Articles by Tim Burroughs
HarbourVest raises $1.75b for co-investment fund
HarbourVest Partners has closed its fourth global co-investment fund at $1.75 billion, having raised the hard cap from $1.5 billion.
China warehouse robot developer gets $60m Series B
Geek+, a Chinese manufacturer of robots for use in logistics and warehousing, has received $60 million in Series B funding led by Warburg Pincus. Several existing investors, including Volcanics Ventures, also participated.
US investors wary of Asia spin-outs - AVCJ Forum
Keeping up with the pace of change in Asian private equity – particularly in terms of people moves – is one of the biggest challenges for institutional investors based outside of the region.
2Q analysis: All about Japan
Japan’s middle-market in fundraising flurry; Toshiba fails to make the second-quarter cut, but Asia buyouts still boom; public markets, particularly in Japan, deliver strong exits as trade sales stutter
PE in Southeast Asia: Buyout blues
Private equity interest in Southeast Asia has yet to translate into a significant number of buyout deals. The region's sturdy economic fundamentals may prolong the stagnation
China PE challenge is micro, not macro - AVCJ Forum
Navigating micro intricacies rather than addressing macro uncertainties is the true challenge for private equity investors in China, industry participants told the AVCJ USA Forum.
China's SenseTime closes $410m Series B round
Sense Time, a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning technology start-up has closed a $410 million Series B round of funding across two tranches, led by CDH Investments and Sailing Capital, respectively.
Temasek sees portfolio hit record high of $199b
Temasek Holdings saw its portfolio hit a record high of S$275 billion ($199 billion) for the 12 months ended March, but the Singapore government-controlled investment fund warned that the global economy is still plagued by uncertainties.
Singapore accelerators: Searching for sustainability
The flood of new arrivals in Singapore’s accelerator space means there are often too many groups chasing relatively few high-quality start-ups. Diversification and specialization is the key to survival
China's CIC ups alternatives exposure, posts positive return
China Investment Corporation (CIC) increased its alternatives exposure by a few percentage points to 37.24% for the year ended December 2016 as its international portfolio rebounded from a loss in 2015 to post an investment return of 6.22%.
GIC posts weakest return in eight years, warns of uncertainty ahead
GIC Private warned of years of uncertainty ahead as the Singapore sovereign wealth fund announced its weakest investment performance since the global financial crisis.
PAG, Primavera lead $118m round for China's Dashu Finance
PAG Asia Capital and Primavera Capital have led a Series C round of funding worth $118 million for Dashu Finance, which provides outsourced credit services to banks looking to participate in the small loans space.
Chinese smart city platform receives $73m
China Everbright, IDG Capital and CITIC Private Equity have participated in a RMB500 million ($73.5 million) Series A round of funding for Terminus Technologies, which claims to be China’s largest city-level mobile internet platform.
China bike-sharing player Ofo gets $700m Series E round
Alibaba Group has led a $700 million Series E round of funding for Chinese bike-sharing start-up Ofo – less than a month after Tencent Holdings led a Series E of $600 million for Mobike, the company’s closest rival.
US LPs & co-investment: Risk appetite
There are various practical reasons - concerning legal, oversight and human reasons - why US pension funds are not as aggressive as their Canadian peers in private equity. A change in mindset would also be helpful
Liberty House beats Korean PE consortium to Arrium deal
A group led by UK-based industrials and metals group Liberty House has agreed to acquire distressed Australian mining giant Arrium, beating out a private equity-backed Korean consortium.
Quadrant to exit Australia's Zip Industries via trade sale
Quadrant Private Equity has sold Zip Industries, an Australia-based manufacturer of drinking water appliances, to global water treatment specialist Culligan International for an undisclosed sum.
US pension funds & PE: Public service remit
US public pension funds are active investors in private equity, but their asset allocation policies are influenced by stakeholders’ input and limited internal resources, as well as the desire for returns
China B2B steel-trading platform raises $74m
Chinese B2B steel-trading platform Zhaogang.com has received RMB500 million ($74 million) from existing investors China Renaissance Private Equity Fund and West Fund, as well as the Russia-China Investment Fund (RCIF).
VIG pays $127m for majority stake in Korean skincare player
VIG Partners has agreed to buy a 73% stake in Press & Converting, a Korea-based manufacturer of facial masks primarily used for skincare, in a deal worth KRW146 billion ($127 million).
General Atlantic names ex-HKMA executive as special advisor
General Atlantic has appointed Yong Hak Huh, founder and CEO of First Bridge Strategies and formerly CIO of private markets and direct investment at the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), as a special advisor.
Q&A: BDA's Paul DiGiacomo
Paul DiGiacomo, a managing director with Asia-focused advisory firm BDA Partners, discusses the latest trends in M&A, from increasingly sophisticated Chinese buyers to more willing multinational sellers
Singapore's GIC buys 30% stake in Mergermarket
Singapore’s GIC Private has acquired an approximately 30% stake in Mergermarket Group – AVCJ’s parent company – from BC Partners. The size of the transaction was not disclosed.
VC-backed gaming company Razer files for Hong Kong IPO
Razer, a manufacturer of gaming peripherals such as headphones, joypads and mice, has filed for a Hong Kong IPO. The company, which was co-founded by a Singaporean but is based in the US, has numerous venture capital backers.