FRANKFURT (Reuters) – German telecoms group Freenet (FNTG.DE: Quote, Profile, Research) has bought Debitel from private equity owner Permira [PERM.UL] for 1.63 billion euros ($2.54 billion) despite opposition from major shareholder United Internet (UTDI.DE: Quote, Profile, Research). The deal catapults Freenet and Debitel to the number three spot among Germany's mobile phone operators with around […]
NineSigma Inc., a Cleveland-based provider of search services for companies investigating outside research opportunities, has called down $4 million of a $4.5 million Series E round, according to a regulatory filing. Backers include River Cities Capital Funds and Blue Chip Venture Co. www.ninesigma.com
Rackspace Inc., a San Antonio-based hosting company, has filed for a $400 million IPO. It plans to trade on the NYSE under ticker symbol RAX, with Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch and Credit Suisse serving as co-lead underwriters. The company has raised over $48 million in VC funding since 1999, from firms like Norwest Venture […]
Nexsan Corp., a Thousand Oaks, Calif.-based maker of disk-based storage systems, has filed for an $80.5 million IPO. It plans to trade on the Nasdaq under ticker symbol NXSN, with Thomas Weisel Partners serving as lead underwriter. It has raised over $17 million in VC funding since 2003, from firms like VantagePoint Venture Partners […]
TRIESTE, Italy (Reuters) – Italy's leading insurer Assicurazioni Generali (GASI.MI: Quote, Profile, Research) would be interested in two insurance units of UK bank RBS (RBS.L: Quote, Profile, Research) if they were up for sale, Chairman Antoine Bernheim said on Saturday. “It would be a lie to say we would not be interested,” Bernheim told journalists […]
FRANKFURT, April 26 (Reuters) – German state bank LBBW has agreed to buy a unit of Cerberus Capital Management's [CBS.UL] Austrian bank Bawag for 160 million euros ($249.5 million), an unidentified source in the finance industry told Reuters. The source said that LBBW plans to announce the purchase of the unit, Czech bank BankCZ, at […]
TheStreet.com , (Nasdaq:TSCM) has made an initial $1.2 million investment in Geezeo. For that outlay it acquired about 13 percent of the Framingham, Mass.-based company, and holds an option to purchase the rest of Geezeo anytime during the next 12 months
Autoquake, a U.K.-based online retailer of used cars, has closed a Gbp6 million ($11.8 million) second round of venture capital funding led by Highland Capital Partners in conjunction with existing investor Accel Partners. The financing is in addition to the Gbp3 million invested by Accel Partners in the summer of 2006. www.autoquake.com
SaysMe Inc, a Los Angeles-based provider of politics-based, consumer-driven television advertising, has closed a series A financing led by Intel Capital and Prime Capital. Also participating were Ashton Kutcher's Katalyst Films, advertising pioneer Bill Apfelbaum, and other prominent angel investors. The proceeds from this funding round will be used to expand SaysMe's product offering beyond […]
Shannon Smith has left Blue Point Capital Partners, where he was a managing partner running the firm's Charlotte office. No word yet on why he left, or if he has a new job lined up. Smith joined the mid-market buyout firm in 1998, after having previously spent eight years with Bowles Hollowell Conner & […]