| Good morning, Nina Lindholm here with the Europe Wire from the London newsroom. The pandemic and a rise in online shopping took a toll on high street brands, with many household names permanently closing their doors in recent years. This morning, we look at one business that private equity rescued from such a fate, as we delve into Gordon Brothers’ exit from Laura Ashley. The firm has set its sights on three other brands, Tobias Nanda, head of brands, told PE Hub’s Sophie Rose. We then explore the trends driving and hindering EMEA dealmaking with the help of Datasite’s freshly published Deal Drivers report. Next, we have the first of two software deals. Main Capital Partners portfolio company Pro4all has acquired a quality management software provider for the construction industry. We stick with software to finish. PSG Equity has completed the acquisition of a Belgian medical software business. Shopping spree Gordon Brothers is eyeing three fashion brands in the UK and US, after transforming Laura Ashley from administration to an asset-light, e-commerce company, Tobias Nanda, head of brands, told PE Hub’s Sophie Rose. Premium subscribers can learn more here. I highly recommend reading Sophie’s full story. It covers how Gordon Brothers transformed Laura Ashley’s online presence and what role hospitality plays in the business. You can find the piece here. Deal resurgence EMEA dealmaking is poised for revival amid easing financial and geopolitical pressures, according to Datasite’s latest Deal Drivers EMEA Outlook report. To read my takeaways from the report, check out the full Wire coverage here. Right tools Let’s return to our asset-light theme. Main Capital Partners portfolio company Pro4all has acquired STA Software, a quality management software provider for the construction industry. For more on the deal, take a look at the full Wire coverage here. Done deal Before I sign off, let’s take a look at a deal that has just wrapped up. PSG and Rivean Capital have completed the acquisition of Corilus, a medical software provider for the primary care market in Belgium. To learn more, check out the premium Wire coverage here. That’s all from me. Obey Martin Manayiti will be with you later today with the US Wire, and Irien Joseph will bring you the Europe edition tomorrow morning. Cheers,
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