Top executives of shipping companies Compania Sud Americana de Vapores and Hapag-Lloyd were reportedly negotiating a merger deal. Vapores has suffered losses and is seeking for ways to become more competitive.

European private equity company Bridgepoint has agreed to acquire pre-university training firm Cambridge Education Group (CEG) from London-based investor Palamon Capital Partners for GBP185 million.

Germany-based second screen TV startup Wywy announced that it has secured USD7 million in Series B funding for its expansion to Europe and the United States.

Glendon Capital Management, a spinout by British bank Barclays, is expected to launch its first fund in the first half of next year. The new firm is reportedly looking to raise USD1 billion for its debut fund.

Private equity firm TDR Capital will sell half of its entire stake in insurance company Phoenix Group for about GBP127 million. TDR will sell 18 million shares out of its total 35.9 million shares in Phoenix.

Cambridge-based anti-obesity drug developer Zafgen Inc bagged another USD45 million in a Series E funding round today, bringing its total funding to date to USD114 million.

Venture capital trust Time:Reboot VCT plans to raise around GBP20 million by the end of April 2014 to invest exclusively in firms run by UK military veterans.

Fondo Strategio Italiano, one of the bidders for a 20% stake in Versace, is willing to put in a bid valuing the Italian fashion house at EUR1.1 billion. Versace earlier said that it seeks a valuation of at least EUR1 billion.

Switzerland's Credit Suisse is selling its private customers business to German Bethmann Bank. Under the deal, Bethmann will take over Credit Suisse's 9,000 clients with EUR10 billion assets in Germany.

The private equity owner of Applus+ has picked Morgan Stanley and UBS to oversee a stock market listing of the Spanish industrial testing firm, a person familiar with the matter said.