FIGURES SET NEW EUROPEAN FUNDRAISING AND INVESTMENT RECORDS AND CONFIRM BOOST OF VENTURE CAPITAL

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1 PRESS RELEASE: STRICTLY EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 8AM CET TUESDAY 13 th MARCH 2007 EUROPEAN PRIVATE EQUITY: STRONG 2006 PERFORMANCE DRIVES INCREASED ALLOCATION FIGURES SET NEW EUROPEAN FUNDRAISING AND INVESTMENT RECORDS AND CONFIRM BOOST OF VENTURE CAPITAL Geneva, 13 March 2007 Preliminary figures for private equity performance and activity for 2006 will be presented at the European Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (EVCA) s Investors Forum in Geneva on 14 March Preliminary Private Equity activity data has been compiled on behalf of EVCA by Thomson Financial and PricewaterhouseCoopers, and final figures will be published at EVCA s Symposium in Rome in June. Thomson Financial compiled the 2006 Private Equity performance benchmark data. Preliminary figures show: Strong top quarter internal rate of returns (IRR) are delivered by both venture (23.5%) and buyout (37.6%) funds, with an overall long-term top quarter IRR of 29.1%; With one-year returns for all private equity at 21.3% and a historical 27-year annualised return net of fees at 10.3%, private equity is a highly attractive asset class; Fundraising: European private equity firms raise a new record 90 billion in 2006, up 25% on 2005, which was already a record year; Sources of money show consistent commitment in terms of the proportion of money from pension funds at 26% of the total (compared to 25% in 2005), while fund of funds have contributed a record amount in 2006, 18 billion, representing 21% of the total, doubling its previous year s share; Of the total 90 billion funds raised, 71 billion (compared with 58 billion in 2005) is allocated to buyouts, representing the lion s share in value; 16 billion of funds raised is allocated to venture capital, a rise of almost 50% on the 11 billion raised in This is the second highest amount raised for venture after the 22 billion alltime record of 2000; Investments: of the total 50.3 billion equity capital invested in 2006, (up from 47 billion in 2005), 78% relates to buyouts by value. However, based on the number of investments, VC deals take up a 73% share. Some 8,500 investments were made in Europe, where the average buyout deal size is 17 million underlining the core industry focus on small to medium-sized companies.

2 Following record activity levels in 2005, 2006 was another landmark year for the European private equity industry, with preliminary figures showing increased fundraising and investment activity. These record figures are a clear indication that strong performance - with stable returns over the long term - is driving fundraising and investment in the Private Equity sector. While buyouts represent the main proportion of the European fundraising by value, there is evidence that the venture capital segment is making a comeback, with 16 billion raised for VC investments, 5 billion more than in Commenting on the figures released today, Javier Loizaga, Chairman of EVCA and CEO and Managing Partner of Mercapital, said: 2006 has highlighted the growing importance of the European private equity industry, with private equity firms in Europe clearly demonstrating their continuing ability to attract record amounts of capital from institutional investors both to buyout funds, but more importantly also to venture capital. This increasing commitment to the industry is, to a large extent, driven by performance, and the European private equity industry has, yet again, proved its ability to generate excellent returns for investors. At a time when the global industry is under increased scrutiny, particularly in terms of the way in which private equity firms operate and in their ability to deliver to investors and other stakeholders, performance is and will remain a key indicator. Under the current spotlight from policymakers and the public alike, we - as the European industry body - are working hard to contribute to the debate to enhance greater understanding of private equity: why its business model is successful and how we can counter ill-founded criticisms. But we cannot do this alone: we need vocal support from all segments of the industry, particularly from those who benefit from its strong performance. Gemma Postlethwaite, Vice President, Thomson Financial, added: The European private equity industry is continuing to show strong, consistent returns (at 10.3% longterm average net IRR) which are driving record fundraising as investors continue to increase their allocation by shifting their assets from public equities and fixed income into both buyout and venture capital. Despite the jitters in the stock market in the last few weeks, the strong IPO and M&A activity combined with relatively cheap debt constitute ideal conditions for private equity firms to continue generating strong returns. Brendan McMahon, Private Equity Leader within the Investment Management group at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, said: "The record funds raised by European based private equity houses demonstrates investors' confidence in the ability of the industry to deliver long-term and consistent value. Private equity specialists' unique experience of operating across a wide range of industries and jurisdictions brings valuable insights to management teams seeking to achieve sustainable and longterm growth

