Asia
Fund focus: Actis leverages energy experience
Having hit the hard cap of $2.75 billion on its fourth global energy fund, Actis will deploy most of the capital in platform-style investments for emerging markets renewables
Institutional investors and private equity: Cracks in the ice?
Competition is intense at the upper end of the global buyout space, with abundant dry powder and readily available debt pushing up valuations. LPs are keen to allocate to the asset class, but will they end up disappointed?
KKR sets $8.5b hard cap for Asia fund, schedules first close
KKR has set an institutional hard cap of $8.5 billion for its third pan-Asian fund, with the total expected to reach $9.2 billion including commitments from the firm’s balance sheet and management team. A substantial first close – of around half the...
Actis raises $2.75b for emerging markets energy fund
Actis Capital has closed its fourth emerging markets energy fund at the hard cap of $2.75 billion, after just seven months in the market. It will invest in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
EDBI, Philips launch Singapore health tech investment platform
Singapore’s EDBI and Philips have formally launched an Asia-focused investment platform that targets companies in digital healthcare services.
Information issues: Fund administration in Asia
Private equity firms in Asia are increasingly willing to outsource fund administration, but they appear to be slower than their global counterparts in embracing more sophisticated middle office functions
EDBI, Hewlett Packard back US IT player's Asia push
Singapore's EDBI and the venture arm of Hewlett Packard’s software spin-off HPE have joined a $21.5 million Series C funding round for an Asian expansion drive by US-based IT company Hedvig.
HPEF strikes incentive deal with LPs over Asia fund
HPEF Capital Partners – formerly known as Headland Capital Partners – has won LP approval for an incentive scheme that ties in a reconstituted team to manage the existing portfolio, and the principals still hold expectations of raising a successor...
Ex-HarbourVest Asia head withdraws candidacy for US navy secretary
Philip Bilden, the former Asia head of HarbourVest Partners, has withdrawn himself from consideration to be US navy secretary, citing potential conflicts with his family’s business interests.
K2 Global raises $183m for US-Asia VC fund
K2 Global has raised $183 million for its debut venture fund, which aims to promote cross-border development in Asian and US technology start-ups.
Deal focus: CXA flexes health muscles
Singapore's CXA raises $25 million in Series B funding to build out its benefits model that helps both companies and employees fight their healthcare battles more efficiently
Asia value creation: Internal repairs
Private equity investors in Asia are responding to an increasingly competitive deal-sourcing environment with a stronger focus on value-add, but successful implementation will require a cultural commitment
Singapore's CXA raises $25m Series B round
The investment arm of Singapore's Economic Development Board (EDBI) and B Capital Group have led a $25 million Series B funding round for Singaporean health technology start-up CXA Group.
Secondary volumes decline in 2016 – survey
Global secondary market volume reached $42.15 billion last year, failing to eclipse the consecutive record annual totals of $49.3 billion and $49.6 billion in 2014 and 2015, according to Setter Capital.
Ex-HarbourVest Asia head nominated for US navy secretary
President Donald Trump has announced that Philip Bilden, who previously led the Asia operation of HarbourVest Partners, will be his nominee for US navy secretary.
Baird Capital appoints Asia partner
Baird Capital, the direct private investment arm of Robert W. Baird & Co, has recruited Andy Tse, formerly managing director of AIF Capital, as a partner.
NYSTRS commits $100m to MBK's fourth North Asia fund
New York State Teachers’ Retirement System (NYSTRS) has disclosed a commitment of $100 million to MBK Partners’ fourth North Asia buyout fund, which closed at $4.1 billion in December 2016.
LP interview: The Dietrich Foundation
The Dietrich Foundation has an unusually large allocation to PE and VC, and to China venture capital in particular. CIO Edward J. Grefenstette discusses the considerations that underpin this exposure
Skadden hires Asia fund formation partner from Ropes
Skadden has appointed Geoffrey Chan, formerly head of the Asia private investment funds practice at Ropes & Gray, as partner and head of its Asia Pacific investment management practice.
PE-backed e-Shang Redwood buys Singapore industrial REIT
E-Shang Redwood (ESR), a pan-Asian logistics services company backed by Warburg Pincus, has moved into Southeast Asia with an agreement to buy 80% of Cambridge Industrial Trust (CIT), a Singapore real estate investment trust (REIT) with assets worth S$1.4...
LPs see limitations as well as opportunities in Asia co-investment
Co-investment opportunities are increasing in Asia, with LPs pushing for direct exposure to deals and GPs more willing and able to bring them in, but they do not appeal to all institutional investors.
Asia secondaries challenged by valuation complications
Valuations remain a key obstacle to securing secondary transactions in Asia, even as a generation of funds becomes a year older and still struggles to generate liquidity, but the market is also growing in complexity due to the nature of the assets on...
LPs must address staffing constraints as Asian opportunities multiply
Global LPs targeting increasingly complex opportunity sets in Asia must streamline their activity and employ a range of techniques to reconcile shortages in investment team resources, panelists told the Hong Kong Venture Capital & Private Equity Association's...
VIDEO: Ilfryn Carstairs, Värde Partners
Ilfryn Carstairs, co-CIO of Värde Partners, discusses distress and structured credit opportunities globally and in Asia