MBS Intelligence
Private Equity
Tanzanian orange, Sicilian lemons and Congolese quinine: the Fever-Tree…
Fever-Tree began, as many great companies do, in a pub. Founders Tim Warrillow and Charles Rolls had been put in contact by a mutual acquaintance and though they were supposed to talk about gin, the subject that really...
Boutique and Bespoke: the present and future of the…
Yoga isn’t just yoga anymore; it’s hot yoga, aerial yoga and yin yoga. There’s even face yoga, laughter yoga and circus yoga, whatever they are! Likewise, pilates can come in a dizzying array of shapes and...
The Milanese Renaissance: The growth of Italy’s business and…
This year's edition of Decoded Fashion took place in Milan with the theme 'Digital Diversity & The Connected Consumer'. It was the event's fourth edition in the city, solidifying Milan's renaissance as a fashion and...
Private equity for future leaders
To the uninitiated, the prospect of a CEO role in a private equity portfolio company can be appealing and intimidating in equal measure. The potential for greater reward is real, but just as much is the risk of failure,...
Replicating the entrepreneurial spirit of Joseph Ettedgui
In 2010, the world lost one of the greatest fashion designers, entrepreneurs and retailers, Joseph Ettedgui who died aged 74. What a legacy he left to us all, especially those of us who live in London. In the early...
Will September see another flurry of IPOs?
21 consumer and retail businesses floated in the UK in the first six months of 2014, ranging from the tiny – including Safestay, a single-venue boutique hostelry, and rare books dealer Scholium Group – to some of...
Why returning CEOs are all the rage
Although the consumer industries have been seeing glimmers of optimism come back to the industry recently, there is no escaping the fact that it has been tough for everyone over the last few years. Something that I...
Learning from Nasty Gal and the best of Generation…
Nothing excites me more than young founders and companies making a real impact in their industries. I find that individuals who aren’t shackled by established processes, feeling free (as Facebook says) to “move fast...
MINT economies: what are the new BRICs doing right?
Just after the turn of the millennium, Goldman Sachs economist Jim O’Neill coined the term BRIC. This name-checked four developing economies - Brazil, Russia, India and China - that would see great economic...
Latest Private Equity News
Blackstone to acquire restaurant brand Tropical Smoothie The private equity giant has announced that it has agreed to buy Tropical Smoothie Cafe, which operates 1,400 locations across 44 states in the US. According to reports, the deal is worth $2bn. Read more.
Cosmetics brand Mented snapped up by West Lane Capital West Lane Capital has announced the acquisition of Mented, which makes clean, vegan, cruelty free products for women of colour. Mented is sold across the US. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Read more.
Clean beauty brand Beautycounter acquired by founder According to reports, Beautycounter has been fully acquired from private equity firm Carlyle by Gregg Renfrew, the brand's founder. Carlyle acquired a majority stake in Beautycounter in 2021, in a deal that valued the brand at $1bn. Read more.
Blackstone makes $1.5bn bid for Hipgnosis Songs Fund The private equity giant has made a $1.5bn offer for Hipgnosis Songs Fund, which owns the rights to music by artists including Shakira and Red Hot Chilli Peppers. This is the fourth proposal from Blackstone for the business. Read more.
Private equity firms no longer considering Samsonite According to reports, private equity firms including Carlyle Group and KKR have lost interest in acquiring the luggage manufacturer Samsonite, due to its high valuation. Samsonite owns brands including High Sierra and American Tourister. Read more.
Forward Consumer Partners buys artisan bakery The US-based firm has announced the acquisition of Firehook Bakery, a fast-growing artisan bakery business. Pierre Abushacra, Firehook’s founder, will retain a significant minority ownership stake. Read more.
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