Malaysia
Affinity buys Malaysia education business for $180m
Affinity Equity Partners has agreed to acquire the Malaysia-based assets of Laureate Education – a private equity-controlled global network of higher education institutions – for $180 million.
Ekuinas buys Malaysia's Davex for $63m
Malaysian government-backed PE firm Ekuinas has acquired domestic lighting design company Davex for MYR255 million ($62.5 million).
Everstone acquires Malaysia's Chemopharm
The Everstone Group has acquired Chemopharm, a provider of medical equipment based in Malaysia.
Dymon invests $15m in Malaysia bottled water company
Singapore-based Dymon Asia Private Equity has agreed to acquire a 13% stake in Malaysia-based and Myanmar-listed bottled water producer Spritzer for about MYR63 million ($15 million).
Malaysia Debt Ventures tech fund to invest up to $954m
Government-owned Malaysia Debt Ventures (MDV) has launched its third fund with a view to investing up to MYR4 billion ($954 million) in technology companies across the next 20 years.
Deal focus: CMIA monetizes Muslim growth
Bitsmedia Holdings' Muslim Pro app is highlighting new marketing potential in growing Muslim populations. CMIA Capital Partners and Malaysia's Affin Hwang Asset Management have taken a controlling stake in the company
EDBI joins $133m round for Malaysia's Iflix
Singapore’s EDBI has joined a $133 million funding round led by US conglomerate Hearst Media for Iflix, a Malaysia-based video streaming service with a similar business model to Netflix.
Creador invests in Malaysian bakery chain
Creador has invested MYR57 million ($13.3 million) in Bake With Yen (BWY), a Malaysian baking and confectionery ingredients supplier.
CMIA, Malaysian asset manager acquire Muslim-focused app
CMIA Capital Partners and Malaysia-based Affin Hwang Asset Management have acquired Bitsmedia Holdings, best known for operating an app that provides Muslims with accurate prayer times.
Southeast Asia tourism: Thinking small
Travel start-ups in Southeast Asia are attracting scattered but enthusiastic interest from venture capital investors. Success in navigating the sector’s early days will be a matter of niche targeting
Gobi leads $6m round for Malaysia's Carsome
Gobi Partners has led a $6 million funding round for Malaysia-based online used car purchasing platform Carsome.
PE and Islamic finance: Underlying themes
Encouraging trends in population, social mobility, commodities, technology, and governance standards are converging on Islamic finance. PE plays a small role with strong upside in Asia
LP interview: Ekuinas
Ekuinas represents a mixed bag, serving as GP and LP and pursuing social and economic objectives. CEO Syed Yasir Arafat Syed Abd Kadir explains how the group is making a difference in Malaysian private equity
Q&A: Armstrong Asset Management's Andrew Affleck
Andrew Affleck, managing partner of Singapore’s Armstrong Asset Management, explains the role private equity investors can play in developing renewable energy assets in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia VC: Common tastes
Venture capital investors increasingly view Southeast Asia as a single market as start-ups focus their attentions on a handful of large cities whose young populations have similar consumption habits
KWAP joins investor roster for SE Asia telecom spin-out
Malaysia’s public sector pension fund, KWAP, has joined Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) and Khazanah Nasional in backing the spin-out of an infrastructure unit of Southeast Asian telecom company Axiata.
Navis-owned Village Grocer makes Malaysia bolt-on
Village Grocer, a Malaysian premium grocery chain owned by Navis Capital Partners, has taken over domestic rival Bens Independent Grocer (BIG).
Deal focus: PE proves the right fit for fintech
Creador has exited its stake in Malaysian financial technology company GHL Group to Actis after scanning a field of strategics and deciding PE was the best backer for the sector
Actis invests in Malaysia’s GHL, Creador exits
Emerging markets-focused private equity firm Actis has invested MYR290 million ($65.6 million) in Malaysia-listed payment services provider GHL Group, facilitating a full exit for Creador.
Riverside makes Malaysia chemicals bolt-on
The Riverside Company has completed its second deal in Malaysia as Drex-Chem Malaysia (now known as DCM Asia), the chemicals distributor it bought in 2014, acquired Erapoly Marketing.
Southeast Asia video streaming service Iflix gets $90m
Iflix, a primarily Southeast Asia-focused video streaming service that follows a similar business model to Netflix, has raised $90 million in Series B funding led by Liberty Global and Kuwaiti telecom company Zain Group.
VC-backed Fave buys Groupon Singapore
Malaysian VC-backed online-to-offline (O2O) e-commerce company Fave has agreed to acquire Groupon Singapore, extending a string of related bolt-ons in Southeast Asia.
PE and funeral services: Untapped eternity
Increased urgency around demographic tailwinds in the funeral services space has coincided with a spate of investment activity in recent years. Private equity could be well positioned to play a leading role
Oaktree merges Fitness First Asia with Navis-owned gym business
The Hong Kong and Southeast Asia business of Fitness First, which is controlled by Oaktree Capital Management, has agreed to merge with Celebrity Fitness, a Southeast Asia gym operator owned by Navis Capital Partners.