Articles by Tim Burroughs
Japanese LPs gradually turning to private equity - AVCJ Forum
Japanese institutional investors are increasingly interested and active in private equity, but engagement with the asset class is hampered by culture, limited human resources, and the lengthy time horizons involved, LPs told the AVCJ Japan forum.
GPs see traction in Japan's middle market - AVCJ Forum
PE firms are seeing more potential deal flow in Japan’s middle market as the lingering succession planning issues facing local founders intensify, and companies struggle to recruit the talent needed to support growth.
China SOE reform: No change?
The mixed ownership model that features in China’s latest push on state-owned enterprise reform sounds exciting in theory but some private equity investors must revise their expectations in practice
Micro VC: Small is beautiful
Asia's micro VC segment is gaining appeal as diversity among fund managers grows
TPG buys stake in Philippines rural bank
TPG Capital’s growth unit has agreed to buy a 40% stake in One Network Bank (ONB), the rural subsidiary of mainstream Philippines lender BDO. Financial terms were not disclosed.
IFC to support Abraaj's $200m Pakistan fund
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has proposed investing up to $20 million in a Pakistan-focused fund being raised by The Abraaj Group. The vehicle has an overall target of $200 million.
Lei Jun, CEO withdraw take-private proposal for China's YY
The chairman and CEO of YY, a VC-backed Chinese social networking platform, have withdrawn their take-private bid for the company. The move comes as regulators study the impact of overseas-listed companies re-listing domestically through IPOs, M&A and...
China's Didi Chuxing raises $7.3b in equity, debt financing
Didi Chuxing, China’s leading ride-hailing app operator, has raised $7.3 billion in new funding, comprising $4.5 billion in equity and $2.8 billion in debt. The round is said to value the company in excess of $25 billion.
Carlyle appoints new Australia, New Zealand buyout head - update
The Carlyle Group has promoted David Bluff to managing director and head of its buyout team in Australia and New Zealand. He was previously a director with the firm.
Japan fundraising: Stronger sentiment
A host of Japanese GPs are either in the market with new funds or preparing to enter it. Industry participants are optimistic that the process will be smoother than last time around
Resource Capital Funds to buy Australia's Ausenco
Resource Capital Funds has agreed to buy Ausenco, an Australia-listed mining services business struggling as a result of the commodities downturn, at an enterprise value of A$153.7 million ($113.3 million).
Japanese LPs: Glacier effect
There is growing interest among Japanese institutional investors for exposure to alternatives. However, this doesn’t mean commitments will come quickly, or go to private equity first
Singapore's CapitaLand launches VC unit
Singapore real estate developer CapitaLand has set up a dedicated VC unit – known as C31 Ventures – to support global tech start-ups. This comes after the company received funding under the early stage venture fund program (ESVF) to make investments within...
Korea's KIC appoints new CIO
Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) has named Shin-Woo Kang, most recently CEO of Hanwa Asset Management, as its new CIO. He replaces Heung-Sik Choo, who stepped down in February after less than two years in the job.
Blackstone sells German wind farm to China Three Gorges
China Three Gorges Corporation has agreed to buy an 80% interest in one of Germany’s largest offshore wind farms from The Blackstone Group.
Navis, Symphony buy French furniture brand Christian Liaigre
Navis Capital Partners and Symphony International Holdings have acquired Christian Liaigre Group, a French luxury furniture brand that is looking to expand in Asia, from Bridgepoint Development Capital for an undisclosed sum.
China Online Education slips on trading debut, VCs re-up
VC-backed China Online Education Group closed marginally below its offering price on the first day of trading on the New York Stock Exchange, following an IPO worth $45.6 million. Existing backers Sequoia Capital and DCM concurrently committed an additional...
AVCJ daily bulletin returns June 10
AVCJ's daily bulletin will not be published on Thursday June 9 due to the public holiday in Hong Kong.
Deal focus: Permira consolidates ingredients of JMO success story
Permira has acquired personal care brand John Masters Organics to grow its presence in Japan and the rest of the world
China buyouts: Small beginnings
China holds many potential buyout deals, but the challenge for GPs is making sure they can complete their goals for the companies
The communicators: Investor relations in Asia
GPs in Asia are devoting more resources to investor relations in response to increased reporting requirements and a challenging fundraising environment. But finding the right IR formula is not easy
Korea to allow publicly-raised capital into private equity
Korea’s Financial Services Commission (FSC) has announced plans to allow capital raised through public market offerings to invest in domestic private equity and real assets vehicles.
Tencent invests in Korea's PE-backed YG Entertainment
China’s Tencent Holdings and Beijing Weiying Times Technology – an online ticketing platform in which Tencent is an investor – have committed approximately $85 million to YG Entertainment, a Korean record label and talent manager backed by L Capital Asia....
Intel Capital cancels plans for secondary sale
Intel Capital, the captive VC arm of Intel Corp, appears to have abandoned plans to offload some of its investments in technology companies, with Wendell Brooks (pictured), the unit’s president, saying there will be no major changes to the portfolio....