Articles by Tim Burroughs
Voting for the 2014 AVCJ Awards has now closed
Voting for the 2013 AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Capital Awards has now closed. Thank you for taking the opportunity to pay tribute to the leading fundraises, investments, exits, individuals and firms of the past 12 months.
CVC set for partial exit from Indonesia’s Link Net
CVC Capital Partners is set for a partial exit from Link Net, Indonesia’s second-largest fixed-line broadband and cable TV operator, through a share placement.
IDFC closes second India infrastructure fund at $900m
IDFC Alternatives has reached a final close on its second Indian core infrastructure fund of $900 million. LPs have also pledged significant additional capital for co-investment opportunities.
China’s Baidu buys VC-backed Brazilian online discount site
Chinese search giant Baidu has bought a controlling stake in Brazil-based Peixe Urbano, an online discount platform that has received several rounds of VC funding, for an undisclosed sum.
China's CDH agrees Nanfu Battery carve-out from P&G
CDH Investments has agreed a buy Fujian Nanping Nanfu Battery, China’s leading manufacturer of alkaline batteries, from Procter & Gamble (P&G) in one of the largest PE corporate carve-outs ever seen in the country.
MSPEA-backed Tianhe drops on resumption of trading
Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia (MSPEA) portfolio company Tianhe Chemicals saw its stock drop 43% on resumption of trading in Hong Kong following allegations of fraud. Tianhe issued a lengthy rebuttal of the allegations, while simultaneously announcing...
Matrix India backs recruitment service GrownOut
Matrix Partners India has provided a first institutional round of funding for GrownOut, an online platform that helps companies identify potential recruits on the basis of referrals sourced via employees’ professional networks.
Avenue Capital bolsters Asia team ahead of planned fundraise
Avenue Capital Group has hired two executives from PAG – Anil Gorthy and Dan Galanter – to lead its Asia business, with a new regional fund planned for the coming year.
Portfolio: First Reserve and KrisEnergy
In backing oil and gas start-up KrisEnergy, First Reserve put its faith in a rare commodity in Southeast Asia – an independent team that knows where the plumb assets are and how to access them
3i completes med-tech upscale job
When John Thomson, head of 3i Group’s Southeast Asia business, met Singaporean entrepreneur Jay Pok in the mid-2000s, he was on the lookout for a medical technology investment. But Pok’s company, medical cable maker LHi Technology, though impressive,...
Ayannah banks on the unbanked
Explaining why cross-border remittances into the Philippines are not his core business, Mikko Perez points to Hong Kong’s Central district on a Sunday, when the domestic helpers are out in force. “It’s so cut throat – we are talking basis points...
India’s IPO pipeline
Indian test preparation services provider CL Educate filed for an IPO last week. Just over half of the offering will comprise shares held by the promoter and private equity backer Gaja Capital. It should come as welcome respite for the GP – which first...
Blackstone-owned Hilton sells New York's Waldolf Astoria to China insurer
China’s Anbang Insurance Group has agreed to buy the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York from Hilton Worldwide Holdings, a portfolio company of The Blackstone Group, for $1.95 billion.
Permira in talks to sell Arysta to Platform Specialty – report
Arysta LifeScience, the Japanese agricultural chemicals maker owned by Permira that last month filed for a US IPO, is said to be in talks with Platform Specialty Products over a potential acquisition.
Southern Capital agrees $180m Singapore engineering carve-out
Southern Capital Group has agreed to acquire a majority stake in United Engineers’ Singapore-listed engineering and construction division for S$230.2 million ($180 million) in cash.
NZ regulator targets Archer consortium over aborted Abano deal
A consortium of investors including Archer Capital is subject to a civil action launched by New Zealand’s Financial Markets Authority (FMA) over an unsuccessful bid for Abano Healthcare Group.
IFC set to invest as Everstone targets $650m for Fund III
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has proposed investing up to $50 million in India-focused GP Everstone Capital’s third fund, which has a target size of $650 million.
3i exits Asian medical device maker LHi to US trade buyer
3i Group has exited LHi Technology – a medical equipment manufacturer bought from Baring Private Equity Asia in 2008 – to US-based Carlisle Companies for an enterprise valuation of around $195 million, claiming a 2.9x money multiple.
Kendall Court exits Malaysian broadband provider
Kendall Court Capital Partners has exited Packet One Networks – a Malaysian broadband provider heavily involved in 4G telecommunications technology – as Telekom Malaysia (TM) bought a controlling stake in the company.
Matrix India backs online food-ordering platform LimeTray
Matrix Partners India has provided a Series A round of funding for Alchemy Web Private, operator of online food-ordering platform LimeTray. The size of the commitment was not disclosed.
China's CIC in $311m partial exit from Noble Group
China Investment Corporation (CIC) has made a partial exit from Singapore-listed agriculture and energy supply chain manager Noble Group, generating proceeds of S$396 milion ($310.6 million).
Gree Ventures backs Philippines payments business
Gree Ventures has participated in a Series C round of funding for Philippines-based digital payments business Ayannah. Wavemaker Labs, Golden Gate Ventures, IMJ Investment Partners and Beenos Asia also participated.
LP interview: Malaysia's KWAP
Malaysian pension fund KWAP is adding North America and European exposure to its Asia-heavy private equity portfolio. It is ramping up commitments from a relatively low base
J-Star seals first secondary exit
Japan has seen 61 private equity secondary exits since 2011 – more than the combined total for the 10 years before that. This surge in activity can largely be traced back to buyouts from the years leading up the global financial crisis. Investors want...