Articles by Tim Burroughs
Quadrant’s Summerset raises $99m through IPO
Quadrant Private Equity-owned Summerset Group, New Zealand’s third-largest retirement village operator, has raised NZ$123.6 million ($99.5 million) in the largest IPO seen in the country in two years. The company sold 88.3 million shares at NZ$1.40...
Anchorage exits NZ Burger King to Blackstone
It's a good time to be targeting turnarounds in Australasia. Private equity firms, hedge funds and investment banks are pursuing a host of opportunities in the consumer segment where companies have been hit hard by the seize-up in spending that followed...
Saab ends investment agreement with Chinese firms
Swedish Automobile has terminated an agreement to sell a majority stake in Saab to two Chinese companies, leaving the carmaker reliant on a $70 million commitment from US private equity firm North Street Capital to cover its immediate expenses.
Asia ex-Japan pension fund assets to reach $4t by 2015
Assets held by pension funds in Asia ex-Japan and Australia stood at $2.2 trillion at the end of last year and are set to reach $4 trillion by 2015, largely fueled by an expanding middle class.
KKR seeks $6b for second Asia buyout fund
KKR is targeting $6 billion for its second Asia buyout fund, coming as a host of global private equity firms prepare new regional vehicles.
KPCB leads Series B round for China’s Moment Systems
Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB) has led a $20 million Series B round of financing for Chinese third-party digital marketing measurement company Moment Systems. China Broadband Capital, Redpoint Ventures and WPP Digital also participated.
Carlyle, General Atlantic discuss $200m investment in Flipkart
The Carlyle Group and General Atlantic are in talks over a $150-200 million joint investment that would see them take a minority stake in Indian online retailer Flipkart.
Korea Post unit looks to invest in global secondary funds
Savings Bureau of Korea Post, one of South Korea’s largest state-controlled institutional investors, is looking to invest at least $30 million in a global secondary fund. It represents one of the savings bureau’s first forays into alternative investments...
Yunfeng Capital creates cloud computing fund with Alibaba
Yunfeng Capital, the venture capital firm set up by Alibaba Group founder Jack Ma, is to create a RMB1 billion ($157 million) fund with Alibaba Cloud Computing. It will invest in cloud computing businesses and developers building applications for Aliyun...
PE firms lose out in bid for Samsung’s procurement arm
Online shopping mall operator Interpark has been named the preferred bidder for Samsung Group’s procurement arm iMarketKorea, beating private equity bidders including KKR and MBK Partners. The Interpark was previously said to be leading a consortium...
CIC joins Blackstone in RBS commercial real estate deal
China Investment Corp. (CIC) has agreed to take a stake in Royal Bank of Scotland’s $1.4 billion commercial real estate portfolio alongside The Blackstone Group. They will each take a 12.5% stake in the portfolio, worth a combined $100 million, with...
Abraaj Capital targets Southeast Asian natural resources
Abraaj Capital plans to invest part of its latest $2 billion fund in Southeast Asian natural resources, with a particular focus on copper and tin mines in Indonesia as well as ancillary services tied to mining or agriculture.
Lilliput seeks out-of-court settlement with Bain, TPG
Lilliput Kidswear is seeking an out-of-court settlement with investors Bain Capital and TPG Capital, having taken legal action earlier this month to prevent the private equity firms from exiting the company in response to a corporate governance scandal.
Eaton Vance targets US loans through Australian fund
Eaton Vance Corp. aims to raise $1 billion in the next two to three years for an Australian fund targeting US leveraged loans. It will primarily look to secure capital commitments from Australian pension funds.
Blackstone targets $3b global energy fund
The Blackstone Group aims to raise up to $3 billion for its first energy fund, according to people familiar with the situation. Tony James, the private equity firm’s president, said in an earnings call that initial commitments stand at $1 billion.
Voting opens for the 2011 AVCJ Awards
We are happy to announce the nominee shortlist for 2011 AVCJ Private Equity and Venture Capital Awards. Relying on submissions from across the PE community and the expertise of our select panel of industry judges, five nominees have been chosen in seven...
CalPERS to appoint CFO, place limits on staff departures
The California Public Employee Retirement System will introduce a CFO position and toughen the timelines for when board members and staff can move to certain other jobs. The provisions, aimed at improving accountability, are included in new legislation...
Blackstone announces 3Q loss on drop in valuations
The Blackstone Group posted a loss of $341.9 million in the third quarter compared with a $339.3 million profit a year earlier. The disappointing results came as the private equity firm saw an 11% drop in the value of its buyout holdings amid ongoing...
Hana denies asking Lone Start to cut KEB sale price
Hana Financial Group has denied reports that it had asked Lone Star to cut the $4.16 billion acquisition price for Korea Exchange Bank (KEB) by one fifth. It was claimed that the US private equity firm responded by threatening to walk away from the deal...
CDC invests $50 million in Pragati India Fund
CDC Group, the UK development finance institution, has committed $50 million to Narayanan Shadagopan's Pragati India Fund.
Reliance Capital backs Indian personal care products firm
Reliance Capital’s private equity arm has invested INR1.36 billion in VVF, an Indian manufacturer of personal care products. The transaction, structured as a combination of equity shares and convertible debentures, will see the private equity firm take...
Milestone Capital approached with merger, buyout offers
Milestone Capital Advisors is considering a merger or buyout that has the potential to be the largest transaction ever seen in India’s private equity industry. It comes two months after Ved Prakash Arya, Milestone’s founder and CEO, died in a freak...
Yahoo founder refuses to rule out sale to Alibaba, private equity
Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang has refused to rule out the possible sale of the company to Alibaba Group’s Jack Ma or to a private equity interests. “There are plenty of options,” he told a conference in Hong Kong Wednesday.
EQT, TPG funds reflect Asia’s PE power
Asia's growing significance in the private equity world was further confirmed in two separate fundraising events last week. First in Europe, where EQT Partners announced that Asia Pacific LPs were responsible for nearly one quarter of total commitments...