This new partnership with 3i will support the group in its international expansion plans, especially in North American Hispanic markets and Latin America. 3i will work closely with the company to significantly grow its value with a view to a potential IPO in Spain or the US in the medium term.  3i Partner Maite Ballester and Director Javier Alonso will join Unión Radio's board of directors.

Maite Ballester, 3i Partner, explained: "This agreement unites the strengths of both companies: 3i's own experience and contacts in the global media sector and Unión Radio's outstanding leadership, successful model and strong ambition. As an active minority partner, we look forward to helping drive forward the firm's growth plans, especially in the US market. We believe, through this partnership, Unión Radio could become the undisputed leader in Hispanic radio worldwide."

Unión Radio has more than 22 million listeners worldwide. It includes more than 1,250 fullly owned and associated radio stations across Spain, USA, Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, Argentina and Chile.  In Spain, Unión Radio includes Cadena Ser, clear leader by audience numbers in both spoken and music programmes (eg. 40 Principales, Cadena Dial, M-80, Radiolé and MáximaFM). In the USA, the company has two radio stations, operating in Los Angeles and Miami. In Miami, it is the leader of spoken word programmes for the Hispanic population.

In the Mexican market, Unión Radio operates through Radiopolis, which is 50% owned by Televisa and in which Unión Radio manages the programming. Radiopolis has three fundamental program lines: W Radio for the spoken word, Bésame and 40 Principales. These are also the global formats which are broadcast in Panama, Costa Rica, Chile, Argentina and Colombia. Radio Caracol, undisputed leader in Colombia and one of Latin America's most prestigious radio stations are additional operators within Unión Radio Group in this market. Caracol produces and distributes up to ten program lines in different music and spoken radio formats. Since 2007, and through its subsidiary Grupo Latino de Radio (GLR), Unión Radio owns the main radio station in Chile, Iberoamerican Radio Chile, which operates from 140 of its own stations with eight radio formats, of which six are in the top ten of Chile's national radio rankings.

3i has previously helped over 44 companies to IPO in the past 5 years.  3i's global media sector team has invested in leading businesses such as VNU Media (online and print publications, UK), Boxer (leading digital TV broadcaster, Sweden), Nimbus Communications (TV, rights management and motion picture, India), Demand Media (next generation media company, US) and Pinewood Studios (largest film and TV facility in Europe, UK) amongst others.

DruckChemie provides the printing industry with speciality chemicals, consumables and services such as regular deliveries, on site inventory management and waste collection.

With a head office in Ammerbuch, Germany, DruckChemie operates 24 outlets across 10 European countries and Brazil and serves more than 6,000 customers.  A market leader in both France and Germany, DruckChemie's sales outlets are situated in over 50 countries with supplies covering in excess of 1,000 products.

3i has considerable experience of investing in the printing and business services sectors through its previous investments in Azelis, a pan-European company distributing speciality chemicals, and EDS Euro-DruckService, the leading web-offset printer in the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary. 3i's investment will help DruckChemie to further pursue its successful growth strategy and develop strong market positions across all major European markets. Furthermore 3i's global network of industry experts will provide the chemical service company with the ability to access previously untapped markets such as the US or Asia and add more technologically advanced products to its portfolio.

Ulf von Haacke, 3i Partner commented, "We are delighted to be investing in DruckChemie, a leading service provider within its sector with a strong track record of profitable growth and a high cash conversion.  We are convinced of the substantial growth potential for this business and look forward to supporting the experienced management team to achieve this."

Jean Emter, Chief Executive of DruckChemie said, "We are very much looking forward to our partnership with 3i.  Their wealth of experience in our industry sector and their international network will be invaluable to us.  Today, DruckChemie is very much driven by our culture to deliver efficient services to the client.  It is these services, a solid and broad product portfolio, and the successful development of technologies such as Alco-free and VOC-free, which have given the company its strong reputation. 3i's investment will help us to build on these strengths and develop into a global company with leading market positions across Europe and strong footholds in the US and Asia."

