M&A

Acer Inc. has agreed to acquire iGware Inc., a Mountain View, Calif.-based cloud computing company, for $320 million. www.acer.com

Asahi Group, a Japanese drinks company, has agreed to buy Permanis, a Malaysian bottler for PepsiCo products, from C.I. Holdings for approximately $274 million.

Google Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG) is in talks to buy wireless chip design company InterDigital (Nasdaq: IDCC), which has a market cap of around $3.11 billion. www.interdigital.com

Nexstar Broadcasting Group Inc. (Nasdaq: NXST) has retained Moelis & Co. to explore strategic alternatives that could include a sale of the company. The Irving, Texas-based television station operator saw its shares rise around 26% on the news, bringing its market cap up to around $265 million.www.nexstar.tv

Allergan (NYSE: AGN) has agreed to acquire Vicept Therapeutics, a Malvern, Penn.-based biopharma company focused on dermatology. The deal is valued at upwards of $275 million, including a $75 million upfront payment. Vicept has raised around $16 million in VC funding from Ventures, Fidelity Biosciences and Sofinnova Ventures. www.vicepttx.com

Quepasa Corp. (NYSE: QPSA), operator of a Latino social network, has agreed to acquire MyYearbook, a New Hope, Penn.-based social network for teens. The deal is valued at $100 million, including $18 million in cash. MyYearbook has raised over $17 million in VC funding from First Round Capital, Norwest Venture Partners and U.S. Venture Partners. www.myyearbook.com

WEDNESDAY, JULY 20

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE: ECL) has agreed to acquire water treatment company Nalco Holding Co. (NYSE: NCL) for around $5.4 billion, or $38.80 per share (34 premium to yesterday’s closing price). The deal would include a $1.6 billion cash payment and around 68.9 million shares of Ecolab stock. Including assumed Nalco debt, the entire transaction would be valued at approximately $8.1 billion.www.ecolab.com

CNOOC, a Chinese energy company, has agreed to buy Canadian oil sands company Opti Canada for $34 million in cash, plus the assumption of more than $2 billion in debt.

Microsemi Corp. (Nasdaq: MSCC) has offered to buy Zarlink Semiconductor Inc. (TSX: ZL) for US$548.7 million in cash, or C$3.35 per Zarlink share (40% premium to Tuesday’s closing price).www.zarlink.com

Rowan Cos. (NYSE: RDC) has agreed to sell its land drilling unit to Canada’s Ensign Energy Services Inc. (TSX: ESI) for US$510 million. www.rowancompanies.com

Lovell Minnick Capital Partners has agreed to sell ALPS Holdings Inc., a Denver–based provider of asset servicing and asset gathering solutions to the asset management industry, to DST Systems Inc.(NYSE: DST). www.alpsfunds.com

Dell has agreed to acquire Force10 Networks Inc., a San Jose, Calif.-based provider of network routing and switching equipment. No financial terms were disclosed. Force10 filed for an IPO in March 2010, and reported over $93 million in revenue for the six months ending March 31, 2011. It has raised over $400 million in total VC funding since 1999, from firms like Advanced Equities, DCM, U.S. Venture Partners, New Enterprise Associates and Meritech Capital Partners. www.dell.com

Magellan Biosciences has sold its microbology platform, TREK Diagnostic Systems, to Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE: TMO) for an undisclosed amount. Magellan shareholders include Abingworth Management, Ampersand Ventures, Boston Community Venture Fund, H&Q Capital Management, KBL Healthcare Ventures, Nexus Medical Partners and New England Partners. www.magellanbio.com

Sun Capital Partners is seeking a buyer for Mark IV Automotive, a Troy, Mich.-based maker of power transmission components, according to Reuters. The deal could be valued at more than $600 million.www.suncappart.com

TUESDAY, JULY 19

Clorox Inc. (NYSE: CLX) has rejected a $10.2 billion takeover offer from Carl Icahn. www.clorox.com

Aon Corp. has acquired Ward Financial Group, a provider of services to the insurance market, from Ohio Farmers Insurance Co. for an undisclosed amount.

BuyWithMe, a New York-based group buying site, has acquired Edhance Inc., a provider of user loyalty and rewards programs. No financial terms were disclosed. BuyWithMe has raised over $21 million in VC funding from Bain Capital Ventures and Matrix Partners. www.buywithme.com

Live Gamer Inc., a New York-based online marketplace for video games and virtual goods, has acquired GamerDNA, a Cambridge, Mass.-based video game ad network. No financial terms were disclosed. Live Gamer has raised more than $25 million in VC funding from Charles River Ventures, Kodiak Venture Partners and FirstMark Capital. GamerDNA shareholders include Flybridge Capital Partners. In other Live Gamer news, the company has acquired an angel-backed engagement ad platform called BrandPort for an undisclosed amount. www.livegamer.com

Sorin Group (Milan: SRN) has purchased the cannulae product line from U.S. medical device company Estech for an undisclosed amount. The portfolio includes devices for minimally invasive and traditional cardiac surgery procedures. Estech shateholders include Saints Capital, Telegraph Hill Partners and NGBI Ventures. www.estech.com

Maxim Integrated Products (Nasdaq: MXIM) has acquired SensorDynamics, an Austria-based developer of micro and wireless sensor silicon products for the auto market, for around $164 million (including assumption of $34m in debt). SensorDynamics had raised VC funding from such firms as Fidura Private Equity Funds, Global Equity Partners, Pontis Venture Partners and Siemens Venture Capital. www.maxim-ic.com

MONDAY, JULY 18

Hertz Global Holdings (NYSE: HTZ) has agreed to acquire Donlen Corp., a Northbrook, Ill.–based provider of fleet leasing and management services, for $250 million in cash. www.hertz.com

Adobe Systems has acquired EchoSign, a provider of web-based electronic signature and signature automation solutions. No financial terms were disclosed. Palo Alto, Calif.-based EchoSign had raised around $8.5 million in VC funding from Emergence Capital and Storm Ventures. www.echosign.com

Audax Group has hired Robert W. Baird to advise on a sale of portfolio company ColorMatrix Corp., according to Reuters. The deal could fetch upwards of $400 million. ColorMatrix is a Cleveland-based maker of liquid color and additive concentrates for thermoplastic products. www.colormatrix.com

Barclays Private Equity is talking to investment banks about an auction for portfolio company Global Blue, a tax-free shopping company, according to Sky News. The deal could be valued at around £700 million.

Aetna (NYSE: AET) has agreed to acquire PayFlex Holdings Inc., an Omaha, Neb.–based health plan administrator, for around $202 million. Sellers include Oak Investment Partners. www.payflex.com

Jovian Capital Corp. has agreed to sell its nearly 58% stake in Canada’s No. 3 exchange-traded funds business, BetaPro Management, to South Korea’s Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. for about C$90 million. www.joviancapital.com

Ventizz Capital Partners has agreed to sell its 60% stake in German quartz glass specialist QSIL AG Quarzschmelze Ilmenau to an investor group led by QSIL CEO Stephan Behr. No financial terms were disclosed. www.qsil.com

Go here for last week’s M&A news