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Venture Capital in Europe, the latest deals

Posted by Stefano Bernardi On September - 22 - 2010
  • Investinor, Alliance Venture, founders and staff have invested NOK 16.2m in Norwegian software provider bMenu.
  • Newfund and three private investors have provided French eCRM specialist CRM Mobile Corp (TCMC) with growth capital funding.
  • Following a six-year association with the venture investor as an advisor, life sciences specialist and entrepreneur Dr Kevin Johnson has joined Index Ventures as a Partner.
  • Danish venture capital firm SEED Capital has invested DKK 7.6m in biotech company Reapplix.
  • Reapplix has developed the LeucoPatch, a treatment for foot ulcers. The treatment is designed for diabetic sufferers, who often suffer extensive foot ulcers that heal poorly. European studies have shown that more than a fifth of ulcers in diabetic patients result in amputation.

    A clinical study at the Centre for Wound Healing at Bispebjerg Hospital found that 13 out of 16 patients with chronic ulcers (including five diabetics) were completely healed after using LeucoPatch.

    “In Denmark we [spend] in total nearly DKr 3bn annually on wound care, and amputations can easily cost up to DKr 1m per patient,” said Bo Jesper Hansen, chariman of Reapplix.

  • Three former executives of Belgian investor KBC Private Equity have spun out to form new small-cap, later-stage outfit Think2Act Partners, according to local press reports.
  • Doughty Hanson has acquired UK-based Equity Trust in a €350m secondary buyout from Candover Partners and other institutional shareholders.
  • GIMV has invested €15m to back the management buyout of French e-commerce company Onedirect.
  • Prime Technology Ventures has sold its 43% stake in web analytics specialist Nedstat to comScore, in a deal that values the company at $36.7m (€28.6m).
  • A pool of institutional and angel investors has provided UK medical equipment company Microvisk with a £2.5m round of funding.
  • Balderton Capital has led a €3m series-A funding round for Irish telecommunications specialist Socowave.
  • Eden Ventures has made five new investments in UK early-stage technology companies, with amounts ranging in size from £100,000 to £1m. (TechCrunch Article).
  • Internet focused fund ISAI has backed the French online marketplace InstantLuxe.com with €650,000 of funding.
  • Advent Venture Partners and No 8 Ventures have invested £1m in software company OpenCloud, as part of a £5m funding round.
  • 21 Investimenti, the Franco-Italian mid-market later stage investor, has sold Italian oil and gas engineering firm Valbart to listed US business Flowserve.
  • Investinor and existing investors ProVenture Seed and Energy Capital Management have invested NOK 40m in Norwegian software solutions provider Verdande Technology AS.
  • 123Venture and a pool of private investors have injected €2.8m into French technology company Unowhy.
  • Ysios Capital Partners and Caixa Capital Risc have invested €5m in medical technology research company Sabirmedical.
  • The Bank of Ireland has led a €1.8m round of funding for Dublin software start-up InishTech via its Seed and Early Stage Equity Fund.
  • Chopin Invest has bought a portfolio of minority stakes from Seventure Partners, for an undisclosed amount. Companies that were affected by the deal include Netasq, Opti-Time, Quescom, Scaleo Chip and W4.
  • Intel Capital, MCI Management and Ondra Tomek have acquired Netretail Holding, a holding company and operator of the online shopping site mall.cz, from its previous investor, 3TS Capital Partners in a deal valued at €11m. As part of the transaction, Intel Capital and MCI Management invested €5m each, while Ondra Tomek, founder of Czech web portal NetCentrum, contributed €1m. The funding was used to expand business in the region of Central and Eastern Europe.
  • Forbion Capital Partners, YSIOS Capital Partners, Industrifonden and HealthCap have held a second closing of a series-A financing round, raising SEK 124m for drug developer Cardoz AB.
  • Venture capital firm Wellington Partners has agreed to sell Munich-based software company Aloqa GmbH to mobile phone giant Motorola for an undisclosed sum.
  • High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) and DN Capital have teamed up to provide a first round of funding for baby care specialty website windeln.de, which is scheduled to launch this month.
  • Forbion Capital Partners closed its FCF II fund in July, having raised €136m.
  • Catapult Venture Managers has injected £600,000 in UK mobile application and platform provider Yospace Enterprises Ltd.
  • High-Tech Gründerfonds has invested in German software developer ConWeaver GmbH.
  • Viking Venture has led a consortium of investors consisting of Alliance Venture, Salvesen og Thams and Glør Iks in a NOK 16m funding round for MemfoACT.
  • ALMI Invest and Wingefors Invest have provided SEK 2m for I Read new media AB, which provides digital journals through Paperton.com.
  • 17Capital announced the final close of its first fund, 17Capital Fund, which raised €88m.
  • Nexit Ventures and existing investors, including Sofinnova Partners, have injected €17m into Finnish mobile advertising provider Blyk.
  • Two-man technology team The Bakery, which has worked on animated film blockbusters including Shrek and Madagascar, has secured a $2.3m investment for its software group.