3i advisers on the deal included BNP Paribas (M&A), PWC (financial DD), Willkie Farr and Gallagher (legal), Roland Berger (commercial DD), SJ Berwin (tax), AON (insurance DD) and ERM (environmental DD).  SG Capital Europe, Quartus and DruckChemie have been advised by FdC and Interfinanz (M&A), Pöllath + Partner (legal), E&Y (financial), Mazars (tax), SJ Berwin (legal), Bird&Bird (tax) and Tauw (environmental).

This deal follows closely on the footsteps of another 3i public to private transaction, the acquisition of Inspicio, a leading player in the global testing and inspection market, which was completed in February.

3i had previously identified the public sector software and services industry as an attractive market and had developed a long-term relationship with Civica's management team prior to the transaction. 

Civica operates in an industry with attractive growth drivers and end market dynamics.  Its portfolio is focused on multiple end markets within the public sector, providing a diversified range of growth opportunities.  The business holds market leading positions in large, robust and growing UK and Australian markets with significant barriers to entry and has the opportunity to build upon its leading niche positions in higher growth, South East Asia markets.

3i's investment, network and knowledge will enable Civica to execute its buy and build strategy as the industry continues to consolidate, cross-sell its solutions across geographies and expand its service offering across its international footprint.

Simon Freer, 3i Partner commented: "Technology is a key sector focus for 3i and we identified Civica as an attractive business because of its size, growth prospects and strong management.  We see significant growth prospects in Civica's core business of selling software to local authorities as well as leveraging 3i's network to back the management plans for further acquisitions."

For the year ended October 2007, SLR reported revenues of £32.7m (up 36%, year on year) and EBITDA of £6.6m (up 47%, year on year), driven by strong performance across all areas of the business.  The figures reported include the acquisitions of Insite Environments, a UK landscape, architecture and masterplanning firm, and Seacor Environmental, a leading Canadian environmental consultant during the year. Since ISIS' investment in 2004 employee numbers have risen from 168 to 650.

SLR has an ambitious strategy of complementing organic growth with the selective acquisition of high calibre companies to extend its technical and geographic coverage, with India, Australasia and continental Europe being particular target regions for future expansion.  3i's investment, together with £29m of debt funding provided by Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets, will provide SLR with significant funds to support its growth strategy.

3i has deep experience in the sector, having successfully supported the growth of ERM which it sold to Bridgepoint for $535m in 2005, and has a strong understanding of consulting businesses with investments including: Foster + Partners, Williams Lea, Coor Service Management, NNC and KNEIP amongst others.  Richard Bishop, Partner, 3i Growth Capital, will join the Board of SLR Holdings.

David Richards, Chief Executive of SLR, commenting on the investment, said:

"As a market leader in a highly attractive market, SLR had received approaches from a number of other sources within the private equity arena, however, in 3i we feel we have found our ideal partner due to a combination of its unique international network, strong sector credentials and clear specialisation in minority investing to help empower our people and support our ambitious growth strategy. We are confident we have the right team for future growth and to bring the company to a successful IPO in the medium term."

Rupert Bell, 3i Director, commented:

"SLR is a market leading business in a sector with tremendous growth potential. We have known the management well for some time and are delighted to be working in partnership with such an outstanding team. We look forward to leveraging our unique global network and sector expertise to help SLR in the next phase of its growth strategy, to develop its international profile and to grow the business exponentially."

Wol Kolade, Managing Partner, ISIS Equity Partners, added:

"We have worked with SLR to support its impressive organic and acquisitive growth over the last four years.  During that time it has grown to be one of the UK's leading environmental consultancies with an expanding international presence.  We are delighted to have realised this successful investment which yielded a return of over six times our original investment.  We wish SLR well in its next phase of growth."

ISIS's investment was made by Shani Zindel and Liz Jones.  Liz Jones managed the investment and was a Director of SLR Holdings.

