Articles by Tim Burroughs
Affirma hits first close on renminbi fund
Emerging markets-focused private equity firm Affirma Capital has reached a first close of approximately CNY 1.5bn (USD 215m) on its debut renminbi-denominated fund.
KKR-backed EQuest buys Vietnam school operator
EQuest Education, a Vietnam-based operator of bilingual schools backed by KKR, has acquired a controlling interest in industry peer Khoi Nguyen Education Group (KNE).
LP appetite for Asia weakens - survey
Institutional investor interest in Asia has fallen significantly over the past two years, according to a survey conducted by Probitas Partners, with pan-regional funds, venture capital, and single country-focused funds among the least popular strategies...
Thoma Bravo raises $32b for deployment in software
Thoma Bravo, a specialist investor in software companies, has closed its latest set of buyout funds with more than USD 32.4bn in commitments. This compares to USD 22.8bn in the previous vintage.
Australian needle-free vaccine start-up raises $23m
OneVentures and UniQuest have led a AUD 34m (USD 23m) funding round for Vaxxas, an Australia-based biotechnology company running clinical programmes that include a needle-free COVID-19 vaccine candidate.
Northleaf launches Tokyo office, targets Asian LPs
Northleaf Capital Partners, a Canada-based asset manager that invests in private equity, private credit, and infrastructure, has opened a Tokyo office to spearhead fundraising activity in Asia and is considering the addition of a Korea presence.
Asia secondaries: Layers and structures
With private market valuations yet to see a meaningful reset in Asia and heightened risk factors in China, investors are exploring ways to drive secondary deal flow by closing the bid-ask spread
China's InnoVision seeks $250m for third fund
InnoVision Capital, a Chinese private equity firm founded by Lane Zhao, who was one of the original members of KKR’s China team, is targeting USD 250m for its third fund and first US dollar-denominated vehicle.
TPG exits Sri Lanka's Union Bank of Colombo
TPG Capital has agreed to exit Union Bank of Colombo (UBC), a Sri Lanka-based lender it has held since 2014, to a Singapore-registered company of unspecified ownership.
Korea's Daesung Private Equity raises $85m metaverse fund
Daesung Private Equity, an affiliate of Korean conglomerate Daesung Group, has launched a metaverse-focused fund with KRW 110bn (USD 84.6m) in commitments.
Secondary investor backs Hidden Hill's $465m fundraise
Hidden Hill Capital, which is backed by warehouse operator turned logistics and infrastructure investment manager GLP, has closed its debut growth-stage US dollar-denominated fund on USD 465m with secondaries specialist NewQuest Capital Partners among...
Chinese investors sell international assets of condom maker LifeStyles
A Chinese investor group featuring several private equity firms has sold the non-China assets of LifeStyles Healthcare, a global sexual health and wellness platform best known for the Lifestyles condom brand, to US-based Linden Capital Partners.
India agtech start-up DeHaat closes Series E on $60m
DeHaat, which claims to be India’s largest full-stack agricultural technology platform, has closed its Series E round on USD 60m. Sofina and Temasek Holdings were the lead investors.
Singapore's Temasek launches internal review of FTX deal
Temasek Holdings has launched an internal review into the circumstances that led to its investment in collapsed cryptocurrency exchange FTX, but Singapore’s deputy prime minister refused to criticise the organisation’s governance structures.
India's 3one4 seeks $200m for fourth VC fund
3one4 Capital, an India-based early-stage investor, has launched its fourth venture capital fund with a target of USD 200m. It raised the same amount in the previous vintage.
KKR completes tender for Japan's Hitachi Transport Systems
KKR has completed its tender offer for Hitachi Transport Systems, having secured a 51.1% stake in the third-party logistics (3PL) provider at a valuation of JPY 749.5bn (USD 5.4bn).
Asian family offices seek greater PE funds exposure - survey
More than half of family offices in Asia Pacific plan to increase their exposure to private equity funds next year, according to a survey conducted by Raffles Family Office and Campden Wealth.
CEO of Singapore's EDBI departs to launch own fund
Swee Yeok Chu, CEO and president of Singapore government investor EDBI, is stepping down from her role with a view to launching her own fund.
Vistara, QIC back Australian sports-tech player Vald
US-based growth-stage technology investor Vistara Growth has joined Queensland Investment Corporation in an AUD 36m (USD 25m) round for Vald, an Australian start-up that supplies performance-tracking technology to a host of professional sports teams....
GPs prioritise specialisation, value creation in Asia - AVCJ Forum
Asian private equity has moved on from chasing momentum plays, with GPs increasingly pursuing opportunities where they have domain expertise and know they can add value, the AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum heard.
Deal focus: LionRock finishes polishing Clarks
LionRock Capital is exiting Clarks to its majority partner, Li Ning-owned and Hong Kong-listed Viva China, having helped the struggling British shoe brand survive the pandemic
Deal focus: IFM secures debut long-term capital deal
Targeting PRP Diagnostic Imaging through its long-hold fund meant IFM Investors could offer the company stability and partnership. It expects to generate dividend yield and capital growth
Fund focus: Panacea defies biotech downturn
Having raised its second fund amid weakening investor sentiment for biotech, Panacea Venture expects deployment to be guided by a widening valuation gap between the US and China
Asia Partners targets $600m for second Southeast Asia fund
Asia Partners, a Singapore-based private equity firm focused on growth-stage technology investments, is targeting USD 600m for its second fund.