3 DETAILED COMMENTARY ON PERFORMANCE AND ACTIVITY PERFORMANCE OF PRIVATE EQUITY Since Inception (Funds Formed in 1980) Top Quarter Returns as of 31-Dec-2006 Stage Pooled IRR Upper Quartile IRR Top Quarter IRR All Venture Buyouts Generalist All Private Equity Source: Thomson Financial on behalf of EVCA Preliminary performance figures for 2006 from Thomson Financial reveal another strong year for European private equity. Top quarter funds continue to provide extremely strong returns to their investors with an impressive 29.1% delivered by all private equity. Top quarter venture funds return a robust 23.5% with the top quarter buyout funds returning an impressive 37.6%. These returns of the best performing funds are consistently higher than those of Investment Horizon Net Returns as of 31-Dec-2006 All Private Equity Horizon IRRs Stage 3 Year 5 Year 10 Year Early Stage Development Balanced All Venture Buyouts Generalist All Private Equity % 4.3% 11.0% 21.3% Source: Thomson Financial on behalf of EVCA The short-term performance shows total private equity returns over one year of 21.3%, net of management fees and carried interest. Returns are also increasing steadily over the medium and long-term horizons. The 3-year investment horizon return has almost doubled in the last 12 months, increasing to 11% from 6.9% in 2005, with buyouts and venture showing returns of 13.2% and 8.7% respectively. Both buyouts and venture capital funds have shown positive ten-year returns of 13.6% for buyouts and 5.5% for venture

4 Since Inception Net Returns as of 31-Dec-2006 Sample Pooled Stage Size Upper Median Lower DPI RVPI TVPI Early Stage Development Balanced All Venture Buyouts Generalist All Private Equity 1, Source: Thomson Financial on behalf of EVCA Looking at longer term private equity performance over the last 27 years, figures show that, since inception, private equity has returned 10.3% net of management fees and carried interest, with buyouts and venture capital returning 13.7% and 6.4% respectively, in line with the final 2005 returns. PRIVATE EQUITY ACTIVITY Against the backdrop of the strong performance highlighted above, the private equity industry in Europe has remained buoyant in 2006, showing strong activity across fundraising and investment, and continuing the upward trend it has shown over the past two years. European Activity Statistics ( billion) Year Funds Raised Investments Divestments at cost * * Preliminary figures Source: EVCA/Thomson Financial/PricewaterhouseCoopers - 4 -

5 Evolution of Private Equity in Europe Private Equity Investments in Europe in bn Funds Raised Investments Divestments at cost amounts in bn VC Investments Buyout Investments * FUNDS RAISED: 90 BILLION EUROS Expected Allocation of Funds Raised billion * Venture high - tech Venture non high - tech Total venture Buyout Not Available Funds Raised * preliminary 2006 data Source: EVCA / Thomson Financial / PricewaterhouseCoopers Of the 90 billion record breaking level of funds raised in 2006 (25% up on 2005), the majority is allocated to buyouts at 71 billion, an increase of nearly 25% compared to the 58 billion raised for buyouts in As with any maturing market there is concentration taking place in the private equity industry with more capital managed by a handful of players there are 10 buyout funds of over 1 billion raising an aggregate 42 billion in 2006 (or 47% of total 2006 fundraising). Fundraising for venture is at 16 billion up by nearly half from 11 billion in This is clear evidence of resurgent interest in this important segment of the market, continuing from the 2005 increase in fundraising for venture