PricewaterhouseCoopers  Corporate Finance acted as advisers to 3i and Newco. Due diligence was performed by KPMG Transaction services, CIL and AON. Legal advisers were Travers Smith (3i), Olswang (ISIS), Wragge & Co (management) and Osborne Clarke (banking).

 Coremetrics (http://www.coremetrics.com), the leading provider of digital marketing optimization solutions, today announced that it has secured $60 million in Series E financing. The round was led by 3i (http://www.3i.com), a global investment fund, headquartered in London, with offices in Silicon Valley.

Existing investors Accel Partners, FTVentures and Highland Capital Partners also participated in the round. Coremetrics will leverage the additional capital to build upon sales growth and accelerate marketing initiatives.

    "This new round of funding will enable us to significantly enhance our already strong historical performance," said Joe Davis, CEO of Coremetrics. "There is an unlimited market opportunity for us as more online businesses see the advantage of using our marketing optimization platform to grow their companies. With current sales win rates approaching 70 percent, we see a tremendous opportunity to accelerate growth by leveraging our existing product leadership position with increased marketing investment and quota carrying sales force."

    "3i understands the digital marketing space well and Coremetrics' strong industry position provides an excellent opportunity to join a market leader as an investor and strategic advisor," said Al Yau, Director of 3i. "We are excited to be part of their continued success by leveraging our broad international network to accelerate growth, especially in Europe and Asia."

    "We are as bullish on the company's prospects today as we were when we funded their first round and are excited to be part of the next phase of Coremetrics' growth," said Dan Nova, General Partner at Highland Capital Partners.

    Over the last year, Coremetrics has experienced a surge in demand for its digital marketing optimization solutions, earning industry recognition and a bevy of new clients, as well as bringing new and innovative solutions to market. Within that time, Coremetrics has dramatically increased its customer base by 46 percent, diversified into new market sectors and maintained its leadership position in online retail. Part of this increased growth is a result of Coremetrics displacing competitors at an increasing rate. Recent customer wins include: Aeropostale (http://www.aeropostale.com), Diageo (http://www.diageo.com), DietTV (http://www.diettv.com), Ecommera Ltd. (http://www.ecommera.com), K-Swiss (http://www.kswiss.com), Powered, Inc. (http://www.powered.com), Publishers
Clearing House (http://www.pch.com), Robbins Bros. (http://www.robbinsbros.com) and Shane Co. (http://www.shaneco.com).

"We have a particular interest in advancing education and research in the area of private equity and in improving the understanding of the contribution this form of finance makes to society," said Stephan Kruemmer, Partner and Managing Director of German Speaking Europe at 3i.

Prof. Dr. Rudolf Steinberg, President of Goethe University, commented: "The new sponsored professorship is a valuable building block for the further expansion of our nationally recognised faculty for economics, the quality of which was once again confirmed by its excellent placement in the latest CHERanking."

This funded chair is the 35th such sponsorship at the university since 2000.

This new partnership with 3i will support the group in its international expansion plans, especially in North American Hispanic markets and Latin America. 3i will work closely with the company to significantly grow its value with a view to a potential IPO in Spain or the US in the medium term.  3i Partner Maite Ballester and Director Javier Alonso will join Unión Radio's board of directors.

Maite Ballester, 3i Partner, explained: "This agreement unites the strengths of both companies: 3i's own experience and contacts in the global media sector and Unión Radio's outstanding leadership, successful model and strong ambition. As an active minority partner, we look forward to helping drive forward the firm's growth plans, especially in the US market. We believe, through this partnership, Unión Radio could become the undisputed leader in Hispanic radio worldwide."

Unión Radio has more than 22 million listeners worldwide. It includes more than 1,250 fullly owned and associated radio stations across Spain, USA, Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, Argentina and Chile.  In Spain, Unión Radio includes Cadena Ser, clear leader by audience numbers in both spoken and music programmes (eg. 40 Principales, Cadena Dial, M-80, Radiolé and MáximaFM). In the USA, the company has two radio stations, operating in Los Angeles and Miami. In Miami, it is the leader of spoken word programmes for the Hispanic population.

