buyout
Execution issues
Another week, another divestment by a Japanese conglomerate. This time it was Sony, which agreed to sell its personal computer business to Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) in a deal thought to be worth JPY40-50 billion ($394-493 million).
Alibaba seeks full acquisition of AutoNavi
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group has offered to buy the 72% of NASDAQ-listed AutoNavi Holdings that it doesn’t already own for $1.13 billion. The take-private deal would value the digital mapping and navigation firm, which has previously received...
KKR eyes Asia opportunities as valuations fall
KKR sees increasing opportunities in Asia for private equity and special situations as valuations fall amid growing investor uncertainty about the prospects for emerging markets globally.
Cerberus completes Kokusai Kogyo exit - report
Cerberus Capital Management has reportedly completed the sale of its stake in Japanese property operator Kokusai Kogyo for about JPY140 million ($1.37 billion).
Sony agrees to sell Vaio PC unit to JIP
Sony has confirmed that it plans to sell its loss-making Vaio PC division to Tokyo-based mid-market buyout shop Japan Industrial Partners (JIP). Financial details have not been disclosed but previous estimates valued the deal at around JPY40-50 billion...
Navis raises $1.3b for seventh Asia fund
Navis Capital Partners will complete fundraising for its seventh Asia vehicle next week with up to $1.3 billion in commitments from LPs. Work will then begin on a shariah-compliant parallel fund, which is expected to close in June, taking the final total...
JIP in talks to buy Sony’s PC business – report
Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) is said to be in talks with Sony Corp. over the tech conglomerate’s loss-making personal computer division. It would be one of the country’s highest-profile corporate divestments and part of a business reorientation...
India to allow LBOs for distressed assets
Indian banks will be allowed to support leveraged buyouts of distressed companies by “specialized entities” according to plans released by the Reserve Bank of India. Under a liberalized regulatory regime for asset sales, sector-specific private equity...
PE consortium buys Aditya Birla Nuvo's BPO unit for $260m
An investor group led by Capital Square Partners and CX Partners has agreed to buy Aditya Birla Minacs Worldwide, a business process outsourcing (BPO) unit owned by Aditya Birla Nuvo (ABNL), for an enterprise value of $260 million.
Navis buys control of Hong Kong chemicals producer
Navis Capital Partners has acquired a controlling interest in Amazon Papyrus Chemicals Group, a Hong Kong-based chemicals manufacturer that supplies the paper and pulp industry.
CDH to close upsized Fund V at $2.55b
Speaking to AVCJ last year, Shangzhi Wu (pictured), chairman and managing partner of CDH Investments, addressed the issue of certain China managers’ fund sizes rising with each vintage. He put the phenomenon down to a combination of rising valuations,...
EQT’s new fund goes global
The acquisition of a 65% stake in Qinyuan Bakery in 2010 was EQT Partners’ debut food service sector investment in China. Yet the deal was familiar territory for the GP, which was able draw on previous portfolio investments in Europe, including Vaasan&Vassan,...
India's IVFA backs ISS Hicare buyout
India Value Fund Advisors (IVFA) has partnered with Hicare founder A. Mahendran to acquire the pest control company from Danish multinational ISS Global. The deal, including primary growth capital, is worth INR2.5 billion ($39.7 million) and is expected...
Battles averted?
No one emerged from the debacle at NVC Lighting Technology looking particularly good.
Primavera supports $1.9b Shanda Games take-private
Primavera Capital is supporting a buyout of NASDAQ-listed Chinese online game developer and operator Shanda Games that values the company at $1.9 billion. The PE firm is backing controlling shareholder Shanda Interactive Entertainment in the deal.
CITIC Capital finally bags AsiaInfo take-private
Private equity firms have supported 11 management buyouts of Chinese firms listed in the US since mid-2011. Until last week, only two of these successful transactions - Funtalk China and Focus Media - were control buyouts, where one or more PE backers...
Unitas completes Edwards reorientation
When Unitas Capital and CCMP Capital came across specialist vacuum products developer Edwards Group, the business was hamstrung by geography. Asia was responsible for 60% of revenues but only 30% of manufacturing activity; in Europe these figures were...
Japan Industrial Partners eyes $666m Biglobe deal - report
Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) could acquire Biglobe, Japan's fourth-largest internet service provider (ISP) by number of customers, from IT giant NEC in a deal worth JPY70 billion ($666 million).
Tokio Marine invests $9.5m in furniture maker Asplund
Tokio Marine Capital has acquired a majority stake in Japanese furniture maker Asplund for around JPY1 billion ($9.5 million).
SC Lowy, Yuil PE buy Korea’s Shinmin Mutual Savings Bank
Hong Kong-based investing and trading firm SC Lowy has teamed up with a South Korean private equity fund known as Yuil PE to buy Shinmin Savings Bank. The institution’s name will change to Choeun Mutual Savings Bank.
Tyco shortlists PE firms for Korean unit - report
KKR, Bain Capital, IMM Private Equity and The Carlyle Group are reportedly among those shortlisted by US security specialist Tyco International as potential buyers for its South Korean unit - ADT Caps - in deal worth as much as $1.4 billion.
Asia, Middle East LPs help Affinity to $3.8b close on Fund IV
Affinity Equity Partners has reached a final close of $3.8 billion on its fourth pan-Asian fund, with investors from Asia and the Middle East accounting for a larger share of the corpus than their North American counterparts.
PE investors rue lost Japan carve-out opportunities
The lack of corporate carve-outs relative to the size of the opportunity in the space has been among the biggest disappointments for Japanese private equity, investors say.
CITIC Capital consortium completes $887m AsiaInfo take-private
CITIC Capital Partners has completed the privatization of US-listed Chinese telecom software provider AsiaInfo-Linkage in a deal that values the company at $887 million. CITIC Private Equity and China Broadband Capital were also part of the buyer consortium.