peHUB Wire: Friday, November 27, 2009

Top Three

Sina.com (Nasdaq: SINA), a Chinese web portal, has raised $180 million via a private placement of ordinary shares. Investors would include Sequoia Capital China, FountainVest and CITIC Capital.

Bridgepoint Capital and AXA Private Equity have offered to buy SNAI, a listed Italian gaming company, for approximately €600 million. In the first nine months of the year SNAI posted a net loss of €9.5 million on revenue of €407.3 million.

Sensata Technologies Inc., an Attleboro, Mass.-based sensors and controls company, has filed for a $500 million IPO. It plans to trade on the NYSE, with Morgan Stanley, Barclays Capital and Goldman Sachs serving! as co-lead underwriters. Sensata reports around $797 million in revenue for the nine months ending September 30, and a $41 million net income loss. Sensata is majority-owned by Bain Capital, based on a 2006 buyout from Texas Instruments. www.sensata.com

VC Deals

SupportSpace, an Israel-based provider of online IT support services, has raised $9 million in second-round funding. Emergence Capital Partners led the round, and was joined byreturn backers BRM Capital and Gemini Israel. The company previously raised $4.25 million. peHUB previously reported on the round, based on a regulatory filing.

Kreatech Diagnostics, a Dutch molecular diagnostics startup,has raised €2 million in new VC funding. Alafi Capital was joined by return backer LSP. The company also named Kees Moonen, former CEO of Green Cross Vaccine, as its new CEO.

eCommera, a UK-based provider of ecommerce services to the retail industry, has raised £1.3 in new VC ! funding from ePlanet Ventures. It previously raised over £5 million from Frog Capital and West Coast Capital.

Attentio SA, a Belgium-based provider of social media monitoring solutions, has raised an undisclosed amount of first-round funding from the Brussels Regional Investment Co.

Buyouts Deals

Apollo Global Management has completed its take-private acquisition of Midland, Texas-based Parallel Petroleum Corp. (Nasdaq: PLLL). The deal was valued at approximately $438 million, or $3.15 per share, including the assumption or repayment of around $351 million in debt. Apollo’s equity commitment was $283.2 million.

BC Partners and KKR have expressed interest in acquiring Siemens AG’s hearing aids business, according to Bloomberg. The unit is expected to be valued at upwards of €3 billion.

Borders UK, a British bookseller owned by Valco Capital Partners, is planning to call in administrators.

Cossette Inc. (TSX: COS), a Canadian advertising agency, urged shareholders on Wednesday not ! to tender shares to a takeover bid from Canada’s Cosmos Capital that matches a rival offer from U.S. private equity group Mill Road Capital. Earlier this month, Mill Road reached an agreement with Cossette to acquire the company for C$7.87 a share.

Global Infrastructure Partners has received European Commission approval for its £1.51 billion acquisition of Gatwick Airport.

Mid Europa Partners has completed the first part of its acquisition of Invitel Holdings AS (AMEX: IHO), a fixed-line telecom and broadband internet services provider in the Republic of Hungary. The total deal involves three separate transa! ctions: Mid Europahas paid $10.8 million to TDC AS for its 64.6% stake in Invitel; Mid Europa will nextpurchas all of TDC’s rights and obligations under a €34.1 million subordinated PIK loan (which would be increased up to€91.4 million); and Mid Europa willlaunch a tender offer for the outstanding €125 million floating rate senior PIK notes due 2013 (held by Invitel). www.mideuropa.com

TPG Capital and China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. have denied a Bloomberg report that they are considering a joint bid for bankrupt chemical company LyondellBasell Industries.

PE-Backed IPOs

China Pacific Insurance Ltd., China’s third-largest life insurer, has received regulatory approval for a $3.4 billion IPO on the Hong Kong exchange. China Pacific is partially owned by The Carlyle Group.

Medica, a French home care group controlled by AXA Private Equity and BC Partners, is planning to raise up to €250 million via an IPO in Paris. Approximately 90% of the proceeds would be used to pay down debt. Credit Suisse, BNP Paribas and RBS are serving as underwriters.

RedPrairie Holding Inc., a Waukesha, Wisc.-based provider of inventory, wareho! use, transportation and workforce management systems, has filed for a $172.5 million IPO. BoA Merrill Lynch and Credit Suisse are serving as co-lead underwriters. The company had approximately $194 million in revenue for the first nine months of 2009, and net income of $12.45 million. Francisco Partners acquired RedPrairie in 2005, and currently holds an 89.7% equity position. www.redprairie.com

PE Exits

Lenovo Group is acquiring the entire interest of mobile handset businessLenovo Mobile Communication Technology Ltd. from a group of investors led by Hony Capital. The deal is valued at approximately $200 million in cash and Lenovo shares. Lenovo divested Lenovo Mobile in March 2008, as part of a plan to refocus on the company’s core PC business.

LGV Capital has retained KPMG to run a sale process for portfolio company LGC, a UK-based provider of forensics and other scientific testing. The deal is expected to be worth approximately £200 million.

Shanda Interactive Entertainment Ltd. has agreed to acquire a 58% stake in Chinese video sharing websiteKu6.com for $44 million, according to Chinese media reports. Ku6 has raised over $7 million in VC funding, from firms like Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Hotung International, Itochu Corp., UMC Capital, SBI Investment Co. and DT Capital Partners. www.ku6.com

Softbank Corp. reportedly has offered to buy Willcom Inc., a struggling telecom operator owned by The Carlyle Group.

Firms & Funds

J.W. Childs Associates has withdrawn registration to raise $200 million for a special purpose acquisition company. No explanation was provided.