In the Mexican market, Unión Radio operates through Radiopolis, which is 50% owned by Televisa and in which Unión Radio manages the programming. Radiopolis has three fundamental program lines: W Radio for the spoken word, Bésame and 40 Principales. These are also the global formats which are broadcast in Panama, Costa Rica, Chile, Argentina and Colombia. Radio Caracol, undisputed leader in Colombia and one of Latin America's most prestigious radio stations are additional operators within Unión Radio Group in this market. Caracol produces and distributes up to ten program lines in different music and spoken radio formats. Since 2007, and through its subsidiary Grupo Latino de Radio (GLR), Unión Radio owns the main radio station in Chile, Iberoamerican Radio Chile, which operates from 140 of its own stations with eight radio formats, of which six are in the top ten of Chile's national radio rankings.

3i has previously helped over 44 companies to IPO in the past 5 years.  3i's global media sector team has invested in leading businesses such as VNU Media (online and print publications, UK), Boxer (leading digital TV broadcaster, Sweden), Nimbus Communications (TV, rights management and motion picture, India), Demand Media (next generation media company, US) and Pinewood Studios (largest film and TV facility in Europe, UK) amongst others.

The 3i India Infrastructure Fund obtained commitments from a high-quality and well-diversified group of 16 limited partners from ten countries across Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East, which it will invest in a balanced portfolio of investments. As announced last September, 3i Infrastructure Limited, the FTSE 250 infrastructure investment company, and 3i are the largest investors, each committing US$250 million to the Fund.

Targeting around ten investments over the investment period, the Fund's portfolio already includes a US$227 million investment in Adani Power, which is developing a portfolio of power plants across India, as well as a US$101 million investment in Soma Enterprise, an infrastructure developer focussing on build-operate-transfer (BOT) projects.

Michael Queen, Managing Partner and head of 3i's Infrastructure business, commented: "It is a positive endorsement to have received such strong support from such a high-quality global investor base for this Fund, validating the attractiveness of the investment opportunity and the expertise of our investment team. The closure of this Fund significantly above target represents a major milestone for us and will enable projects with a capital value of up to US$5 billion to be completed."

Anil Ahuja, Managing Director and co-head of 3i's Asian operations, added: "The scale of the opportunity for infrastructure investment in India is tremendous, and our team, which combines long-standing international investment expertise with a deep local presence, is extremely well-positioned to crystallise the strong pipeline for the benefit of India, our investors and other partners. "

"This release is not an offer of 3i Group plc, 3i Infrastructure Limited or 3i India Infrastructure Fund securities for sale in the United States and 3i Group plc, 3i Infrastructure Limited and 3i India Infrastructure Fund securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exception from registration.  Any public offering of 3i Group plc, 3i Infrastructure Limited or 3i India Infrastructure Fund securities in the United States would be made by means of a prospectus that could be obtained from 3i Group plc, 3i Infrastructure Limited or 3i India Infrastructure Fund (as appropriate) and would contain detailed information about 3i Group plc, 3i Infrastructure Limited or 3i India Infrastructure Fund, their relevant management and financial statements.  None of 3i Group plc, 3i Infrastructure Limited or 3i India Infrastructure Fund is currently making any public offering in the United States and no such prospectus has been issued."

3i first invested in the Heidelberg-based business in 2003. In the time of 3i's investment, the company successfully diversified its customer portfolio while roughly tripling its revenues. Today, the company has a headcount in excess of 150 people.

3i Director Hansjoerg Sage commented on the deal: "This has been a successful investment for 3i in the cleantech sector. We are proud to have supported hte in becoming a market leader in the field of high throughput experimentation for environmental catalysis. The outstanding management team and world-class employee base were at the heart of this success. Going forward with BASF, hte is superbly positioned to benefit from its impressive and proven product portfolio and strong market demand."

