Brad Meikle

Japan's Lixil buys TPG-backed Grohe in $4 bln landmark deal

Germany’s biggest bathroom fittings company Grohe has been snapped up by Japanese building products group Lixil in a 3.06 billion euro ($4.13 billion) deal, marking the largest ever investment by Japan in Europe’s biggest economy, sister news service Reuters reported.

Pliteq raises $2.25 mln to solve construction issues with recycled materials

Toronto-based Pliteq Inc, an engineering company focused on solutions to structural, vibration, and sound control problems using recycled materials, has raised $2.25 million from an existing private investor and Grenville Strategic Royalty Corp, a new Canadian royalty financing firm. Funding proceeds will help the company provide services to customers in commercial and residential construction sectors and bring new products to market. Corporate finance advisory firm GreenSky Capital Inc assisted Pliteq in securing the investment.

Relay Ventures leads $2 mln seed funding of Kira Talent

Toronto-based online video interviewing platform Kira Talent has obtained additional seed-stage funding totaling $2 million. The deal was led by Canadian venture capital firm Relay Ventures with the participation of multiple angel investors, including Tony Lacavera, Reza Satchu, Roger Martin, Gary Slaight and David Shaw. Kira Talent was provided with an initial tranche of seed capital by Relay and other investors in November 2012. The company indicated that over the coming months it will be releasing a suite of new products.

GTCR looks to sell hospital firm Capella Healthcare

Private equity firm GTCR LLC is exploring a potential sale of Capella Healthcare, a hospital operator that may be valued at a little less than $1 billion, two people familiar with the matter said, sister news service Reuters reported.

PE-Backed Terminix buys Vancouver's Care Pest & Wildlife Control

Pest and termite control provider Terminix, owned by Memphis, Tenn.-based The ServiceMaster Co., has made its second Canadian acquisition this year, buying for an undisclosed price Care Pest & Wildlife Control, which is based in Vancouver. Founded in 2000, Care Pest & Wildlife specializes in general pest, bedbug, bird and wildlife control for both residential and commercial customers. In August, Terminix purchased Toronto's Magical Pest Control. ServiceMaster was acquired by U.S. private equity firm Clayton Dubilier & Rice for US$5.5 billion in July 2007.

Venture-backed OANDA acquires Currensee Global

Toronto-based OANDA Corp, a provider of foreign exchange trading services, has acquired the Boston, Mass.-based Currensee Global Inc, which conducts forex market copy trading within a proprietary social trading network. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. OANDA is backed by several U.S. venture capital firms and other investors, including Cascade Investment, Index Ventures, Legg Mason, New Enterprise Associates and T. Rowe Price. The company has since 2005 raised over US$117 million in Series A and B funding rounds.

BlackBerry shares sink on growing unease about Fairfax bid - Reuters

BlackBerry Ltd shares fell five percent on Wednesday on rising doubts a $4.7 billion takeover offer for the struggling smartphone maker by Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd will succeed. Shares of BlackBerry traded at $8.10 on Nasdaq in afternoon trading, well below the $9-a-share offer. BlackBerry and Fairfax, its largest shareholder with an almost 10 percent stake, unveiled the plans on Monday for a consortium led by Fairfax to make a takeover bid.

Pine Brook Partners leads $315 mln financing of Calgary's Saguaro Resources

Pine Brook Partners, a New York-based private equity firm focused on investing in energy and financial services sectors, earlier in September led a group of investors in an equity financing of approximately $315 million for Saguaro Resources Ltd, according to a report by peHUB. Founded in 2012, Saguaro is a Calgary-based company focused on the exploration, acquisition and development of unconventional light oil and liquids-rich natural gas plays in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. The investor group includes Camcor, a Canadian energy-focused private equity firm. Camcor in May 2013 closed its seventh fund, Camcor Energy Fund VII, raising $350 million.

Imperial Capital invests $17 mln in STI Technologies, gives exits to early investors

Halifax, Nova Scotia-based STI Technologies Ltd, a provider of reimbursement solutions for the healthcare market, has received a $17 million investment from Canadian mid-market buyout firm Imperial Capital Group. The deal, which was approved by the company's shareholders on September 23, provides exits to STI's early investors, including GrowthWorks Atlantic Venture Fund. The new funds will be used to accelerate the company's expansion. As reported by peHUB Canada, Imperial recently raised in excess of $250 million for its fifth fund, Imperial Capital Acquisition Fund V.

RANOVUS secures $11 mln financing from Canadian, European and U.S. venture firms

Ottawa-based RANOVUS Inc, a provider of multi-terabit interconnect solutions for the telecommunications and information technology sectors, has completed an $11 million round of financing. Funds were provided by a mix of Canadian, European and U.S. venture capital firms, including Azure Capital Partners, BDC Venture Capital, MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund, OMERS Ventures and T-Venture, the investment arm of Deutsche Telekom. Founded in February 2012, the company also has an office in San Jose, California.