GenNx360 Capital Partners has sold SiVance LLC to Milliken & Co. Terms of the sale were not released. SiVance is focused on specialty silicone technologies and intermediates required to modify basic silicone polymers. GenNx360 Capital acquired SiVance in August 2009.
2 min read · 07 October 2011
Nuance Communications Inc. is paying $102.5 million to buy venture-backed Swype, Reuters reported Friday. Swype’s technology allows users to drag their finger across smart phone keyboards in one continuous motion to type words. Nuance has already paid $77.5 million toward the deal and will pay a remaining $25 million eighteen months after closing. Swype was backed by Samsung Ventures, Nokia Growth Partners, Benaroya Capital, DoCoMo Capital and Ignition Partners.
1 min read · 07 October 2011
U.K.-based buyout shop BC Partners is planning to sell the Australian and Asian operations of its Fitness First gym chain, Reuters reported Friday. A deal for the chain could fetch as much as $972 million, Reuters said, citing the Australian Financial Review. According to previous reports, private equity firm BC Partners paid 835 million pounds ($1.3 billion) to take control of Fitness First in 2005.
1 min read · 07 October 2011
Del Monte Corp. and Barclays Capital have agreed to pay $89.4 million to shareholders to settle a lawsuit stemming from the company’s $4 billion takeover. Investors claimed that Barclays, in advising Del Monte on the sale, had a conflict of interest because it was also arranging financing for the private equity buyers in the deal. KKR led the consortium of investors who bought the company earlier this year.
2 min read · 07 October 2011
A Seoul, South Korea, court ruled Thursday that Dallas-based private equity firm Lone Star was guilty of manipulating stock prices in connection with a Korea Exchange Bank unit, Reuters reported Thursday. The ruling is in connection to Lone Star’s proposed deal to sell 51% of KEB to Hana Financial Group for $4.1 billion.
1 min read · 06 October 2011
Sony Corp. has secured backing from Abu Dhabi's Mubadala fund and investment bank Raine to help fund its bid for British music company EMI, Reuters reported Thursday, citing news from the Financial Times. Sony will compete with bidders including Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group. Citigroup is seeking $3 billion to $3.5 billion for EMI, Reuters wrote.
2 min read · 06 October 2011
Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc., a life science research and clinical diagnostics products company, is paying $162 million in cash to acquire venture-backed biotech company QuantaLife. The sale also includes future milestone payments. Pleasanton, Calif.-based QuantaLife has raised venture capital from investors including Paladin Capital Group.
3 min read · 06 October 2011
Oaktree Capital has presented a debt restructuring plan for Spanish doughnut maker Panrico, Reuters reported Thursday. The plan includes a write-down on Panrico’s loans, to 60 million euros ($79 million) from 350 million euros. Another 115 million euro would be written off completely, and Oaktree would put 105 million euro into the company to keep business running, Reuters wrote.
2 min read · 06 October 2011
Blackstone Group’s GSO Capital has acquired Harbourmaster Capital, a European leveraged loan manager. Harbourmaster manages and advises on approximately €8 billion ($11 billion) of assets. The deal is expected to close in early 2012. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
3 min read · 06 October 2011
ClearChoice Holdings, a developer and manager of dental treatment centers, has inked an undisclosed amount of growth equity financing from buyout shop Catterton Partners. Terms were not released. The money will be used to expand marketing and other growth efforts, ClearChoice said.
5 min read · 06 October 2011