Cleantech embraces a cluster of leading-edge technologies which address many of the world's key concerns by making better use of resources and finding cleaner, greener ways to build prosperity. 3i has actively invested in the sustainable technology field for over 20 years, most recently in businesses such as Deutz Power Systems, Electrawinds and Gamesa. Recent realisations include E.R.M., Insensys and Zero Waste. 

3i, and funds managed by 3i, first invested for a 40% stake in Giochi Preziosi in July 2005, increasing it to 51.7% in February 2006 in a buyout worth EUR521 million.

Using its network to introduce a new joint CEO, CFO, Head of Retail and a new Group Financial Controller to the management team, 3i has supported a major expansion of the business.

Marco Fumagalli, Partner and Managing Director of 3i Italy, who led the investment, today comments:
"This investment in Giochi Preziosi confirms that the Italian private equity market is still open to quality companies with credible business plans. The financing environment in Italy, unlike in other European countries, has not been severely impacted by the credit crunch. Therefore we decided this was the right time to sell this very highly thought of business. We've been proud to be part of this growth story."

The business has grown substantially following the buyout:
- Turnover increased from EUR590 million in 2004 to EUR723.4 million in 2007
- Number of employees increased from 1,470 in 2004 to 1,717 in 2007
- Earnings increased significantly with EBITDA rising from EUR64 million in August 2005 to EUR79.2 million in June 2007
- Giochi Preziosi's retail operations were restructured and expanded internationally.

"This was one of 3i's most significant investments in Italy", confirms Sergio Sambonet, Chairman of 3i Italy,and key to the management of this transaction. "We have great faith in this company as it represents one of our country's biggest business success stories - thanks to the foresight of its founder, Enrico Preziosi. Its development over the past 2 years has exceeded all expectations. The business remains solid and I'm sure that the company will continue to grow under its new ownership." 

Founded in 1994 by David Howden, Hyperion focuses on a range of specialist insurances including Professional Indemnity and Directors' and Officers' Liability through its subsidiaries: Howden, DUAL and CFC. The Group now serves clients in 50 countries with offices throughout Europe, Scandinavia, the Middle East, Asia, the Americas and Australia. The Hyperion Insurance Group has achieved an impressive annual growth rate of approximately 40% since inception. 

David Howden, Chief Executive of Hyperion, said of the transaction: "In choosing 3i as our partner, it was important to us that they embraced the entrepreneurial spirit of our group and shared our ambition to build a world-beating specialist insurance business. I believe they will enhance our entrepreneurial flair and ability to continue to attract and retain the very best people. 3i's long established brand, global network and considerable management expertise, combined with its financial strength, will help us to achieve a faster pace of international growth, both organically and through acquisitions."

Gordon Hague, 3i Director added: "We at 3i Growth Capital are thrilled to be backing Hyperion: a global success story and a leader in the specialist insurance sector. We have been impressed with the entrepreneurialism and quality of people at every level.  This is an outstanding management team and we are confident that 3i can bring immense value based on our experience within the financial services sector and our track record partnering with ambitious businesses to drive growth globally. This investment is typical of 3i Growth Capital's partnership style; equity rather than debt, full alignment of interests, an entrepreneur who retains control of the business, with 3i bringing the value of our international network to support the next phase of business growth."

This builds on 3i Investment Plc's expertise in the financial services sector, with investments in Jelf Group, ACR, BestInvest, Fulcrum, KNEIP and Gain Capital amongst others in the last 18 months.

Thanks to this sustained growth, Senoble, the third biggest manufacturer behind Danone and Lactalis-Nestlé, has joined the leading group of dairy producers in Europe. Senoble is the market leader in private labelled dairy products which represents 85% of the company's business, with the remaining 15% of which is marketed under the Senoble and Weight Watchers brands or local brands in central Europe.

Marc Senoble has recruited Francois Salamon, former executive at Danone and Club Med, as General Manager in order to add international expertise to the management group.

