peHUB Wire: Monday, August 16, 2010

(Warning: What follows is the most self-absorbed column I’ve ever written. And that’s saying something)

In September 2002, a friend suggested we all take a day off work in order to go ride roller coasters at Six Flags. The conversation went like this:

Me: “We can’t leave until 10am.”

Friend: “Why not?

Me: “Because I just started an email publication, and readers expect it each morning.”

Friend: “How many readers?”

Me: “About 300.”

Friend: “Wow, that’s a lot. Ok, we’ll leave at 10.”

Well, now there are 60,000 of you. It’s quite humbling, and makes the following quite difficult to write: I’ve decided to leave Thomson Reuters. My final peHUB Wire – and last peHUB.com posts – will be a week from this Thursday.

My reasons are myriad. Some are brilliant. Some are moronic. Some are noble. Some are selfish.

In short: I love what I do. But I also yearned for a change of scenery (figuratively, since I’ll be working out of the same home office — staring out at the same apple tree).

That yearning has led me to Fortune.com, where I’ve agreed to write a daily email newsletter and launch a new blog. As you can tell, I’m a man of limited talents…

You, dear readers, have been the best part of my workdays for the past eight years. Let’s stay in touch after next Thursday…

-dan primack

Top Three

Medco Health Solutions Inc. (NYSE: MHS) has agreed to acquire United BioSource, a Bethesda, Md.-based scientific and medical affairs organization. The all-cash deal is valued at around $730 million. United BioSource has raised more than $275 million in equity funding, from Berkshire Partners,Grotech Capital Group, J.H. Whitney and New Enterprise Associates.

Smooth-Stone, an Austindeveloper of ARM-based server chips, has raised $48 million in first-round funding. Backers include ARM, Advanced Technology Investment Co., Battery Ventures, Flybridge Capital Partners, Highland Capital Partners and Texas Instruments.

Leonard Green & Partners has agreed to acquire Prospect Medical Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: PZZ), operator of five community-based hospitals in the greater Los Angeles area. The deal is valued at approximately $363 million, including the assumption of approximately $158 million in debt. Prospect stockholders will receive $8.50 per share.

VC Deals

24M Technologies has spun out of A123 Systems, in order to commercialize energy storage systems. It has raised $10 million in Series A funding from Charles River Ventures and North Bridge Venture Partners, plus a new $6 million grant from ARPA-E.

Shape Up The Nation, aprovider of social network-based online health and wellness services, has raised $5 million in Series A funding from Cue Ball Capital and Excel Venture Management. The company is based in Providence, Rhode Island.

Ayeah Games Inc., a Boston-based developer of “social reality games,” has raised an undisclosed amount of seed funding from groups like Lead Dog Ventures and Eureeka Ventures.

Buyouts Deals

Barclays Private Equity Germany has acquired a majority stake in MPS Meat Processing Systems of The Netherlands. Sellers included Steadfast Capital.

Energy Future Holdings, a portfolio company of KKR and TPG Capital, on Friday said that debt-holders had tendered $4.47 billion of notes, as part of a debt exchange.

Mistral Equity Partners has acquired juicemaker Country Pure Foods from First Atlantic Capital and DN Partners. No financial terms were disclosed.

Paternoster, a London-based specialist pension business partially owned by Deutsche Bank, has hired I-bank Willis to help it raise more capital. Reuters reports that the capital raise could lead to a sale.

Star Capital Partners has agreed to buy German cable operator Pepcom GmbH from GMT Communication Partners and Veronis Suhler Stevenson. No financial terms were disclosed.

PE-Backed IPOs

ExamWorks Group Inc., an Atlanta-based provider of medical legal services, has filed for a $172.5 million IPO. It plans to trade on the NYSE under ticker symbol EXAM, with Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse serving as co-lead underwriters. Shareholders include Compass Partners.

REVA Medical Inc., a San Diego-based developer of bioresorbable stents to treat arterial disease, hasfiled for a $63 million IPO in Australia. Inteq Ltd. is serving as lead underwriter. The company has raised around $57 million in VC funding, from groups like Domain Partners (21.6$ pre-IPO stake), Cerberus Capital Management (11.4%),Brookside Capital (11%) and Group Outcome (5.6%). www.teamreva.com

PE Exits

Advent International reportedly is planning to sell German clothing chain Takko Fashion, in a deal that could be valued at around €1.25 billion. And IPO is also possible.

The Carlyle Group reportedly has put children’s car-seat maker Britax Childcare up for sale. Carlyle paid £230 million for the company in 2005, and has hired Rothschild to manage the process.

Google has acquired virtual currency startupJambool for an undisclosed amount. Jambool had raised around $5 million in VC funding from Bay Partners and Madrona Venture Group. Read more at the Jambool blog.

Facebook has acquired Chai Labs, a Mountain View, Calif.-based startup focused on helping publishers launch vertical sites. No financial terms were disclosed, although All Things D puts the price-tag at around $10 million. Chai Labs had raised seed funding from Merus Capital, Marc Andreessen, Reid Hoffman and others. www.chailabs.com

Science Applications International Inc. (NYSE: SAI) has completed its previously-announced acquisition of Reveal Imaging Technologies Inc., a Bedford, Mass.-based provider of detection products and services. No financial terms were disclosed. Reveal Imaging has raised around $18 million in VC funding, from Flybridge Capital Partners, Brown Brothers Harriman, General Catalyst and Greylock.

US WorldMeds LLC has acquired Solstice Neurosciences Inc., a Malvern, Pa.-based drug company whose first product is a botulinum toxin type B. The deal is valued at $35 million. Solstice Neurosciences had raised around $90 million in VC funding, plus another $35 million in venture debt. Equity backers included Highland Capital Management, Thomas, McNerney & Partners, Investor Growth Capital, Morgan Stanley Venture Partners and Oxford Bioscience Partners.

PE-Backed M&A

Epitomics Inc. has spun out to shareholdersa new company called Apexigen Inc., which will focus on the development and commercialization of humanized monoclonal antibodies for treatment of cancer and immuno-disorders. Epitomics has raised around $14 million in VC funding, from firms like Amkey Ventures and Sycamore Ventures.

OriGene Technologies, a Rockville, Md.-based developer of monoclonal antibodies, has acquired Blue Heron Biotechnology Inc., a Bothell, Wash.-based provider of gene synthesis services. No financial terms were disclosed. OriGene has raisedover $16 millionin VC funding, from IDG-Accel, SBI & TH Venture Capital Enterprise, Zero2IPO, Morningside Venture Investments and President International Development Corp. Blue Heron had raised around $9 million, fromCrabtree Ventures, Integra Ventures and Invitrogen Corp.

Telestream,a provider of digital media tools and workflow solutions,has agreed to acquire thevideo transcoding software (Anystream) division of Grab Networks, a Dulles, Va.-based provider of online video management software. No financial terms were disclosed. Tellestream backers include Hallador Venture Partners and Shaw Ventures, while Grab Networks shareholders include Softbank Capital, SCP Capital, Longworth Venture Partners and Court Square Partners.

Firms & Funds

Hari Achuthan and Karl Bornefalk have formed an India-focused private equity firm called Achuthan & Co., according to Dow Jones. Achuthan was most recently a director in the private equity group of Credit Suisse Asset Management, while Bornefalk is a serial entrepreneur.

Human Resources

Rahman D’Argenio has joined Energy Capital Partners as a principal. He previously was a director with First Reserve Corp.