China Eastern Airlines (CEA) just announced the launch of a new direct route between Shanghai Pudong and Abu Dhabi. The service, set to commence on April 28, will make CEA the first Chinese airline to connect the two cities. The flights will be operated under a joint partnership with Etihad Airways. The new route, designated as…
bd-capital closes second fund at €430 million, surpassing target
LONDON: bd-capital, the pan-European, operator-led investment firm, has announced the final closing of its second fund, bd-capital Fund 2 (“Fund 2”), at €430 million. The fund exceeded its target of €350 million by more than 20% after less than twelve months in the market. With the closing of Fund 2, bd-capital’s assets under management now total…
U.K. economy shrinks by 0.1% in January
LONDON: The United Kingdom’s economy unexpectedly contracted by 0.1% month-on-month in January, according to official figures released on Friday. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) attributed the decline primarily to a contraction in the production sector. Economists polled by Reuters had anticipated a 0.1% growth in the country’s GDP for January. The U.K. economy had previously…
Digitalbox acquires The Life Network from Media Chain Group
LONDON: Digitalbox plc (AIM: DBOX), the mobile-first digital media business has exchanged contracts to acquire the digital assets of The Life Network from Media Chain Group Limited for a total consideration of £200,000. The acquisition is subject to completion of satisfactory testing by Digitalbox, as set out below, and is expected to be earnings enhancing on completion….
HgCapital Trust plc announces investment in Scopevisio AG
LONDON: HgCapital Trust plc (HgT) today announced an investment in Scopevisio AG, a leading innovator in cloud-based business automation. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. HgT will invest approximately £4.8 million in Scopevisio, with other institutional clients of Hg investing alongside HgT through the Hg Mercury 4 Fund. HgT, whose shares are listed on the…
Software Circle plc acquires Total Drive Software for £7.5 million
LONDON: Software Circle plc (AIM: SFT) announced today the acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Total Drive Software Limited, an end-to-end software solution provider for driving instructors. The acquisition is valued at up to £7.5 million, to be satisfied in cash on a debt-free and cash-free basis. The deal is projected to be cash flow…
Resource Mining Corporation begins exploration in Saudi Arabia
PERTH: Resource Mining Corporation (RMI) announced on March 14, 2025, that its geology team has commenced a site visit to the Wadi Salamah (G-23) and Shaib Margan projects in Saudi Arabia. The team plans to complete mapping and rock chip sampling programs, which will guide future exploration efforts. RMI entered into a binding term sheet with Auking…
Piraeus Bank to acquire majority stake in Ethniki Insurance
ATHENS: Piraeus Financial Holdings S.A. announced that its subsidiary, Piraeus Bank S.A., has entered into a Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) to acquire a 90.01% stake in the parent company of Ethniki Insurance from CVC Capital Partners Fund VII. The deal, valued at €600 million in cash, aims to diversify Piraeus’ revenue sources and enhance value for shareholders….
Ripple secures license to offer regulated crypto payments in UAE
DUBAI: Ripple, a leading provider of enterprise blockchain and crypto solutions, has obtained regulatory approval from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) to offer regulated crypto payments and services in the Dubai International Finance Centre (DIFC). This makes Ripple the first blockchain-enabled payments provider to be licensed by the DFSA. The approval marks Ripple’s inaugural license in…
Elementis plc appoints Luc van Ravenstein as Chief Executive Officer
LONDON: Elementis plc, a global specialty chemicals company, announced that Luc van Ravenstein will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and join the Board of the Company on 29 April 2025, succeeding Paul Waterman. Luc is a highly respected leader with a strong track record of delivering innovation, growth and efficiency during his 13…
James Lowery appointed new CEO of essensys plc
LONDON: essensys plc (AIM:ESYS), the leading global provider of software and technology to the flexible workspace industry announces that Mark Furness has decided to retire as Chief Executive Officer, after founding essensys in 2006 and leading the business since launch. Mark Furness will be succeeded by James Lowery, Chief Operating Officer, who will take over as…
Restore Plc has acquired Synertec (Holdings) for £22 million
LONDON: Restore plc (AIM: RST), the UK’s leading provider of secure and sustainable business services for data, information, communications and assets, today announced the acquisition of Synertec (Holdings) Ltd, a document management business, for an initial cash consideration of £22 million plus deferred cash consideration based on Synertec’s future profits. Synertec was founded in 1999 and is…