Intelligence
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DEAL
Sika is to acquire MBCC Group, the former BASF Construction Chemicals, from an affiliate of Lone Star Funds, a global private equity firm, for a consideration of EUR5.2 billion.
INTERVIEW
When venture capital investor Kate Bingham was appointed to lead the UK’s coronavirus vaccine procurement effort in May 2020, Prime Minister Boris Johnson tasked her with delivering “speed, not perfection”.
By December that year, the UK had approved its first Covid-19 vaccine, developed by Pfizer/BioNTech.
Since then, 80 per cent of the UK population over the age of 12 have received at least one vaccine, and the jabs are working “much better than anyone expected”.
“To get any vaccine from identification of pathogen through to a vaccine, the quickest historically has been five years, but that was 50 years ago,” says
GUEST ARTICLE
By Andrew Millar (pictured), Corporate Partner, Shoosmiths – Private equity interest in the UK’s property sector continues to see exponential growth. McCarthy & Stone, St Modwen Properties and Sigma Capita were just a few of the UK companies acquired by private equity investors in 2021. This pool of capital continues to flood the nation’s housebuilding sector and some of the biggest players in it.
With reports indicating that Bridgepoint is putting Miller Homes up for sale for over GBP1 billion, compared to the GBP650 million it paid in 2017, it is perhaps unsurprising that private equity is increasingly recognising that UK
EXIT
Clayton, Dubilier & Rice has completed the sale of Solenis, a leading global supplier of specialty chemicals and services forwater treatment applications, to Platinum Equity.
DEAL
McAfee Corp (McAfee), a specialist in online protection, is to be acquired by an investor group led by Advent International Corporation (Advent) and Permira Advisers (Permira), Crosspoint Capital Partners (Crosspoint Capital), Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments), GIC Private Limited (GIC), and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA).
ESG
Ensuring Private Equity firms set Science Based Targets as part of their commitment to decarbonise their portfolios is crucial to achieving net zero, as private equity-backed companies represent an ever-larger part of the world’s economy.
ALLOCATION TRENDS
South African investors are showing a growing appetite for private markets investments, including private equity opportunities, according to local investment advisor, RisCura Solutions.
SUSTAINABLE INVESTING
InfraCo Africa, part of the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) and Helios Investment Partners (Helios) are working together to establish a pan-African investment vehicle: Climate, Energy Access and Resilience (CLEAR).
SUSTAINABLE INVESTING
PARTNER FEATURE
Suzanne Beckett from Blick Rothenberg’s Financial Services team takes an in-depth look at partial exemption special methods and the benefits available to private equity firms.
INVESTMENT
Mynt, a Philippines-based digital financial solutions provider and the company behind the popular GCash payment services app, has raised over USD300 million in funding, valuing the business at over USD2 billion.
Events
12 November, 2026 – 8:00 am
12 November, 2026 – 5:00 pm
