Technology Crossover Ventures has cut its stake in MarketAxess Holdings Inc. to 1.9%, Reuters reported. The private equity firm held a reported 5.5% of the company in May, making it one of the largest shareholders. MarketAxess, which has a market value of $914 million, was formed in 2000 by Bear Stearns, Chase Manhattan and J.P. Morgan to create an online multi dealer credit markets platform, Reuters wrote.
1 min read · 20 September 2011
TA Associates has hired Dietrich Hauptmeier as a senior vice president in the firm’s London office. He will focus on growth equity investments, recapitalizations and management-led buyouts in Germany and other European markets, the firm said Monday. Hauptmeier joins from Palamon Capital Partners, where he was an associate principal.
2 min read · 19 September 2011
First Reserve Corp., a private investment firm focused on energy and natural resources, has put an undisclosed amount into Amromco Energy, a oil and gas producer in Romania. No terms of the investment were given. The deal is part of First Reserve’s plans to build an oil and gas platform in the Central and Eastern European region, the firm said.
3 min read · 19 September 2011
Sigma3, a new software technology and services company focused on the oil and gas industry, has been created out of the merger of FusionGeo Inc. and Prism Seismic Inc. Backed by Symphony Technology Group, the company provides software, training and services designed to advise oil and gas companies where and how to drill the most prolific wells. The company is based in San Antonio, Texas.
4 min read · 19 September 2011
Google snatched up Berlin-based DailyDeal, a company that provides Groupon-style daily deals across Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the company announced on its blog. DailyDeal started in December 2009. Terms were not disclosed.
1 min read · 19 September 2011
NICE Systems is paying $80 million to buy Fizzback, a maker of real time customer experience management software. The deal provides the fourth exit this year for Advent Venture Partners’ technology team, and a multiple of over 5X Advent’s investment. Advent backed Fizzback in late 2006 and was the company’s largest shareholder. The deal is expected to close during the autumn.
2 min read · 19 September 2011
London-based telecommunications company Eaton Towers has raised $150 million in private equity capital to expand its tower-sharing business in Africa, Reuters reported Monday. The company said that Eaton Towers expected to raise significant new debt on the back of the funding from Capital International Private Equity Funds, Reuters wrote.
2 min read · 19 September 2011
WestView Capital Partners has taken a minority stake in Columbus, Ohio-based Resource Interactive, an interactive marketing agency specializing in social media marketing, mobile and digital commerce. Terms of the investment were not released. WestView Capital Partners is a Boston-based private equity firm.
3 min read · 19 September 2011
Milestone Capital and other investors will provide Xinhua Travel, an online tourism service provider in China, with $23 million. The money will help Xinhua with growth efforts. Milestone is a private equity investment fund management company specializing in direct investment in China.
2 min read · 19 September 2011
Private equity buyers interested in AOL are now turning their attention to Yahoo Inc., Reuters reported Friday. Buyout shops started circling AOL after the company’s stock fell about 30% on poor earnings results last month. Yahoo is reportedly seeking a sale after firing its chief executive Carol Bartz on September 6, Reuters wrote. Yahoo, a $19 billion company, and AOL, at $1.6 billion, are vastly different businesses in terms of market value, and will likely attract different types of buyers, Reuters wrote.
3 min read · 19 September 2011
