Close Brothers Private Equity has sold United Transport International, a UK-based provider of global logistics for the movement of liquid and dry bulk materials, to Interbulk PLC for Gbp80m. Please find attached a copy of the press release. www.cbpel.com
HyperActive Technologies, a Pittsburgh-based provider of intelligent robotics for the quick-service restaurant market, has raised $8.4 million in additional Series B funding from return backer Spencer Trask Ventures. The news was first reported by VentureWire. HyperActive raised $6.5 million in initial Series B funding last May. www.gohyper.com
Mobifusion, a Fremont, Calif.-based provider of mobile content applications for publishers, has raised $3.1 million in first-round funding. Participants included Ingram Digital Ventures, Emergic Ventures and Global Asia Partners and an undisclosed “major telecom company” in India. www.mobifusion.com
Trampoline Systems Ltd., a London-based “enterprise 2.0” software startup, has raised Gbp3 million in new funding from entities affiliated with the Tudor Group. www.trampolinesystems.com
Axon Digital Design BV, a Dutch maker of broadcasting equipment, has raised an undisclosed amount of private funding from Potosi and Goldman Sachs. It also secured a new financing facility from Rabobank. www.axon.tv
Littlejohn & Co. has sold diamond-based materials producer Diamond Innovations to Sandvik for an undisclosed amount. Littlejohn acquired the company in early 2004 from GE.
NES Rentals Holdings Inc., a portfolio company of Diamond Castle Holdings, has sold Boston-based crane rental subsidiary Shaughnessy Crane Services to AmQuip Corp. No financial terms were disclosed. Diamond Castle took NES private last year for approximately $850 million. www.nesrentals.com
Tongjitang Chinese Medicines Co., a Chinese drug company focused on modernized versions of traditional Chinese medicine, has amended its proposed IPO terms. The company now plans to offer around 9.86 million American depository shares at between $12 and $14 per share, compared to an original plan to sell 8.85 million shares at between $15 and […]
Scholz & Friends Group, a German advertising and marketing agency, has agreed to acquire gkk DialogGroup, a Frankfurt-based provider of communications services. No financial terms were disclosed. Scholz & Friends is a portfolio company of Cognetas. www.s-f.com
Microsoft Corp. has agreed to acquire Tellme Networks Inc., a Mountain View, Calif.-based provider of voice applications like directory assistance and mobile search, for just under $800 million. Tellme raised around $263 million during 1999 and 2000, from firms like Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Benchmark Capital, AT&T, Amerindo, Bowman Capital and Van Wagoner Capital Management. […]