PE Week Wire — 9/11/06

Freescale Semiconductor Inc. (NYSE: FSL) is on the block for more than $16 billion, according to The New York Times. The report says that an initial bid came from a consortium that includes The Blackstone Group, Permira, Texas Pacific Group, Carlyle Group and Bain Capital. Then a second, higher, bid came from KKR and Silver Lake Partners, which could try merging Freescale with Philips Electronics' semiconductor unit. www.freescale.com

Linux NetworX Inc., a Bluffdale, Utah-based supercomputing company, has raised $37 million in third-round funding. Lehman Brothers and Canaccord Adams were joined by return backers Oak Investment Partners and Tudor Ventures. www.linuxnetworx.com

FTI Consulting Inc. (NYSE: FCN) has agreed to acquire FD International Ltd. (a.k.a. Financial Dynamics), a UK-based business communications firm controlled by Advent International. The deal is valued at approximately $260 million, including $215 million in cash, $20 million in notes and deferred purchase obligations and $25 million of restricted FTI stock. To finance the acquisition of FD, FTI plans to offer $215 million of senior unsecured notes. www.fticonsulting.com www.fd.com

SpikeSource Inc., a Redwood City, Calif.-based open source IT infrastructure company, has raised $21 million in Series B funding, according to a regulatory filing. PE Week Wire reported a $15 million first close earlier this year. Duff Ackerman & Goodrich was joined by return backers Fidelity Ventures and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. www.spikesource.com

Bubble Motion Pte Ltd., an India-based provider of short-voice messaging services, has raised $10 million in venture funding from Sequoia Capital and Sequoia Capital India. www.bubblemotion.com

Hi-G-Tek Inc., a Rockville, Md.-based provider of RFID products for monitoring and controlling high-value physical assets and sensitive materials, has raised $10 million in its first round of pure venture capital funding. L Capital Partners led the deal, and was joined by Battelle Ventures and Battelle affiliate Innovation Valley Partners. www.higtek.com

Aquarius Technologies Inc., a Port Washington, Wis.-based provider of “sludgeless” wastewater treatment solutions, has raised $7.5 million in first-round funding. L Capital Partners led the deal with a $6.5 million commitment. www.aquariustechnologies.com

Provade Inc., a San Mateo, Calif.-based provider of managed procurement solutions, has raised $5.2 million in Series C funding, according to a regulatory filing. Backers include Altos Vetures and ZAD Global Fund. www.provade.com

ZafGen Inc., a Cambridge, Mass.-based developer of an obesity therapy based on the vascular targeting of adipose tissue, has raised around $5.175 million in first-round funding, according to a regulatory filing. Backers include Atlas Venture and GreatPoint Ventures. www.zafgen.com

Freescale Semiconductor Inc. (NYSE: FSL) is on the block for more than $16 billion, according to The New York Times. The report says that an initial bid came from a consortium that includes The Blackstone Group, Permira, Texas Pacific Group, Carlyle Group and Bain Capital. Then a second, higher, bid came from KKR and Silver Lake Partners, which could try merging Freescale with Philips Electronics' semiconductor unit. www.freescale.com

Telecom Italia SpA is considering the sale of its Telecom Italia Mobile (T.I.M.) unit, which reportedly could be worth over $44 billion. www.telecomitalia.com

Ripplewood Holdings and VideoCon of India reportedly have won the auction to buy Korea's Daewoo Electronics for between $650 million and $700 million.

Vestar Capital Partners has agreed to acquire MediMedia USA Inc. from The Carlyle Group, Apax Partners and Cinven. No financial terms were disclosed. MediMedia USA USA was the core of a broader package of healthcare and business publications activities acquired from Vivendi Universal Publishing in April 2002 Carlyle Group, Apax and Cinven. www.medimedia.com

Fenway Partners has sponsored a management buyout of RoadLink USA Inc., a Chicago