VENTURE CAPITAL POST

Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim is set to become the largest investor in Spanish builder FCC after reaching a deal with the firm's current top shareholder Esther Koplowitz to buy her rights to participate in a $1.3 billion capital increase.

Germany's top utility E.ON SE (EONGn.DE) has entered exclusive talks to sell its Spanish activities to Australian infrastructure investor Macquarie Group Ltd (MQG.AX), four sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday.

A large group of professional forecasters cut their outlook for euro zone inflation and growth, underlining a trend that could prompt the European Central Bank to take more policy action to kick-start the region's flagging economy.

Italian utility Enel (ENEI.MI) could raise 3.1 billion euros ($3.8 billion) with the flotation of up to 22 percent of its Spanish subsidiary Endesa (ELE.MC) on the stock market, according to the prospectus lodged with regulators on Thursday.

Monte dei Paschi di Siena (BMPS.MI) will tap investors for up to 2.5 billion euros next year to fill a capital deficit laid bare by recent stress tests and pay back state aid in a move bankers said would prepare the Italian lender for a likely takeover.

Australia's Transfield Services Ltd (TSE.AX), which runs the country's offshore refugee detention centers, said it won't negotiate with Spain's Ferrovial SA (FER.MC) over a $873.60 million takeover approach until it agrees not to buy its shares for three months.

Spanish oil firm Repsol (REP.MC) is set to accelerate a $10 billion acquisition drive to take advantage of lower U.S. shale valuations in the face of falling oil prices and eventually fill a gap left by the 2012 seizure of its Argentine business.

French telecoms group Orange (ORAN.PA) has lowered the threshold of shareholder backing it needs in order for its 3.4 billion euro ($4.36 billion) offer to buy Spanish operator Jazztel (JAZ.MC) to go through.

Portugal has begun sounding out Spanish banks on their interest in buying Novo Banco, the successor to the state-rescued Banco Espirito Santo (BES), several sources familiar with the talks said on Tuesday.

China and Spain are set to sign business deals worth a total of about 3 billion euros ($3.8 billion) in Beijing this week, an official said, as Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy visits the Asian giant to drum up support for his country's economy.

Google's handling of "right to be forgotten" requests from European citizens will come under fire from the continent's privacy watchdogs on Thursday, after the search engine restricted the removal of Internet links to European sites only.

iZettle, Swedish mobile company, pockets $55.5 million in a series C round led by Zouk Capital with other participants such as Dawn Capital, Intel Capital, Creandum, Greylock, Index, Northzone, and SEB.

Paris-l’hospital, France-based car rental startup Drivy secured $8.3 million (€6 million) in a new funding round with Index Ventures and Alven Capital as lead investors to fuel its expansion in Europe.

Barcelona, Spain-based online voting firm Scytl pocketed a $40 million investment from Palo Alto, US-based growth equity fund Vulcan Capital for its research and development as well as strategic acquisitions.

Germany's E.ON hired Citi to advise a sale of its assets in Spain, said sources familiar with the matter who told Reuters.