Universities in the UK are spinning out more companies than ever before, according to a new survey carried out by the University Companies Association (UNICO) and Nottingham University Business School (NUBS). David Catton, chairman of UNICO, said the increase was largely due to the government’s drive to encourage universities to capitalise on their intellectual assets […]
VC players are operating in a market characterised by uncertainty. This is the main conclusion at the closing of the EVCA technology investment conference, held in Barcelona last month. “It is not the clear what the right steps are and who the winners are of the future,” said Max Burger-Calderon, EVCA chairman. It’s a case […]
Barclays Private Equity (BPE) has sold its stake in International Life Leisure Limited just 18 months after backing an MBI of the company. The UK subsidiary of Cendant, a US group, has acquired the holiday operator for an undisclosed sum. Tony Hyams, a director of BPE based in Manchester, said Barclays was extremely happy with […]
Bed manufacturer Dunlopillo has sold its consumer products division to Hilding Anders providing a partial exit for 3i and Bridgepoint Capital. The deal is reported to be worth around GBP12 million. Hilding Anders, which makes Slumberland beds, has acquired the assets of the beds and pillow business and the rights to the Dunlopillo trademarks in […]
MCH Private Equity is in the process of finalising details to start the fund raising process of its second fund, which has set a target of EURO200 million. French bank Natexis and Quilvest, a French financial holding company, both cornerstone investors in MCH’s first fund are also committing to the second. Their combined investment will […]
21 Invest has sold its remaining interest in Italian healthcare company Techosp and reduced its stake in listed reprographics company Servicepoint Solutions. The returns from the two investments were 56 per cent and 55.5 per cent, respectively. 21 Invest has made a number of disposals recently as it focuses its energies on investing its first […]
UK venture capital firm Quester has reopened its fifth venture capital trust, which had closed at GBP18.6 million by May this year. The original target was GBP25 million. Although short of this figure Quester’s fund raising was an achievement in a year which saw a lot of venture capital trusts fold when they failed to […]
Bed manufacturer Dunlopillo has sold its consumer products division to Hilding Anders providing a partial exit for 3i and Bridgepoint Capital. The deal is reported to be worth around GBP12 million. Hilding Anders, which makes Slumberland beds, has acquired the assets of the beds and pillow business and the rights to the Dunlopillo trademarks in […]
Goldman Sachs has raised its sixth fund-of-funds, this time reaching a target to $1.2 billion. The fund will invest in funds across the globe with no predefined geographic split. The only difference in this fund is that part of the investing team is now based in London, following the move of John Shearburn from the […]
Funds managed by Aberdeen Murray Johnstone Private Equity (AMJPE) have acquired UK joinery business Palgrave Brown in an unusual secondary buyout where the vendors were also funds managed by AMJPE. The deal values the company, at GBP30 million. The funds acquiring the business were not disclosed. Palgrave Brown was formed when AMJPE invested in the […]