Elements Capital Partners Ltd said Tuesday that it has that it has bought a minority stake in NFD d.o.o.. No financial terms were disclosed. As a result of the transaction, Elements Capital Partners and the NETA financial group own 82% of NFD. Headquartered in Ljubljana, Slovenia, NFD is that country's largest mutual fund group.
European private equity firm EQT has agreed to invest in BackWerk Group. No financial terms were disclosed for the transaction, which is is expected to be completed during the first quarter of 2014. Dr. Hans Christian Limmer and Dr. Dirk Schneider, the company's founders, will jointly run the business as co-CEOs while retaining their "significant" minority stakes. Based in Germany, BackWerk is a franchise specializing in self-service bakery and quick service food.
Fire protection and security company Tyco International Ltd has approached private equity firms offering to sell its Korean security unit Caps Co, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Baird Capital has acquired Alpha Financial Markets Consulting, which provides consulting services to financial institutions in the UK, in a deal valued at £28 million. Alpha attracted eight offers from the private equity community.
NorthEdge Capital has invested £25.5 million in Fine Industries Limited, a Teesside-based manufacturer of fine chemicals. Fine Industries was the subject of a management buyout from a large multinational in 2008. After five years of growth, Craig Morgan, managing director, is leading the latest buyout backed by NorthEdge. The investment will accelerate the capital expenditure program to increase capacity and support the company's growth.
Pacific Northern has completed a recapitalization with management and an investor group led by Barton Creek Equity Partners and Tuckerman Capital. Pacific Northern, founded in 1987, is headquartered in Dallas, Texas and operates manufacturing facilities in Asia and sales activities in the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
Graphite Capital has sold Park Holidays UK, an operator of static caravan parks, to Caledonia Investments, a UK investment trust company. Graphite has sold seven companies since October 2012 generating a total return of 2.9x cost.
Calgary-based oil and gas company Bellatrix Exploration Ltd (TSX, NYSE MKT: BXE) has completed its $240 million joint venture partnership with Troika Resources Private Equity Fund. Based in Seoul, South Korea, Troika is managed by Korea Development Bank, SK Energy and Samchully Asset Management Co. The partnership vehicle, called TCA Energy Ltd, will contribute $120 million to the drilling and developing of lands in the Ferrier Cardium region of Alberta. Investment proceeds will also be used to reduce the company's indebtedness.
Ottawa-based Mitel Networks Corp (TSX:MNW) (Nasdaq:MITL), a provider of business communications and collaboration software and services, has agreed to buy Aastra Technologies Ltd (TSX:AAH), an enterprise communications company based in Concord, Ontario. The deal, which has been approved by the boards of directors of both companies, is valued at around $400 million. Aastra shareholders will vote on the acquisition agreement at a special meeting in January 2014. U.S. private equity firm Francisco Partners and Terry Matthews, who together control 63% of Mitel's shares, have both signed voting support agreements in favour of the transaction. Francisco Partners took a stake in the company when it helped finance Mitel's purchase of Inter-Tel-Corp in 2007.
Jacana Partners has made a disclosed investment in Process & Plant Sales Ghana. According to the company, the funding will be used for growth and expansion. PPS Ghana is a provider of industrial consumables and services to the mining and quarrying, construction and processing industries in Ghana and West Africa.