Osborne Clarke has advised Progressive Digital Media Group plc (which is now named GlobalData plc) on its purchase of the international GlobalData group for a consideration of £66.5 million, a transaction involving its majority shareholder. In connection with the acquisition, Osborne Clarke also advised on a series of connected transactions (including a corporate re-organisation and the related disposal of Progressive Digital Media Group plc’s print business for £4.5 million).

The purchase and disposal agreements completed on 25 January 2016.

Slaughter and May is advising Vodafone on the merger of its Dutch operations with those of Liberty Global. As part of the transaction, Vodafone and Liberty Global will create a 50-50 joint venture. The transaction will create an integrated communications provider with over 15 million revenue generating units, of which 4.2 million are video, 3.2 million are high-speed broadband, 2.6 million are fixed-line telephony and 5.3 million are mobile. The transaction is expected to close around the end of 2016 and is subject to regulatory approvals and works council consultations.

Pegroco Invest has disposed of its entire shareholding in Diakrit International Ltd. to the media group News Corp Australia by means of a cash transaction. Pegroco receives approximately SEK 140 million in liquid funds.

Pegroco has been an active partner since 2004 and is, together with the management and SEB Venture Capital, the main owner of the company. Pegroco receives with approximately SEK 140 million for deposits and shares, depending on the exchange rate for the US dollar. 

The SuitePad GmbH secures EUR 3 million growth financing. Leading investor of the new financing round is venture capital investor Target Partners, together with existing investors HW Capital, Kizoo and VC Fonds Technologie Berlin managed by IBB Beteiligungsgesellschaft.

Travelstart, Africa’s largest online platform for booking flights, hotels and rental cars, has secured $40 million in funding from MTN and Amadeus Capital Partners. Travelstart was founded in Sweden in 1999 and the African part of the business was spun off in 2010. The company serves more than 2 million monthly users in 16 countries in Africa and the Middle East.

Launched in 1994, the MTN Group is a multinational telecommunications group, operating in 22 countries. The MTN Group is listed on the JSE Securities Exchange in South Africa.

The transaction was one of a series of sales of Rocket Internet and Grupo Foodpanda companies valued at €125 million

Rocket Internet, a German IT company, and the international food distribution group, Foodpanda, have sold Grupo Yamm Comida a Domicilio S.L. (La Nevera Roja), based in Spain, to the British company Just Eat, as well as other food distribution companies in Italy (PizzaBo and hellofood Italia), Brazil (hellofood Brazil) and Mexico (hellofood Mexico). The transaction is yet to be approved by the competition authorities.

Fieldfisher has advised Access Intelligence on its disposal of Due North Limited, the cloud-based procurement platform.

European law firm Fieldfisher has advised Access Intelligence plc on its disposal of Due North Limited to Proactis Holdings Limited for £4.5m. 

The Firm is advising Ascential plc, a portfolio company of funds advised by Apax Partners, in its initial primary offering and admission to the Official List in the UK and to trading on the London Stock Exchange, expected to occur on February 12, 2016. Ascential is an international, business-to-business media company with a focused portfolio of essential, market leading events and information services products that connect and inform business professionals.

bpost has entered into an agreement for the acquisition of the Belgian activities of Lagardère Travel Retail. In Belgium, Lagardère Travel Retail sells newspapers, magazines and other convenience products, among others in train stations and airports, directly operating a network of 220 points of sale, with brands such as Press Shop and Relay. Lagardère Travel Retail also organizes the daily distribution and return of newspapers and magazines to some 5,345 points of sale.

Simpson Thacher represented MOGU Holdings Limited in connection with its Series D preferred share financing, its all-stock merger with Meiliworks Limited, and a follow-on investment by Tencent in the combined company.

MOGU Holdings Limited and Meiliworks Limited are two leading China-based e-commerce and social networking platforms and have a combined equity value of almost US$3 billion.