6 Sources of funds raised Funds raised by type of investor * 5-Year Total (in billion) Amount % Amount % Amount % Amount % Amount % Amount % Corporate Investors Private Individuals Government Agencies Banks Pension Funds Insurance Companies Fund of Funds Academic Institutions Capital Markets Not Available Subtotal New Funds Raised Realised Capital Gains Total Funds Raised * Preliminary figures Source: EVCA/Thomson Financial/PricewaterhouseCoopers Sources of funds show continued commitment from pension funds with 26% of capital coming from this source. While historically pension funds and banks have provided around half of the capital raised, in 2006 the combination of capital from pension funds, fund of funds and banks represents 66% or 56 billion of the 90 billion raised. This year for the first time fund of funds become the second largest source of capital. INVESTMENTS Preliminary 2006 figures show a significant increase in investment activity by European private equity firms, across both the buyout and venture capital segments has seen investment activity rise by 7%, to 50.3 billion compared to the final investment figure of 47 billion in Evolution of Investments billion * Total Venture Total Buyout (bank debt excluded) Investments * preliminary 2006 data Source: EVCA / Thomson Financial / PricewaterhouseCoopers Number of * deals and average deal size (in m) Number of deals deal size Number of deals deal size Number of deals deal size Number of deals deal size Number of deals deal size Total Venture 8, , , , , Total Buyout (excl. bank debt) 1, , , , , Investments 10, , , , , * preliminary 2006 data Source: EVCA / Thomson Financial / PricewaterhouseCoopers - 6 -

7 Some 8,500 investments are made in total in 2006 in Europe. The average buyout deal 17 million underlining the core industry focus on small to medium-sized companies. size is Buyouts continue to lead the market, accounting for 78% of investment activity by value, with overall amount invested by buyouts rising to 39 billion in 2006 from 34 billion in While venture investments fall slightly to 11.3 billion from 12.7 billion in 2005, these account for nearly 73% of the total number of deals, making 6,252 investments in 2006, emphasising where the majority of industry activity lies in terms of deals. DIVESTMENTS Evolution of Div estments at cost billion * Divestment by Trade Sale Divestment by Flotation (IPO) Sale of quoted equity post flotation Divestment by Write-Off Repayment of Preference Shares/Loans Sale to Another Private Equity House Sale to Financial Institution Sale to Management (Buy-back) Divestment by Other Means Total Divestments * preliminary 2006 data Source: EVCA / Thomson Financial / PricewaterhouseCoopers Preliminary figures for private equity divestments at cost have seen a decline in 2006 compared to record figures Preliminary figures show that divestments at cost (not at exit value) have fallen to 21.8 billion in 2006, down from 29.8 billion in Against this backcloth, sale to management has increased by an impressive 37.5%, showing that management within private equity owned companies perceives private equity ownership as adding value to the underlying company. Divestment by trade sales accounts for the majority, 25.7%, or 5.6 billion of all divestment activity, a drop of 20% compared to This is followed by repayment of loans and secondary sales, each representing 4. 1 billion in 2006 (or 19% of the total divested at cost). The level of IPOs remains low in Ends - 7 -

8 For further information, please contact: Penny Cross, Director of Corporate Communications, EVCA , , penny.cross@evca.com Sandrell Sultana, PR Officer, EVCA , sandrell.sultana@evca.com David Bernard, European Head of Private Equity, Thomson Financial , , david.bernard@thomson.com Brendan McMahon, European Private Equity Assurance Leader, PricewaterhouseCoopers , brendan.mcmahon@je.pwc.com - 8 -

