Invest-IQ

A JV partnership is brewing between Fast Lane Ventures and VTB Capital to tap the Russian internet market. VTB is doing this with a series C round of funding in Fast Lane valued at around USD 18 mln. Individual investors and business angels, apart from eVenture Capital Partners, are also named as participants in this [...]

PE firm Penta Investments and asset managers Eastbridge have now raised their bid for Polish retail company Empik Media & Fashion to PLZ 10.38 per share. The first offer, pegged at PLZ 410 mln for a 40-percent stake in the company, was rejected in favor of a higher bid, which seems to have come through. [...]

Penta Investments is known to have made a bid for German insolvent chain of drug stores, Schlecker, after almost a month since its last 40 percent stake purchase in Polish retail company EM&F. The bid for Schlecker is non-binding at this point, with the objective being that the Schlecker family will only own a marginal stake [...]

Post the Easter weekend, Polish telecom company Netia could be looking at share sales worth more than EUR 600 mln. Three PE majors have shown interest in purchasing the company’s shares, and are thought to be Bridgepoint, Innova Capital and Advent International. The news of the possible fund inflow pushed Netia to an 11-year high, to [...]

Russian investment fund Digital Sky Technologies is planning on starting a tech fund worth USD 1 bln. With high profile companies like Facebook, Twitter and Airbnb, among others, already in its portfolio, the DST Global III fund will target late-stage development companies already valued at over USD 500 mln. Investors in the fund will receive [...]

B&C Industrieholding has agreed to a purchase of a 29.9 percent stake in Austrian Aluminium Group (AMAG) from erstwhile stakeholder One Equity Partners. The sale will depend on whether the regulatory authorities will permit OEP’s sale of its last 4.2 percent stake in the group. The JP Morgan investment unit’s sale to B&C is sought [...]

Rusnano has tied up with US healthcare specialist venture firm Domain Associates to co-invest up to USD 760 million to set up a medical device manufacturing and pharmaceutical facility in Russia, invest in US healthcare technology companies, and manage clinical trials of new drugs relevant for Russia. Rusnano is expected to commit USD 330 million while Domain’s [...]

Credit rating organization Fitch is likely to take action against the credit rating of Turkcell should a move be made to formalize the offer to buy the intended 94 percent stake in the Bulgarian Telecommunications Company (BTC). The unveiled warning came a day after Turkcell’s announcement that it would make a bid that its competitor, [...]

JP Morgan’s PE offspring, One Equity, has found a buyer for its 34.5 percent stake in Austrian aluminium and aluminium products supply company, Austria Metall (AMAG). Private investor Ronny Pecik has shown interest in the EUR 220 mln share currently owned by One Equity. In possibly related news, the supervisory board of AMAG has sanctioned [...]

Top Polish insurance company PZU is in talks with certain PE funding groups to set up a PLZ 13 bln (USD 4.13 bln) fund. Though the main targets will be European insurance companies, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation may also be invited to fund the pool. The [...]

Pamplona Capital Management, the London based private equity firm, has submitted a bid for Bulgarian telecom operator Vivacom. The Sofia-based Vivacom is a so-called quadruple play phone operator that offers fixed-line, mobile service, broadband and television services in one bill. The company had reported an EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) of 343 [...]

Prague-based brewery Starbev has attracted several notable buyers since word got out that they’re looking to sell. Currently owned by CVC, Starbev has the likes of SABMiller and ABI (which Starbev originally spun out from for EUR 3 bln) displaying keen interest. ABI, which has the right to make the first offer, is rumored to [...]

Around 10 companies will bid to buy NET4GAS, a long-distance gas network operator held by the Czech Republic’s RWE Transgas which, in turn, is a subsidiary of RWE Germany. The sale, which is slated for completion by the end of 2012, will involve the 2,500-kilometer network of gas pipelines within Czech territory. RWE plans to [...]

Central Europe focused private equity firm Innova Capital may exit its investment in Romania’s leading spring water bottler and distributor, the La Fantana Group. Innova had picked a 92 per cent stake in La Fantana for EUR 35 million in 2007. The firm currently serves nearly 70 per cent offices in Romania and 60 per [...]

Russia’s largest social-networking website Vkontakte.ru may list on the NYSE in 2012 or 2013 through an initial public offering (IPO) if market conditions are favourable. The company may go-ahead with the proposed listing this year if the Euro region crisis is resolved soon.  The Mail.ru Group backed site boasts of 110 million users, 70 per cent [...]

The low-cost wing of Spanish airline Iberia, Vueling, has shown interest in acquiring Malev, the Hungarian national carrier. Malev is currently under distress and its ownership transfer is already under discussion with the National Development Ministry. The board of directors at Vueling are likely to make their decision regarding the purchase of the Hungarian airline [...]

Four suitors, Telekom Austria, Turkcell of Turkey, Corporate Commercial Bank of Bulgaria and Icelandic businessman Thor Bjorgolfsson, are rumoured to be in the takeover race for Bulgarian telecom operator Vivacom. Known as the Bulgarian Telecommunications Company (BTC) earlier, Vivacom’s bid period ends in about a month.  

Russia’s top internet fund DST Global is looking towards Indian internet firms after a successful foray into similar Chinese companies this year. After opening their Hong Kong office this year, they’ve already invested in the retail-oriented 360buy.com and B2B trade portal alibaba.com in China. DST Global has now expressed its interest in investing in Mumbai-based [...]

VTB Capital – the investment banking arm of the Russian VTB Group, is planning a USD 1 billion agriculture fund. The initial tranche of USD 250 million would be ready by the first quarter of 2012. The fund will invest in all kind of agriculture assets, including lands and processing companies, and will focus on [...]

Istanbul based departmental store chain YKM’s announcement of a stake sale has attracted bid from global PE firm Carlyle. The firm has tied up with Turkish private equity investor Esas Holding AS for a 63-per cent stake of the retail chain operator. California based real-estate investor Colony Capital – in collaboration with local private equity [...]