Marc Senoble comments: "Over the past four years, I have been grateful to have chosen 3i as a partner. Leveraging its international network, indepth sector knowledge and active partnership style, 3i has played a fundamental role in our expansion in the UK and has fervently supported our development strategy in Europe. Furthermore, on a personal level, it has been a real pleasure to work with them."

Olivier Le Gall, 3i Partner adds : "Senoble, an impressive player on the French market, wanted to expand into other European markets with the help of 3i. Mission accomplished! The group now generates a consolidated turnover of over EUR1billion through its activities in France and Spain, and also its acquisitions in the UK, Italy and Slovakia. On behalf of 3i, I'm proud to have partenered with Marc Senoble and his teams to achieve such a  fantastic result."

Calyon (Crédit Agricole group) provided the financing for the transaction.
 

In addition to the financial support provided, 3i were instrumental in the creation of the current management team. At the time of the investment, 3i introduced Chris Shannon, former CEO of Indigo Photonics; another 3i investment, as CEO plus Ivor Thomas as Chief Operating Officer and also Gary Vanstone as Chairman. 3i director Krishna Visvanatham and 3i partner Laurence Garrett have taken an active role in the running of the business alongside the management team.

Krishna Visvanatham commented on the sale: "3i's investment in Ezurio is testament to our approach in backing high calibre companies and impressive entrepreneurs. We have been particularly impressed by the level of professionalism of the Ezurio management team and the lengths they have gone to to strategically transform and grow the business. We are delighted with Ezurio's rapid growth and remain confident the company is destined for great success in the future with the support of Laird Technologies, Inc."

Laurence Garrett added: "Over the past four years, Ezurio has developed an outstanding customer base in the OEM/Industrial space, including the mobile communications and vehicle monitoring markets. Laird Technologies, Inc. has acquired, through Ezurio, an excellent technology platform which it can leverage to its global customer base, scaling Ezurio's business around the world."

Ezurio Chief Executive Officer, Chris Shannon, said: "3i has been an outstanding partner; their clear vision, partnership style and extensive network have transformed our business, both strategically and operationally, and delivered formidable returns. They have shared our ambition and guided us into a new space which will ensure our future growth. "

Ultralase operates in a fast growing market; the refractive treatment market in the UK is expected to grow at 12% pa, with penetration rates expected to increase significantly in the next five years, bringing the UK's penetration rate into line with other more mature markets such as the US, Canada and Spain.

3i has a wealth of experience across the healthcare sector (e.g. Clínica Baviera, Betapharm, Westminster Health Care and Domantis) and today's investment in Ultralase builds on the particular experience gained during 3i's investment in Clínica Baviera, Spain's leading chain of ophthalmology clinics, which achieved a EUR300m IPO on the Spanish Stock Exchange in April 2007.

Ian Nolan, 3i Partner, commented: "We are delighted to be investing in Ultralase, a leading business in the fast growing UK ophthalmic market led by an experienced management team.  We see substantial further growth potential for the business across the UK and are committed to supporting the company to achieve this." 

Tony Veverka, Chief Executive at Ultralase, said: "We are excited to partner with 3i.  3i's wealth of experience in our industry sector, specifically gained through its investment in Clinica Baviera, will be invaluable to us in growing our business." 

Advisers on the deal include PWC (financial DD), McKinsey (commercial DD) and UBS (financial adviser).  Cobbetts LLP provided legal advice to Ultralase's management team, comprising Finance Director, Jonathan Simpson, Clinical Services Director, Mark Korolkiewicz, and Marketing Director, Keith Bond, alongside CEO, Tony Veverka.  Park Place Corporate Finance also advised management.

Alpharma Inc. was formed in 1994 through the restructuring of A.L. Laboratories Inc., Dumex A/S and Apothekernes Laboratorium AS.

