Articles by Tim Burroughs
LionRock teams up with Li Ning for China sports fund
LionRock Capital, an Asian PE firm that counts Italian football club Inter Milan among its previous investments, has launched a sports-focused fund with retailer Li Ning participating as an anchor LP.
China VC and US regulation: Defensive positions
Chinese venture capital firms and strategic investors have found their path to US tech start-ups barred by new regulations. It is possible to find a way around, but it requires compromise
GIC warns of potential downturn, cuts public equities exposure
Singapore’s GIC Private warned of “high-risk asset valuations that mask weak market fundamentals and growing economic uncertainties” having dialed down exposure to developed market public equities in favor of private equity, bonds and cash over...
Centurium closes China fund at $2b
Centurium Capital, a private equity firm established by ex-Warburg Pincus China head David Li (pictured), has closed its debut US dollar-denominated fund at just over $2 billion after about 15 months in the market.
Genesis nets $850m for second China tech growth fund
Genesis Capital, a Chinese GP established by Richard Peng, who previously led investments for Tencent Holdings, has closed its second US dollar-denominated fund at the hard cap of $850 million.
KKR agrees $2.2b sale of Japan's Kokusai Electric
KKR will sell Kokusai Electric – a semiconductor-focused thin film manufacturing business acquired from Hitachi approximately 18 months ago – to US-listed Applied Materials for $2.2 billion in cash.
China-US trade: Suboptimal outcomes
The China-US trade war appears set to enter new territory as legislators contemplate financial sector clampdowns including stock exchange listing restrictions. Investors are bracing for the worst
Cathay Innovation leads $35m round for China AI player Laiye
Cathay Innovation, the venture affiliate of Cathay Capital Private Equity, has led a $35 million extended Series B round of funding for Laiye Technology, a Chinese artificial technology (AI) start-up. Existing investors Lightspeed China and Wu Capital...
Chinese state-owned steel trading platform raises $291m
Ouyeel, which claims to be China’s largest online-to-offline (O2O) trading platform for the steel industry, has raised RMB2 billion ($291 million) in Series B funding at a post-deal valuation of RMB10 billion.
Temasek invests $300m in Li & Fung's logistics unit
Temasek Holdings has invested $300 million in Li & Fung’s logistics operation after the Hong Kong-based multinational abandoned plans to spin-out the asset through an IPO.
GPs anticipate rich flow of Japanese divestments - AVCJ Forum
The corporate carve-out opportunity in Japan is sizeable and sustainable, despite relatively lackluster large-cap deal flow in 2018, industry participants told the AVCJ Japan Forum.
Deal focus: KKR drives KCF ahead of schedule
KKR generates a healthy exit for its third pan-Asian fund by helping Korean copper components supplier KCF Technologies build up exposure to a booming electric vehicle market
VIG to make full exit from Korea's Samyang Optics
VIG has agreed to make a full exit from Korean camera lens manufacturer Samyang Optics – having taken the business public in 2017 – and will realize a 3.5x gross return on its investment.
Warburg Pincus raises $4.25b for China, Southeast Asia fund
Warburg Pincus has closed its latest China companion fund – which officially includes Southeast Asia for this vintage – at the hard cap of $4.25 billion.
Commonfund hires HSBC executive to lead Beijing office
Commonfund Capital has appointed Xiaonan Tian as an associate director and head of its investment office in Beijing from where she will oversee the firm’s Asia Pacific portfolio.
Deal focus: Weimai seeks healthcare monetization
Weimai plans to leverage a fresh $100 million funding round to bring new technologies to Chinese hospitals. This will include a growing focus on services outside the public health system
China GPs: The Centurium strategy
After more than a decade with Warburg Pincus in China, David Li struck out on his own with Centurium Capital. Applying technology to traditional business models is central to his investment thesis
Chinese online art education business raises $40m
Chinese art education platform Yiqi Technology Group has raised $40 million in the first tranche of a Series C round led by Tencent Holdings. It is said to be the largest-ever funding round for a start-up in this space.
JD Logistics hits first close on China industry fund
JD Logistics, the delivery unit of Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com, has reached a first close on a renminbi-denominated fund that invests in smart logistics and related technologies. The full target for the vehicle is RMB1.5 billion ($218 million).
Unison buys Japanese hair treatment specialist
Unison Capital has acquired Pyuru, a Japanese producer of hair care and cosmetics products best known for a naturally-derived treatment for graying hair.
Japan secondary buyouts: Between friends
Negative perceptions and local sensitivities have stymied the development of secondary buyouts in Japan. International GPs – plus some of their domestic peers – have the firepower to drive change
IDG leads $100m round for China healthcare platform Weimai
IDG Capital has led a $100 million funding round for Weimai, a Chinese healthcare-focused big data platform that helps hospitals and clinics in lower-tier cities automate everything from appointment registration to medical records management.
Trade war to trigger manufacturing revolution - M&A Forum
China-US trade tensions will drive a second wave in the One Belt One Road Initiative (OBOR) as Chinese companies relocate lower-end manufacturing to new markets, according to Victor Fung, group chairman of Fung Group, a Hong Kong multinational with interests...
Profile: Ernest Higa
From lumber to fast food, Ernest Higa has found a market for US concepts in Japan. The entrepreneur – and oftentimes private equity collaborator – believes careful customization is the key to success