New in brief

• French private equity group Astorg Partners has announced an agreement with Vestar Capital Partners to back management of one of France’s largest funeral companies, OGF Group, and invest in the company. Vestar is partially exiting, but will remain an investor in OGF, which made €500m in sales last year and employs 5,800 people throughout France. OGF employees will also be able to take stakes in the company alongside their managers, led by president and chief executive Philippe Lerouge. The deal is expected to close by the end of September pending regulatory approval and other customary conditions. Credit Suisse is underwriting the financing of the deal

• Apax has agreed to sell EGX, also known Healthcare at Home, to UK investment company Hutton Collins. The financial terms were not disclosed but it is thought that Apax sold it for more than £250m making up to 40 times its money. The deal will see EGX founder Charles Walsh and the management team will remain majority shareholders. Healthcare provides home healthcare services in the UK to about 40,000 patients annually. When Apax invested in Healthcare at Home twelve years ago, the company had four employees now, it has over 600. UBS advised Healthcare at Home, while Investec advised Hutton Collins.

• Advent International has acquired a majority stake in Sophis, a provider of cross-asset, front-to-back portfolio and risk management software. No financial terms were disclosed for the deal, after which company founder and CEO Herve Vinciguerra will retain a “significant” equity stake. He will not remain as CEO, however – as that job will go to former Linedata Services executive Pascal Xatart.

• Aerial Facilities, an ECI portfolio company, which makes services products to help wireless technologies (GSM, TETRA etc) operate underground and in remote rural areas, has acquired its main competitor in a transformational deal that makes it a top 3 global player, able to compete against the US and China. The deal is valued at £24m. ECI acquired Aerial via an MBI for £56m in January 2006.

• Private equity group RJD Partners is thought to be in advanced talks to acquire Teaching Personnel, a group that hires and provides teachers for inner city schools from Barclays Private Equity. A deal would see RJD Partners back chief executive Mark Weavis in a secondary buyout thought to be valued at around £25m. Debt would be provided by Yorkshire Bank.

• HgCapital is buying a majority holding in Germany’s SLV, a producer of innovative lighting systems in Europe. The company’s founder and current managing director, Franko Neumetzler, who has up to now held the majority of SLV’s capital, will retain a significant minority stake in the company. The transaction circa €320m enterprise value, still requires the approval of the German Federal Cartel Office and is expected to be closed in roughly one month’s time.