Articles by Tim Burroughs
Baring Asia-backed Nord Anglia raises $304m, jumps on debut
Nord Anglia Education, a school operator controlled by Baring Private Equity Asia, saw its shares close up 12.5% on the first day of trading on the New York Stock Exchange. This followed an IPO that raised $304 million.
Profile: Intel Capital's Richard Hsu
Richard Hsu, managing director at Intel Capital, has spent 14 years as a VC investor, mostly in China. For all the change he has witnessed in entrepreneurs and ideas, some market features remain steadfastly the same
India start-up targets tea change
Building a business around tea was a logical move for Kaushal Dugar when he left his job as a corporate finance analyst in Singapore to become an entrepreneur back home in India. It has been part of the family business for 80 years. But tea plus e-commerce...
Zoyi secures first China-Taiwan deal
Of the cluster of China control deals to emerge in the last few years, a small but significant number can be traced back to Taiwan. These are often family-owned mid-size businesses that were early entrants into mainland China, searching for lower-cost...
The soft middle
What has become of the mid-market GP in Asia? If there is one area of the fundraising landscape that has hollowed out in the last year or so, this is it, giving credence to the notion of bifurcation.
Valar, SquarePeg lead $20m round for New Zealand's Vend
Vend, a New Zealand-based point-of-sale software provider, has received NZ$25 million ($20 million) in Series B funding. The round was co-led by Valar Ventures, an investment vehicle run by PayPal co-founder and early Facebook investor Peter Thiel, and...
Northstar enters Southeast Asia VC space
The Northstar Group, a Singapore-headquartered private equity firm with significant interests in Indonesia, is expanding its franchise to include venture capital. The VC unit is called Silicon Island, in reference to Singapore’s ambition to become a regional...
China mobile app platform Wandouja gets Goldman funding
Wandougjia, a Chinese mobile app platform, has received an undisclosed sum in follow-on funding from Goldman Sachs to complete a Series B round of funding that saw new and existing investors commit $120 million in January.
India's Persistent backs hand hygiene wearables start-up
Persistent Venture Fund, a VC fund controlled by listed Indian software and technology company Persistent Systems, has invested in Hyginex, a US-based wearable technology manufacturer specializing in healthcare applications.
Temasek pays $5.7b for stake in Li Ka-Shing's A.S. Watson
Temasek Holdings has agreed to buy a 24.95% stake in A.S. Watson, a health and beauty retailer owned by Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-Shing, for HK$44 billion ($5.7 billion). A.S. Watson was seeking a dual listing in Hong Kong and London but this plan has now...
Altius, Castling team up to target Korean institutional investors
Castling Investment Group has formed a strategic alliance with Altius Associates to jointly distribute private equity, real assets and infrastructure products to South Korean investors.
PE seeks post-election certainty in Indonesia – AVCJ Forum
Private equity investors are playing wait-and-see in Indonesia ahead of the country’s parliamentary and presidential elections this year, but they expect activity to rebound, in part driven by a more favorable economy and moderating valuations.
NZ Super commits $250m to KKR energy investments
New Zealand Superannuation Fund (NZ Super) has committed up to $250 million to oil and gas investments in North America through a partnership with KKR.
IDFC raises debut India real estate fund
IDFC Alternatives has reached a final close of INR7.5 billion ($123 million) on its debut India real estate fund.
Zoyi takes controlling stake in niche Chinese apparel brand
Zoyi Capital, the PE firm set up by Andrew Kuo, formerly of The Blackstone Group, has made its debut investment in Pink Mary, a Chinese manufacturer and distributor of high-end women’s apparel.
Qiming raises $500m for China VC fund - update
Qiming Venture Partners has raised approximately $500 million for its fourth US dollar-denominated China venture capital fund.
Fund administrator Augentius hires Asia head
Augentius has appointed Alex Traub as managing director of its Singapore office from where he will manage the fund administrator’s existing client relationships in Asia and take the lead in business development.
Paul Capital to wind down, close HK office
Paul Capital’s Hong Kong office is among those that will close as the secondaries specialist winds down its global operations. This follows the reported breakdown of a sale to Hamilton Lane.
Australia's Ironbridge drops staple from LP secondary exit deal
Ironbridge Capital has dropped its proposed stapled secondary transaction that would have allowed investors to exit or rollover their positions into a new vehicle with the option of making a commitment to a new primary fund. AVCJ understands the deal...
CITIC Capital among cornerstones for Harbin Bank IPO
CITIC Capital is one of seven cornerstone investors that will cover 43% of Harbin Bank’s Hong Kong IPO, which is expected to raise up to HK$10.1 billion ($1.3 billion), although subscriptions to the offering have reportedly been delayed due to concerns...
Kerogen enters PNG LNG space
Seven years after ExxonMobil began its feasibility study on commercializing gas resources in Papua New Guinea (PNG) through liquefied natural gas (LNG), the PNG LNG Project is poised to start delivering on its promise.
Stapled secondaries: Shades of gray
Secondary restructuring opportunities are on the rise in Asia, but investors are wary of giving managers fresh primary capital on top. Deal flow is hard to source, even harder to execute, and highly bespoke
PE goes to the movies: Part II
As the man who helped launch the careers of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, among others, film producer Raymond Chow can claim to have played a leading role in putting Hong Kong martial arts movies on the international map.
CVC completes China dumpling chain buyout
CVC Capital Partners has confirmed the acquisition of Da Niang Dumpling Holdings, a Chinese quick service restaurant operator. The investment – CVC’s third China control deal in recent months – was completed in December and was reported by local media...