9 Notes to editors: * The figures announced for 2006 are preliminary figures, based on a response rate of 61% for all European private equity firms. The comparative historical figures shown are final figures for those years. 1. Annex 1 Terminology 2. EVCA (The European Private Equity and Venture Capital Association), established in 1983 and based in Brussels, promotes, facilitates and represents the needs and interests of the private equity and venture capital industry in Europe. EVCA has over 925 members in 50 countries, including the leading fund managers in the European private equity and venture capital industry The Annual EVCA Survey of Pan-European Private Equity and Venture Capital Activity is undertaken by Thomson Financial and PricewaterhouseCoopers on behalf of EVCA and covers 27 countries. The Annual Survey covers the European universe of private equity and venture capital management companies (not only EVCA members) and presents detailed, comprehensive fundraising, investment and divestment data for the whole year. It should be noted that secured debt amounts are removed from the investment figures, unless the secured debt derives from a private equity fund vehicle. Final activity figures will be published on 13 June 2007 at the EVCA Annual Symposium in Rome. 4. Pan-European Survey of Performance is undertaken by Thomson Financial on behalf of EVCA and returns (net IRRs) and multiples are derived from calculations on underlying cash flows and NAVs for 1,129 funds with 234 billion committed capital. In addition, it offers a benchmark against public market indexes. 5. Thomson Financial: with 2006 revenues of US$2 billion, is a provider of information and technology solutions to the worldwide financial community. The company is the single source for unparalleled information for the Private Equity and Venture Capital industry worldwide, building on the legacy of Thomson Venture Economics and Thomson MacDonald. Our products and services are helping industry professionals to efficiently raise capital, invest capital wisely and exit investments profitably. Through the widest range of products and services in the industry, Thomson Financial helps clients in more than 70 countries make better decisions, be more productive and achieve superior results. Thomson Financial is part of The Thomson Corporation ( a global leader in providing essential electronic workflow solutions to business and professional customers. With operational headquarters in Stamford, Conn., Thomson provides value-added information, software tools and applications to professionals in the fields of law, tax, accounting, financial services, scientific research and healthcare. The Corporation s common shares are listed on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC) PricewaterhouseCoopers: The member firms of the PricewaterhouseCoopers network provide industry focused assurance, tax and advisory services to build public trust and enhance value for its clients and their stakeholders. More than 140,000 people in 149 countries across our network work collaboratively using connected thinking to develop fresh perspectives and practical advice. Unless otherwise indicated, PricewaterhouseCoopers refers to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP ( a limited liability partnership incorporated in England. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP is a member firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited

10 Annex 1 Terminology Venture Capital Private Equity IRR Internal Rate of Return Pooled IRR Horizon IRR 10-year Rolling IRR DPI - Distribution to Paid-In RVPI - Residual Value to Paid-In Residual Value TVPI - Total Value to Paid-In Early Stage Fund Development Fund Balanced Fund Buyout Fund Generalist Fund Refers to Early-Stage (seed and start-up) and Expansion finance Provides equity capital to enterprises not quoted on a stock market and refers to all stages of industry, i.e. Venture Capital and Buyouts. The IRR is the interim net return earned by investors (Limited Partners), from the fund from inception to a stated date. The IRR is calculated as an annualised effective compounded rate of return using monthly cash flows to and from investors, together with the Residual Value as a terminal cash flow to investors. The IRR is therefore net, i.e. after deduction of all fees and carried interest. In cases of captive or semi-captive investment vehicles without fees or carried interest, the IRR is adjusted to create a synthetic net return using assumed fees and carried interest. The IRR obtained by taking cash flows from inception together with the Residual Value for each fund and aggregating them into a pool as if they were a single fund. This is superior to either the average, which can be skewed by large returns on relatively small investments, or the capital weighted IRR which weights each IRR by capital committed. This latter measure would be accurate only if all investments were made at once at the beginning of the funds life. The Horizon IRR allows for an indication of performance trends in the industry. It uses the fund s net asset value at the beginning of the period as an initial cash outflow and the Residual Value at the end of the period as the terminal cash flow. The IRR is calculated using those values plus any cash actually received into or paid by the fund from or to investors in the defined time period (i.e. horizon). The 10 year Rolling IRR shows the development of the ten year Horizon IRR, measured at the end of each year. Same logic for the 3-year Rolling IRR and 1-year Rolling IRR. The DPI measures the cumulative distributions returned to investors (Limited Partners) as a proportion of the cumulative paid-in capital. DPI is net of fees and carried interest. This is also often called the cash-on-cash return. This is a relative measure of the fund s realized return on investment. The RVPI measures the value of the investors (Limited Partner s) interest held within the fund, relative to the cumulative paid-in capital. RVPI is net of fees and carried interest. This is a measure of the fund s unrealized return on investment. The estimated value of the assets of the fund, net of fees and carried interest. TVPI is the sum of the DPI and the RVPI. TVPI is net of fees and carried interest and is also known as the multiple. Venture capital funds focused on investing in companies in the early part of their lives. Venture capital funds focused on investing in later stage companies in need of expansion capital. Venture capital funds focused on both early stage and development with no particular concentration on either. Funds whose strategy is to acquire other businesses; this may also include mezzanine debt funds which provide (generally subordinated) debt to facilitate financing buyouts, frequently alongside a right to some of the equity upside. Funds with either a stated focus of investing in all stages of private equity investment, or funds with a broad area of investment activity