Robert Venes

The European affiliate of buyout and mezzanine firm American Capital Strategies has increased its revolving credit facility to €900m, giving the company approximately €1.65bn in firepower.

The sale of Rovtech, a supplier of remotely operated vehicles to the oil and gas industry, has generated an IRR of 26.5% for 3i, which originally invested in the business in 1996.

Swedish healthcare company Capio has rejected a €1.67bn unsolicited offer by private equity firms Apax Partners and Nordic Capital.

Allianz Capital Partners has sold UK care homes provider Four Seasons Healthcare to an investment fund of the Qatar Investment Authority, despite interest from 3i and Terra Firma Capital Partners.

Law firm Latham & Watkins has strengthened its Frankfurt office with the appointment of Christina Ungeheuer, a partner in the leverage finance group at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy.

Hemscott, a UK financial information provider, is to be delisted from AIM and merged with US rival I-deal if a bid by US private equity firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson to take the business private is successful.

Prelude Trust, a UK quoted investment trust, has invested alongside QinetiQ Ventures, The Dow Chemical Company and TTP Ventures in a new financing round for ZBD Displays, which has raised almost £15m since 2001.

Lehman Brothers Co-Investment Partners, the co-investment fund of US bank Lehman Brothers, has joined The Carlyle Group as a shareholder in Firth Rixson, a metal manufacturing business Carlyle acquired in 2003.

Bridgepoint, a European mid-market private equity firm, has hired John Barber, a managing director at placement agent Helix Associates, to lead its investor services team.

Patrick Dunne, communications director at London-listed private equity firm 3i, has been appointed chairman at UK charity Leap.