HINDAWI acquired by JOHN WILEY & SONS

The acquisition of CarNext by Constellation Automotive Group creates a leading European digital used car marketplace, selling more than 2.5 million cars annually for a Gross Merchandise Value of €21bn. The combination of CarNext and Constellation expands the group's vertically integrated C2B, B2B, and B2C marketplace model across seven major European countries, allowing the group to reach unmatched scale. The addition of CarNext's proprietary data analytics and historic European used car transaction data will give Constellation an edge in terms of data and technology excellence. The deal is expected to further boost Constellation's growth across the UK and continental Europe, and comes after the combined group raised more than €2bn this year. The acquisition will allow Constellation to combine the scale of its respective marketplaces to lead the digital transformation of the used car market across Europe.

This transaction is a public-to-private leveraged buyout. The newly formed consortium, acting in concert, signed a binding investment protocol to execute a simplified tender offer aimed at acquiring all outstanding floating shares and delisting the target from the stock exchange. The complex operational structure involves the incoming private equity firm directly acquiring a significant minority stake in the listed entity, coupled with a simultaneous direct equity injection and share purchase within the historical owners' overarching holding company. Together, the concerted parties aim to secure absolute total control over the enterprise.

US private equity firm Providence Equity Partners has entered into exclusive negotiations to acquire a majority controlling stake in Groupe La Centrale, France's premier automotive classifieds provider. Following a competitive auction process advised by Lazard, Providence successfully secured the deal over competing bidder AutoScout24. German media conglomerate Axel Springer, which had owned the platform since 2014, is divesting its majority control but will roll over equity to retain a minority shareholder position. The transaction is expected to reach completion in the first quarter of 2021, subject to customary works council consultations and antitrust regulatory clearances. For Providence Equity Partners, the buyout secures a robust platform to drive technological innovation and expand value-added services across the entire vehicle lifecycle, benefiting both automotive dealers and individual drivers. Leveraging Groupe La Centrale's four core brands (La Centrale, Promoneuve, Caradisiac, and MaVoitureCash) and its massive audience of 40 million monthly visitors, the sponsor intends to significantly accelerate the company's organic growth trajectory. For the exiting majority owner Axel Springer, the partial realization facilitates a strategic realignment, allowing the media group to concentrate its ongoing investments and operational focus strictly on its core digital classifieds verticals: real estate and jobs.

B&Capital acquired a majority stake in 123Elec. This transaction allowed the historical investor Capelia to exit while providing the company with a robust financial structure and senior debt to fuel its next expansion phase.

BIP Capital Partners has successfully completed a leveraged buyout (LBO) of La Boutique Officielle.com, acquiring a majority stake from previous institutional shareholders (of which Azulis Capital). This strategic transaction marks a significant milestone in the evolution of the e-commerce platform, following a period of sustained organic growth and targeted investments in digital infrastructure. The rationale for the transaction is based on the demonstrated resilience of La Boutique Officielle.com's integrated business model in the face of global market fluctuations, as well as its unique ability to manage logistics and technological development internally, without relying on external financing. This operational autonomy and strategic flexibility have convinced BIP Capital Partners of the opportunity to strengthen its investment portfolio with this acquisition. The combination of La Boutique Officielle.com's operational expertise and BIP Capital Partners' financial and strategic support is expected to enable the company to continue its expansion and consolidate its leadership position in the online market for "streetwear" products.

Initiative & Finance has invested €11M into Primelis to support its ambition of becoming the European leader in organic search (SEO). This investment follows a period of strong performance where the agency successfully met its previous three-year revenue target of €5M. The funding is specifically intended to support the agency's organic development and its initial external growth projects, which were already under review at the time of the transaction.

Rockpool Investments acquired a majority stake in Primrose in a management buyout from its previous backer, BGF (Business Growth Fund). The transaction was supported by senior loans and a revolving credit facility provided by OakNorth Bank. The strategic rationale centered on professionalizing the leadership team and investing in e-commerce systems and customer experience to capitalize on the demographic trend of "mature, home-owning consumers" increasingly shopping for garden leisure products online.

The investment consortium has successfully finalized a leveraged buyout of the target, acquiring a majority stake from the founding family and early-stage investors. This strategic transaction represents a pivotal step in the e-commerce platform’s evolution, providing the institutional backing and capital depth required to move from a pure distributor model to a brand-owner model. The strategic rationale for the move centers on the high degree of growth potential within the specialized streetwear niche and the target’s unique ability to internalize complex logistics. By incorporating institutional capital, the organization reinforces its ability to launch proprietary textile brands and broaden its product portfolio to include a female-focused vertical. The partnership is designed to leverage the acquirers' extensive experience in scaling retail platforms to professionalize management and expand geographic reach. This integration facilitates the target’s transition into a more diversified lifestyle group, providing the strategic resources required to navigate the rapid evolution of digital consumer habits. The move solidifies the group’s standing as a primary enabler of urban culture distribution in the European digital landscape.

TowerBrook Capital Partners entered into an exclusive agreement to reclaim majority control of Infopro Digital from the exiting historical private equity syndicate, led by Apax Partners and Altamir. This transaction marks a secondary leveraged buyout and a notable "comeback" for TowerBrook, which served as the group's original financial sponsor at its inception in 2001. Following a highly competitive auction process managed by a premier investment bank, the returning sponsor secured exclusivity to execute the acquisition alongside a deeply reinvested executive management team. The deal follows a period of rapid consolidation, including the transformative 2013 acquisition of Groupe Moniteur, which solidified Infopro’s position as the French market leader.

PAI Partners has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a majority stake in Euro Media Group. The transaction involves the full exit of historical shareholders Bolloré and Allianz Capital Partners, alongside a partial divestment by Banijay Holding. As part of the new capital structure, the Belgian investment firm Sofinim maintains its 22.5% stake, and the co-founding managers, Chantal and Jean-Pierre Barry, also remain as shareholders. This operation follows a period where the company actively sought a new partner after considering an initial public offering (IPO) in 2010. The strategic rationale for the acquisition centers on supporting Euro Media Group’s position as a consolidated leader in the European audiovisual services market. PAI Partners intends to finance the transaction entirely with equity to provide a stable platform for the group's future development. The group’s history of successful cross-border integration, including the acquisitions of UBF Media Group and 3Zero2, provides a robust foundation for further geographic expansion. This partnership is designed to leverage the group's massive technical infrastructure and its status as a descendant of historical production entities to capture growth in the evolving digital media landscape across the Old Continent.