Late 2009, Early 2010 Venture Capital deals in Europe

Posted by Stefano Bernardi On January - 25 - 2010
  • GERMANY – HTGF and New Commercial Room invest in SciEngines
  • High-Tech Gründerfonds and New Commercial Room have invested an undisclosed sum in software business SciEngine

  • FRANCE – Sofinnova Partners leads EUR 3.3m investment in Celsius
  • Sofinnova Partners, a leading European venture capital firm, announced that it has invested EUR2.2 million in Celsius X VI II, a French-Swiss firm developing unique mobile phones based on high complexity mechanics. Sofinnova’s investment is joined by AGF Private Equity’s EUR500,000 and a further EUR600,000 from business angels bringing the total funding to EUR3.3 million. Jean Schmitt, Managing Partner at Sofinnova Partners will also join the Celsius X VI II management board.

  • GERMANY – Hasso Plattner Ventures co-invests in RIB Software
  • Venture firm Hasso Plattner Ventures and listed software company SAP AG have invested in software provider RIB Software AG

  • SWEDEN – FlatFrog gains €12.5M in funding
  • Financial investor Invus and strategic backer Promethan have co-led a financing round for technology business FlatFrog Labratories, in which existing investor Sunstone Capital also participated. ( Press release )

  • GERMANY – Triangle and ERP invest EUR 2.5m in TakWak
  • Triangle Venture Capital and ERP Startfonds have invested in TakWak, a spinout from FG Microtec, in a funding round worth EUR 2.5m

  • UK – YFM invests £120,000 into New Net Technologies
  • YFM, alongside management, has invested £120,000 into software company New Net Technologies in a second round of financing for the business

  • GERMANY – Acton Capital Partners acquires stake in mytheresa
  • Acton Capital Partners has acquired a minority stake in luxury online retailer mytheresa through an undisclosed investment

  • UK – Bestport in £4.5m round for Intela
  • Bestport Ventures has led an investment in internet marketing company Intela, committing a little over £3m in a round totalling £4

  • GERMANY – Seventure and DuMont invest EUR 2m in Tradoria
  • Seventure Partners and DuMont Venture have invested EUR 2m in e-commerce solutions company Tradoria, in a series-B funding round

  • FRANCE – Alven invests EUR 500,000 in QuelleEnergie
  • Alven Capital has invested EUR 500,000 in online energy consultancy QuelleEnergie, alongside business angels who have supported the company since its formation in 2008

  • GERMANY – HTGF provides seed funding for Raumfeld
  • High-Tech Gründerfonds has provided seed funding for hi-fi systems maker Raumfeld GmbH

  • FRANCE – EdRIP invests EUR 2.5m in Smile
  • Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners has backed Smile, an open source solutions company, with EUR 2.5m

  • FRANCE – Aster Capital receives EUR 70m for maiden fund
  • Alstom and Schneider Electric, the electricity companies, are launching a joint venture capital fund, Aster Capital, targeting start-up company in the energy and environmental sector

  • GERMANY – Earlybird leads EUR 3m round for EBS Technology
  • Earlybird has led a EUR 3m investment in medical device business EBS Technology GmbH, together with BC Brandenburg Capital

  • FRANCE – I-Source supports eYeka
  • I-Source has invested an undisclosed amount into eYeka, a company which a provides online video and image service applications

  • FRANCE – I-Source invests EUR 2m in Mobigard
  • I-Source, alongside Direct Energie and Bouygues Telecom Initiatives, has provided software business Mobigard with a EUR 2m investment

  • UK – The Aspire Fund invests in TalentPuzzle
  • Capital for Enterprise’s The Aspire Fund has invested an undisclosed amount into TalentPuzzle, an online recruitment platform, alongside Venrex Investment Managemnet and two angel investors

  • FRANCE – Highland CP and Endeavour provide Spartoo with EUR 12m
  • Highland Capital Partners and Endeavour Vision have led a EUR 12m Series-B round of financing of Online shoe distributor Spartoo

