Greetings from New York City, where last night we hosted a couple hundred of you at a bar named for either a prostitute or a fishing vessel (really could have gone either way). Tonight the peHUB Across America tour finishes up in Boston at Fenway Park, with more than 400 readers slated to attend. Plus a few of my personal pals, since it’s not everyday you throw a soiree at the ole town ballyard.
We went through yesterday’s new ticket dump within hours, and have now put a final group of around 50 on sale. Then that’s it, because we simply can’t fit any more of you. Get them at: http://pehubboston.eventbrite.com
Also, as an FYI: Tonight’s event is starting earlier and ending later than the past four Shindigs, because it’s a Friday night. We open up at 5pm, and close down at 9pm. See you there!
*** Last night’s Shindig raised over $2,300 from ticket sales, which will be donated to Mercy Corps/Mongolia. Overall, peHUB Across America has raised over $11,000 for various charities. Thank you.
*** I’ve stayed at four hotels this week. Here’s the rankings:
1. Fairmont (Chicago): Just perfect, as a Fairmont should be. Room service food was amazing.
2. Affinia 50 (New York): I stay here a lot, so my ranking is influenced by the large rooms I’m afforded. Only downside is the piddling TV, and lack of wireless Internet (which means my back is to CNBC while working).
3. Omni LA: Good room and cool outdoor seating area. Big downside: Shower water always smelled vaguely of sewage after the first few minutes.
4. Hilton (Capital — Washington DC): Wireless was very slow, and they charge $10 to use the gym. Not a lot of money, but there’s a principle at stake. If I’m paying $400 for a room — treadmill access should be included.
Top Three
Warburg Pincus has sold Hungary-based healthcare services company Euromedic to Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity and Ares Life Sciences. No financial terms were disclosed. The existing Euromedic management team will remain in place.
Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) has entered into a licensing and development agreement with TransPharma Medical Ltd., an Israel-based developer of trans-dermal drug delivery solutions. The deal relates to a patch for the treatment of osteoporosis, and includes a $35 million up-front payment. The two companies did not specify the size of possible earn-out payments. TransPharma raised an $18 million Series C round in 2006 from Argonaut Private Equity, Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd., Pitango Venture Capital, Evergreen Partners, T2Cs/Bio, Vitalife, Biomedical Investments and TIF Ventures.
Cerberus Capital Management is raising a distressed debt fund, firm chairman John Snow told Reuters.
VC Deals
WooMe, creator of a live introductions platform for online speed dating, has raised $12.5 million in Series B funding. Index Ventures led the round, and was joined by return backers Atomico and Mangrove Capital Partners.
Technorati Inc., a San Francisco-based search engine for the blogosphere, has called down $7.5 million of a $10 million Series D round, according to a regulatory filing. Return backers include Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Mobius Venture Capital and FG Incubation, operator of Technorati Japan. Technorati has now raised over $30 million in VC funding. www.technorati.com
Lucid Commerce, a Seattle-based provider of on-demand business intelligence, has raised $2.5 million in Series A funding led by OVP Venture Partners.
NWP Services Corp., an Irvine, Calif.-based provider of financial transaction processing solutions to the multi-family housing market, has raised $11.5 million in venture debt financing. ORIX Venture Finance committed $7.5 million in term loans, and Comerica Bank provided a $4 million credit facility. NWP previously raised VC funding from firms like Crosslink Capital, Endeavor Capital, FBR Private Equity, Kline Hawkes, Landmark Partners and Sycamore Ventures. .
Buyout Deals
Point Lookout Capital Partners has acquired Penn Arms Inc., a Punxsutawney, Penn.-based maker of firearms for law enforcement and military personnel. No financial terms were disclosed.
Richard L. Scott Investments has acquired a majority stake in Drives, a Fulton, Ill.-based maker of conveyor, power transmission roller chain and auger products. No financial terms were disclosed. Harris NA provided senior financing, while Northstar Capital provided mezzanine notes and an equity co-investment.
PE Exits
Bunker Hill Capital has sold Indianapolis-based Specialty Coating Systems to an undisclosed strategic buyer. No financial terms were disclosed, although Bunker Hill said that the sale represented a 6x ROI.
American Capital Strategies has sold DanChem, a Danville, Va.-based maker of specialty chemicals and plastics, to Ensign-Bickford Industries Inc. No financial terms were disclosed. Headwaters MB advised DanChem on the transaction.
PE-Backed M&A
ProQuest, a portfolio company of ABRY Partners, has agreed to acquire Dialog from Thomson Reuters (publisher of PE Week Wire). No financial terms were disclosed. Dialog provides online research tools including publication content archives.
Firms & Funds
Avenue Capital Group has held a €563 million first close for its first European distressed debt fund, according to LBO Wire. The vehicle has a €1.5 billion target. www.avenuecapital.com
Bear Stearns Private Equity has completed its previously-announced acquisition of Macquarie Private Capital Group, at an adjusted price of A$113.9 million.
Waterland Private Equity Investments has closed its fourth fund with €800 million in capital commitments. The firm focuses on mid-market buyouts in Europe. www.waterland.nu
Human Resources
Stephen Coats has joined Riverstone Holdings as a managing director and general counsel, a new position. He previously was a partner with law firm Vinson & Ellis.
Shaun Kingsbury has joined Hudson Clean Energy Partners as a London-based partner, where he’ll be responsible for the New York-based firm’s European operations. He most recently was a founding partner of Pulsar Energy Capital, a boutique investment firm focused on the energy sector.
Diane Woolf has joined Covington Associates as a principal. She previously ran the private placement group at Tucker Anthony Sutro and was a vice president in the private capital groups at Robertson Stephens and BancBoston Securities.
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