Fundraising
Australia VC: Policy power
Australia’s innovation agenda is intended to serve as the foundation stone of a technology-driven economy. Do the promises made to start-ups address areas where they want to see change?
Lower middle market fundraising: Early adopters
While Australia’s lower middle market still offers opportunities for conventional GPs, some managers see growing potential in alternate fund models. Skepticism is strong among their peers
TCL, Tsinghua Unigroup launch $1.5b China M&A fund
Chinese electronics manufacturer TCL Group has partnered with Tsinghua Unigroup, an investment arm of Tsinghua University, to launch an industry M&A fund with a target of RMB10 billion ($1.53 billion).
Asian GPs want training from fund administrators - survey
More than one third of Asia-based GPs would like fund administrators to provide additional training services, a demand that likely reflects growing concerns in the region about tax regulation, according to a survey.
Lightstone Ventures raises $50m Singapore fund
Lightstone Ventures has closed a $50 million fund aimed at investments in Singapore-based companies in the life-science sector.
China Perfect World launches PE fund to invest in Universal movies
China-based Perfect World Pictures has launched a private equity fund to invest in a slate of movies produced by US Universal Pictures.
Direct exposure: Family offices and co-investment
Wary of blind pools and keen to play a more active role in private equity, family offices are considering direct investment opportunities. Strategies and capabilities vary, as does the level of risk
Sequoia in India: Early-stage icon
At $920 million, Sequoia Capital latest India fund is the largest ever VC vehicle raised in the country. How will the technology sector accommodate this quantum of capital?
Korea's SEMA earmarks $125m for foreign PE funds
Korea Scientists & Engineers Mutual-aid Association (SEMA), which manages more than KRW3.6 trillion ($2.9 billion) in pension assets, plans to invest half of its KRW300 billion overseas allocation for 2016 in private equity.
IMJ targets $53m for Japan venture fund
Singapore-based IMJ Investment Partners has raised JPY2 billion ($17.7 million) for a venture capital fund that will back start-ups in Japan. The full target is JPY6 billion.
China tightens domestic private fund supervision
The Asset Management Association of China (AMAC), a self-regulatory organization for the PE industry set up by the securities watchdog, has tightened rules on domestic fund managers’ registration, with a view to cracking down on financial scams.
Black Soil’s Chang Sun postpones China agri fundraise
Chang Sun, the former Asia managing director at Warburg Pincus who co-founded Chinese agriculture start-up Black Soil, has delayed plans to raise a $1 billion PE fund and will instead focus on individual deals.
Japan Post Bank prepares for PE investment
Japan Post Bank plans to start making commitments to private equity funds in the first half of this year, according to Katsunori Sago, the bank’s vice president in charge of asset management.
China Everbright, Catalyst raise $200m for Israel fund
Catalyst CEL Fund, which is managed by Hong Kong-based asset manager China Everbright and Israel’s Catalyst Private Equity, has beaten its initial target of $200 million.
Made to measure: Customized co-investment
Growing appetite for co-investment among foreign and local institutions in Asia has given rise to a wider variety of advisors offering customized solutions to those with limited in-house resources
India VC: Smooth waters ahead?
India’s government has made promising signals about its willingness to engage the venture capital community. GPs are optimistic, but reservations remain about the details
Fund focus: SBCVC moves with the times in China
Having raised $459 million for its latest venture capital fund, SBCVC is tracking the latest developments in China technology with a focus on robotics and advanced industrial applications
Sequoia closes fifth India fund at $920m
Sequoia Capital has closed its latest India fund – which has a minority allocation to Southeast Asia – at $920 million, comprising an $875 million institutional corpus and a GP commitment of $45 million.
Corstone closes $124m Korea fund
US-based private equity firm Corstone Capital has closed a South Korea-focused fund at KRW150 billion ($124 million).
Rakuten launches $84m Japan venture fund
Rakuten Ventures, the corporate VC arm of Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten, has launched a JPY10 billion ($84 million) fund targeting start-ups in Japan.
LP interview: Hamilton Lane
In addition to an advisory business that targets large-scale LPs, Hamilton Lane has a discretionary portfolio geared towards the middle market. It expects Asian GPs in this space to adapt to changing dynamics
Late starter: Hong Kong boosts innovation support
Hong Kong is following in Singapore’s footsteps with the announcement of meaningful support for technology start-ups. Why is the government moving on the issue now, and what difference can it make?
Nature vs nurture: Training PE professionals
With private equity’s traditional training tools coming under increased scrutiny, some are calling for standardized qualifications - before outside forces take matters out of the industry’s hands.
Indonesia's Kejora adds partner, targets $100m fund
Indonesian venture capital firm Kejora Group has hired Eri Reksoprodjo, formerly of Saratoga Capital, as a partner as it looks to raise up to $100 million for its first institutional fund.