peHUB Wire: Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Top Three

General Atlantic has acquired a minority stake in Markit Group Ltd., a London-based financial information provider. No financial terms were disclosed, but the FT puts the deal at $250 million with a valuation of just over $3 billion.

KKR has agreed to buy UK retailer Pets at Home from Bridgepoint for approximately £995 million, according to Reuters.

The Receivables Exchange, a New Orleans-based online marketplace for real-time trading of accounts receivable, has raised $17 million in Series C funding. Bain Capital Ventures led the round, and was joined by return backers Redpoint Vetures and Prism Ventureworks. The company raised a $7.75 million Series B round early last year.

VC Deals

Neomend, an Irvine, Calif.-based developer of sealant and adhesion prevention products for the surgical market, has raised $30 million in Series D funding. Clarus Ventures led the round with a $17 million investment, and was joined by return backers Sanderling Ventures, Novo Ventures, Vivo Ventures, and Prospect Venture Partners.

Juvaris BioTherapeutics Inc., a Pleasanton, Calif.-based developer of vaccines for cancer and infectious diseases, has held a second close on a previously-disclosed Series B round that could total $25 million. An undisclosed corporate investor was joined by existing backers SV Life Sciences and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.

Ciris Energy Inc., a Centennial, Colo.-based developer of coal gasification technologies, has raised an undisclosed amount of new VC funding from GE Energy Financial Services, Braemar Energy Ventures and Rho Ventures.

Buyouts Deals

Advent International and BC Partners reportedly are considering bids for German cable operator Kabel Deutschland, which is 88% owned by Providence Equity Partners. Prior reports cited Carlyle Group and CVC Capital Partners as possible bidders, with a sale price that could approach €5 billion. Kabel Deutschland also is considering a public flotation.

Greenbriar Equity and Onex Corp. have ended their efforts to buy a part of AIG’s aircraft leasing business, according to Reuters. The firms had offered to buy 10% of the unit’s aircraft portfolio for around $4 billion.

KKR has acquired an undisclosed position in the German Flavours and Ingredients business of Rudolf Wild GmbH & Co. The deal will not result in management changes, and is designed to facilitate a public listing for Rudolf Wild, an 80-year-old, family-owned business.

Windsor Ltd., a Lloyds insurance broker, has completed a refinancing that has enabled it to repay most of the company used to finance its 2007 take-private. Clydesdale Bank provided new senior debt facilities. Hutton Collins Partners will retain a minority position.

PE-Backed IPOs

Flint, a German ink maker owned by CVC Capital Partners, is planning to go public later this year. The company reportedly has retained Deutsche Bank and Morgan Stanley as lead underwriters.

PE-Backed M&A

HDT International Holdings, a provider of mobile-military and emergency response solutions, has acquired Airborne Systems Group Ltd., a Pennsauken, N.J.-based maker of parachute systems and related products. No pricing terms were disclosed for the deal, which included leveraged financing from RBC Capital Markets, BMO Capital Markets and GE Antares Capital. HDT is majority-owned by Metalmark Capital.

Ryerson Holding Corp., a Chicago-based metals processor, has acquired Texas Steel Processing Inc., a Houston-based steel plate fabricator, for approximately $11.4 million. Ryerson recently filed for a $350 million IPO. It was taken private by Platinum Equity in October 2007 for approximately $2 billion.

Firms & Funds

CITIC Securities has raised around $1.32 billion for its first institutional private equity fund, called the CITIC Mianyang Private Equity Fund. It is the largest yuan-denominated PE fund ever raised in China.

Human Resources

Genstar Capital has promoted Anthony Salewski and Robert Rutledge to the position of vice president. Both had previously been senior associates.