Bernie Schuler, Lead Partner Healthcare at 3i, commented on the deal: "Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients, with its leading position in a global market, highly specialised production know-how and impressive management team, is an exciting business with excellent prospects for further growth. We intend to support management's plans to build on the company's position in the fast-growing injectable antibiotics market."

"We operate in a highly dynamic industry and view 3i, with its wealth of industry expertise and strong international network, as the ideal partner to help us drive the growth of the business further," said Carl-Åke Carlsson, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients' Chief Executive Officer.

3i Industrialist in Residence Peter Chambré will be appointed a non-executive chairman to the company upon deal completion.

3i has more than 15 years' experience investing in pharmaceutical companies, including Betapharm and Domantis, and has a strong track record of supporting such businesses at all stages of funding.

Advisers to 3i in the transaction include Merrill Lynch, Linklaters, PwC, Marsh and ERM. Debt financing has been fully underwritten by GE (Global Coordinator), CALYON Crédit Agricole CIB, Danske Bank, European Capital Financial Services Limited and HSH Nordbank AG, Nordic Area.

"We are very pleased to be able to bring on board an internationally experienced financial expert in Klaus Weber to head our Growth Capital team in Germany," comments Stephan Krümmer, Managing Director of 3i Germany. "Today we're in an excellent position to leverage the potential of a dynamic and globally developing market. This is due in no small part to the contribution of Andreas Kochhaeuser. We thank him for his efforts and wish him all the best in his future endeavours."

The investment underlines the confidence in TSMarine's growth prospects in the rapidly expanding subsea oil and gas sector, which was worth a reported $33 billion in 2007 and is expected to grow to over $41 billion in the next four years.

CEO of TSMarine, Alasdair Cowie, says: "Attracting investment from two leading financial players is a major coup for TSMarine and will allow us to fast-track our ambitious international growth strategy, which has already seen us realise 50% of our revenues from overseas business in 2007.

"Global expenditure in subsea decommissioning and rigless intervention is forecast to rise by 170% over the next eight years. Key to our ability to tackle the expansion in this market is access to high specification assets that meet current and future industry demands. This is demonstrated through our recent investment in new-build vessels and specific rigless intervention and decommissioning operating systems, designed especially for this niche sector. In 2007 ABN AMRO Bank provided the £130 million debt facility to finance the ongoing vessel build programme in Spain, with the two vessels due to join the current fleet in 2009."

Colin Burnett, Director of 3i's Oil, Gas and Power team and Bruce Roe, Managing Director at ABN AMRO will join the board of TSMarine.

Colin Burnett stated "TSMarine is a high quality business.  The company has a strong and experienced management team which has built a market leading position in a short period of time.  TSMarine has developed an advanced vessel fleet which enables it to provide a wide range of subsea service solutions to customers.  We look forward to TSMarine's continued growth in what we believe is an exciting market."

Bruce Roe added: "ABN AMRO has supported TSMarine over the last 18 months and led its innovative vessel financing in early 2007. We are delighted to provide further support by injecting substantial new equity into the company. TSMarine now enjoys the sponsorship of two major financial institutions.  This will further its goal of becoming one of the leaders of the rapidly expanding subsea oil and gas services industry."

TSMarine's advisers in the deal were Simmons & Co and Maclay, Murray, Spens.

Industry body, Subsea UK welcomes the transaction. Chief Executive, David Pridden says: "It is great to see major investment in a UK-based company which is pro-actively targeting the subsea rigless intervention and decommissioning end of the market. With the high oil price, much of the focus is currently on subsea production but abandonment has to be tackled and the UK will miss out on a major opportunity if it does not gear up for this forthcoming work programme. TSMarine's approach to this market is to be applauded."

Founded in 1993 in Yucheng, Shandong province, Futaste is the world's leading producer of Xylitol, a natural alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners, offering an identical level of sweetness but with a third less calories than sugar. Xylitol is used widely in chewing gum and increasingly in chocolate, sweets, ice cream, preserves, beverages and toothpaste due to its health and cavity prevention benefits and suitability for diabetics. Importantly Xylitol is produced entirely naturally from corn cobs as part of an environmentally friendly process.

