Experian Group Ltd. (LSE: EXPN) has acquired Hitwise Pty Ltd., an Australia-based provider of website performance monitoring, for approximately $240 million in cash. Hitwise had seed backing from Allen & Buckeridge and later-stage capital from Insight Venture Partners. www.experian.com www.hitwise.com
Agribusiness Partners International has agreed to sell Russian poultry processor Chicken Kingdom to the Cherkizovo Group (LSE: CHE). No financial terms were disclosed. API is a $100 million private equity fund formed in 1996, with the support of OPIC. www.amc-api.com
Hachette Filipacchi Media US, publisher of such magazines as Car & Driver, has agreed to acquire Jumpstart Automotive Media, a San Francisco-based vertical advertising network focused exclusively on the automotive industry. The deal includes an initial cash payment of $84 million, plus up to $26 million in earnouts in 2008 and 2010, based on the […]
Investcorp has completed its sale of Harborside Healthcare Corp. to Sun Healthcare Group Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNH). The deal includes $349.4 million in cash for Harborside's equity, while Sun also entered into a new $485 million senior secured credit facility led by Credit Suisse. Harborside is a Boston-based operator of 73 skilled nursing facilities, one assisted […]
Susan Balloch has joined The Blackstone Group as an executive director, where she will focus on firm management and administrative activities. She previously was in the investor relations group of Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe. www.blackstone.com
Alexandra Gardiner has joined EMAlternatives as chief financial officer. She previously served as vice president of finance for The Rock Greek Group, a $3.5 billion hedge fund-of-funds manager. www.emalternatives.com
Misti Ushio has joined Harris & Harris Group Inc. as an associate in the firm's New York office. She previously managed nanotech and materials science invention and patent portfolios for Columbia University. www.tinytechvc.com
Wachovia Corp. has implemented a reorganization, which includes financial sponsors chief Jonathan Weiss now also overseeing corporate finance. www.wachovia.com
Metabolex Inc., a Hayward, Calif.�based drug company focused on diabetes and other metabolic disorders, has raised $32 million in Series D funding. MPM BioEquities led the deal, and was joined by fellow new investors AllianceBernstein, Deerfield Management, T. Rowe Price. Return backers include Alta Partners, Bay City Capital, Biotech Turnaround Fund, Birchmere Ventures, Johnson & […]
Bioniche Pharma Group Ltd., an Ireland