Robert Venes

Cinven, a European private equity firm, has capped a busy month that has seen it invest in over €8bn of transactions with the purchase of Avio, an Italian aerospace engine maker, from owners The Carlyle Group and Finmeccanica.

Specialised Petroleum Services, a Scottish oil and gas services company, is 3i’s second disposal in the sector this week, fetching $165m in a sale to M-I Swaco, a US-based drilling and waste management business.

Barclays Private Equity, the private equity arm of the UK bank, has sold Gaucho Grill to Phoenix Equity Partners, a rival UK mid-market firm, for £55m.

3i, a London-listed private equity firm, has sold CH4 Energy, a UK oil and gas business it provided seed capital to in 2002, generating a 7.3 times money multiple and an IRR of 105%.

CHAMP Private Equity and Petersen Investments, two Australian private equity firms, have bought Study Group International, a language courses business, from Daily Mail & General Trust.

Stirling Square Capital Partnes, a European mid-market firm, has backed a €230m management buy-in of Metroweb, a fibre optics network business based in Milan.

Apax Partners and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts have undertaken preliminary analysis of Signet Group, a jewellery retailer with stores in the UK and US.

Warburg Pincus and Cinven, the US and European private equity firms, have won a €2.6bn auction to buy Essent Kabelcom, a Dutch cable operator, following the withdrawal of Liberty Global, a US cable business.

BTS Investment Advisors, a Swiss private equity advisor, has raised $80 million for expansion capital investments in India.

Auctus Management, a German mid-cap private equity manager, has generated more than €100m and an 18 times money multiple on the €250m sale of Time Partner, a temporary staffing business, to Investcorp.