  • GERMANY – JCMB and IBB back online learning portal sofatutor
  • JCMB Beteiligungs and IBB Beteiligungsgesellschaft have invested an undisclosed sum in online learning portal sofatutor

  • FINLAND – Inventure and Nexit in EUR 3m round for Rightware
  • Venture investors Inventure and Nexit Ventures have co-led a EUR 3m financing round for software company Rightware

  • UK – Maven’s Capital for Enterprise invests £650,000 into Qire
  • Maven Capital Partners, through its Capital for Enterprise Fund, has invested £650,000 into Qire, a provider of intelligent voice messaging solutions

  • DENMARK – ViaVenture backs Adform
  • Danish venture fund Via Venture Partners has invested in online marketing platform provider Adform

  • UK – WHEB Ventures invests in PassivSystems
  • WHEB Ventures has invested an undisclosed amount into home energy management company PassivSystems

Late 2009 Venture Capital News in Europe

Posted by Stefano Bernardi On January - 20 - 2010

  • SPAIN – Debaeque takes 10% in BuyVip
  • Venture firm Debaeque has invested an undisclosed sum in online private buyers club BuyVip, acquiring a 10% stake in the business

  • UK – Bridges leads £1m round for Call Britannia
  • Bridges Ventures, via its Social Entrepeneurs Fund, has led a £1m investment in customer contact centre business Call Britannia, alongside Big Issue Invest, management and the government’s Future Jobs Fund

  • GERMANY – Balderton Capital leads EUR 5m wooga funding
  • Balderton Capital has led a EUR 5m investment in social gaming company wooga

  • Meidlinger Partners holds $15m first close of cleantech fund
  • Meidlinger Partners has reached a first closing of its cleantech fund, Meidlinger Partners Sustainable Investments, on $15m

  • UK – NorthStar leads £800,000 Cogenta funding
  • NorthStar Equity Investors (NSEI) has led an £800,000 investment into software company Cogenta Systems, alongside Hotspur Capital Partners

  • UK – Orkos Capital et al. invest EUR 9m into Muzicall
  • Orkos Capital, Veddis Ventures and GP Bullhound have invested EUR 9m into ringback tone service provider Muzicall, alongside existing backers BlueRun Ventures and Thule Investments

  • UK – Octopus launches £25m Titan VCT 4 fund
  • Octopus Investments has announced the launch of Octopus Titan VCT 4, a new vehicle designed to invest in early stage UK companies with a target of £25m

  • ROMANIA – 3TS Capital Partners back InternetCorp
  • 3TS Capital Partners has acquired a minority stake in Romanian online media company InternetCorp

  • UK – Atlas et al invest $20m into picoChip
  • Atlas Venture, Highland Capital Partners, Pond Venture Partners and Scottish Equity Partners have invested $20m into wireless infrastructure company picoChip, alongside Rothschild, AT&T, Intel and Samsung, in a Series E funding round

  • SWEDEN – Chalmers back NemaLabs with further SEK 5m
  • Chalmers Innovation Seed Fund is backing software business Nema Labs with SEK 5m in a funding round raising a total of SEK 10m for the company’s internationalisation

  • UK – ePlanet invests over £1m into eCommera
  • ePlanet Ventures has invested in e-commerce service provider eCommera in a deal valued at £1m.

  • AUSTRIA – Pontis leads $3.5m round for Xendex
  • Pontis Capital and a group of business angels have invested in games developer Xendex, in a financing round worth $3.5M

  • UK – DN Capital invests in Apsmart
  • DN Capital has invested an undisclosed amount into smartphone company Apsmart

  • GERMANY – HTFG and MAZ invest in MobileBits
  • High-Tech Gründerfonds and Maz level one have invested an undisclosed sum in software company MobileBits

  • UK – Dawn Capital invests in series A round for Manic Monkey
  • Dawn Capital has invested an undisclosed amount into 3D animation specialist Manic Monkey in a series-A round of financing

  • GERMANY – Crédit Agricole et al. invest in Upside Shopping
  • Crédit Agricole (CA) Private Equity has participated in an undisclosed financing round for internet business Upside Shopping, alongside seed investors Rocket Internet GmbH and existing backers

  • UK – Beringea invests £1m into TH_NK
  • Beringea, via its ProVen VCT fund, has made a £1m investment into digital agency TH_NK

  • UK – Entrepreneurs launch new venture fund
  • A syndicate of technology entrepreneurs have launched a new London-based venture fund, The Founders Club, open only to investors that are founders or chief executives of start up companies