Futaste is the market leader in the Asian Xylitol market with international customers including major international confectionary brands.

The Xylitol market continues to see strong demand and rapid growth worldwide due to an increasingly health conscious consumer and fast growth in chewing gum sales.

Albert Xu, Chief Representative of 3i's Shanghai office, comments: "As the Asian market leader in a fast growing sector, Futaste has a huge opportunity to dominate the market on a global scale. We are looking forward to working closely with the Futaste team to bring our global contacts and experience to bear to achieve their ambitious aims."

Mr Wang Xingyun, Chairman of Futaste, adds: "We welcome 3i and look forward to working in partnership with them. 3i's investment will bring Futaste a new opportunity for development."

Under the terms of the agreement, 60% of the shares, as well as the day-today running of the company, will remain in the hands of the founding partners, who also manage the firm: Pedro Ricote, Pepe Abril, José Manuel Lorenzo, Enrique Cerezo and Juan José Díaz.

Boomerang TV, which has been valued at EUR91 million, is currently one of the flagship producers in the Spanish audiovisual market. Founded in 1998, the company focuses on the production of television programmes for both nationwide broadcasters and stations from autonomous regions.

Pedro Ricote, CEO of Boomerang TV, expressed his satisfaction with the qualitative leap facilitated by the deal: "The agreement with 3i turns Boomerang into a major player in the Spanish audiovisual sector, well beyond its original scope as a producer." Ricote highlighted the fact that the entire process was marked by an excellent relationship with 3i: "From the very first, we have been speaking the same language and we have fully understood the role that each of us has to play in this project."

3i has a 50 years track-record as an investor in media companies thanks to over 35 deals undertaken in this sector worldwide. The list includes Sparrowhawk Media (a pay-per-view TV company) in the UK, Boxer (a digital TV broadcaster) in Sweden and Nimbus Communications (an independent media and entertainment group) in India.

3i will support the management team to develop the expansion plan and contribute value through the expertise of its London media team and its vast array of international contacts. 

According to 3i Spain Managing Director Maite Ballester, "what most impressed us about Boomerang TV is the fact that it is a leading independent producer with a stellar track-record and a significant ability to respond to market demand.  Furthermore, the content market is a sector which we know well and which still has room for growth in Spain.  We plan to help grow Boomerang through acquisitions and to secure its greater penetration into digital television. "

"We are pleased to welcome a partner with such extensive international financial services knowledge," said Glenn Stevens, CEO of GAIN Capital. "In addition, 3i's significant expertise in technology and Internet marketing makes them a partner of choice to leverage GAIN's unique approach to combining the power of the Internet with institutional level trading capabilities."

GAIN, a privately held company, was founded in 1999 and is one of the largest and most respected firms in the financial services industry, servicing clients from more than 140 countries.  GAIN leverages the Internet to enable individuals to participate in forex trading in a way that previously was accessible only to large institutional investors.  By utilizing the Internet to attract and service customers in a low cost model, GAIN is able to offer its customers expanded trading access while dramatically reducing trading costs.  Forex is the most traded market in the world, with a daily volume that exceeds $3.2 trillion, according to the Bank of International Settlements (BIS).  

3i's strong financial services expertise has proven successful in growing many companies worldwide, including Travelex, RoyalBlue / Fidessa, Asia Capital Re and Interhyp.

3i's expertise translates into an ability to identify initiatives and areas that have the potential to positively impact GAIN and grow its customer base internationally.

"We are excited to partner with GAIN Capital. As one of the global market leaders, its track record is impressive, not only from a financial perspective, having delivered over 60% compounded annual growth over the last six years, but also with its strong reputation and impressive management team. We look forward to helping GAIN accelerate the success of its business development initiatives and further strengthen operations in key geographic areas," said Whitney Bower, 3i U.S. Growth Capital partner.