregate GBP828 million completed between 1 January and 31 March 2011 – the highest volume and value seen in any single quarter during the past two years. This quarterly trend analysis of private equity transactions in the GBP10 million to GBP100 million segment highlights a continuing upward trend and represents a strong start to the year.   The report’s authors say the figures reflect growing confidence and appetite amongst investors to support businesses which, having proven their resilience during

Cinven, the European buyout firm, has reached an agreement to acquire SLV Group (SLV) from HgCapital. Founded in 1979 by Franko Neumetzler, SLV Group is one of the fastest growing and most successful providers of lighting products in Europe. The value of the transaction has not been disclosed. SLV, headquartered in Übach-Palenberg near Aachen, Germany, provides innovative residential and technical lighting products for indoor and outdoor use. Based on a unique vertically integrated business model which delivers competitive advantage in development, sourcing, logistics and distribution, the Company combines German innovation and European design with cost-efficient production via selected high-quality suppliers,

Private equity (PE) owned companies have continued to grow turnover and staff numbers during the recession, says a new report and survey published by PwC. ‘Looking to the future – Private equity backed company survey, 2011’ finds that growth is back at the top of the corporate agenda for PE backed companies, overtaking cost cutting as the main priority. Nearly 60% of PE backed companies believe they will grow in the coming year, and a similar number believe they will generate greater profits than during the recession. Indeed, acquisitions are firmly on the agenda for the vast majority of management

Global alternative asset manager The Carlyle Group has acquired ADA Cosmetics (ADA), an integrated supplier of hotel amenities and cosmetics, from Halder Private Equity (Halder). The management will continue to retain a minority stake. Financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. Headquartered in Kehl, Germany with approximately 270 employees, ADA has established itself as the largest supplier of cosmetics and accessories to premium hotels in Europe and expanded its offering across Asia and the Middle East. Hotel customers include well-known luxury hotels such as Brenners Park Hotel (Baden Baden), Etihad Tower (Abu Dhabi), Badrutt’s Palace (St Moritz) and

Acacia Pharma, a pharmaceutical company specialising in the development of drugs for cancer supportive care, has successfully closed a funding round, raising a total of USD10 million. New investor Lundbeckfond Ventures joins Gilde Healthcare in this Series A financing. Acacia Pharma will use the proceeds to complete Phase II development of its two lead product opportunities, APD421 for the prevention of nausea & vomiting in post-surgical patients and APD515 for the treatment of xerostomia (dry mouth) in advanced cancer patients. As a consequence of the investment, Associate Professor Johan Kördel of Lundbeckfond Ventures will join the Board of Acacia Pharma.

Rockspring Property Investment Managers LLP has acquired 22 neighbourhood grocery stores and standalone units from Spanish food retailer, Eroski, on a sale and leaseback basis on behalf of one its single-client accounts.   Purchased for approximately EUR45.5 million, the entire portfolio is let to Eroski on a new 20-year lease. The portfolio, which comprises 22 assets totalling 95,000 sq ft of lettable area, mainly located in the Basque country and Mallorca, benefits from strong and resilient local economies and demographics. This transaction represents the second Eroski portfolio acquisition, following the purchase of 21 assets in August 2010 for circa EUR45