Advent International has led a DM10m (€5.1m) investment round in German-based European Computer Telecoms (ECT), the manufacturer of PC-based switches for telecommunications companies.

Jan Janshen of Advent International in Frankfurt, says: 'This is a very attractive industry with a large market. ECT, which is led by an experienced entrepreneurial team, has the potential to be a leading provider of next-generation services. The company is already profitable, has a strong new product pipeline and should achieve its objective of an IPO in the next 12 months.'