Articles by Maya Ando
IDG, SBI, others back China biotech
A VC investor group led by IDG-Accel, SBI & TH Venture Capital Enterprise, has made an investment totaling $16 million in OriGene Technologies, Inc., a Chinese gene-centric life sciences device company dedicated to support academic, pharmaceutical and...
DTZ hires ex-Citi Asia property head
DTZ Holdings, a UK real estate consultancy, has hired David Schaefer, the former Asia-Pacific head for Citi Property Investors, a Citigroup investment arm, to spearhead its investment management business in Asia.
Mekong Capital invests local Oz school
Mekong Enterprise Fund II, a $50 million fund operated by Ho Chi Minh City-based Mekong Capital, has invested $6 million into Vietnam, Australia International School (VAS).
Japanese private equity: Mount Fuji rumbles?
Maya Ando, AVCJ Japan Editor, delivers an update from the Japan market
UK's PSource plans China infrastructure fund
PSource Capital, a London-based alternative fund management and consulting firm, plans to form a China-focused infrastructure fund with seed capital of several hundred million dollars, committed by an unidentified Chinese investor.
Pru Property appoints new Asia head
Prudential Property Investment Managers, part of the asset-management unit of UK-based insurer Prudential PLC, has appointed Scott Girard, the current CIO of Prudential Investment Management, as its new Asia CEO.
EQT invests Japan Home Centre
EQT Greater China II (EQT) a fund of EQT Partners, has acquired a 40% stake in leading discount houseware retail chain, Hong Kong-based Japan Home Centre (JHC), for an undisclosed amount.
Japanese government will not support Willcom
The Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corporation of Japan (ETIC) has decided not to inject any capital into Willcom, the troubled Japanese PHS (personal handy-phone service) provider controlled by Carlyle Asia, which filed for bankruptcy protection last...
CVC AP exits Paperbox to Japan's Oji Paper
CVC Asia Pacific has agreed to sell its $212 million Malaysian pulp and paper investment, Paperbox Holdings Ltd, to one of the world's largest paper producers, Oji Paper Co Ltd., for an undisclosed amount.
AMEC lures repeat VC investors
Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment, Inc. (AMEC), a Chinese semiconductor equipment company, has attracted some $46 million from existing venture capital investors, including Shanghai Venture Capital Co. Ltd., Walden International, Lightspeed Venture...
Baring plans to relist Courts in Singapore
Baring Private Equity Asia investment vehicle Singapore Asia Retail, a home furniture and appliances operator wholly-owned by its Fund III and Kuwaiti JV partner Topaz Investment Worldwide Inc, is reportedly looking to raise up to S$170 million ($121.5...
WI Harper to take stake in Taiwan's Testar
Veteran VC firm WI Harper Group has agreed an investment into Taiwan’s Testar Electronics Corporation, which specializes in testing and optimizing Light Emitting Diode (LED) chips, and which will spin out from its parent company Chroma Ate Inc. under...
Fidelity Asia invests PRC medical device distributor
Fidelity Asia Ventures, the Asian venture and growth capital arm of Fidelity International Ltd and its US affiliate Fidelity Biosciences, has jointly invested $10 million in TCT Medical, which claims to be the largest medical device distributor and service...
Dojane Capital in Joyrun Heavy Industry deal
Shanghai-based investment firm Dojane Capital, will invest RMB100 million ($14.6 million) alongside four unidentified investment institutions in Jiangsu Province-based Joyrun Heavy Industry, a large manufacturer of high-end precision casting parts.
AMP Capital hires new Asia infrastructure head
AMP Capital Investors, the Sydney-based investment group, has appointed Boe Pahari as its new Head of Infrastructure Asia Pacific, further expanding its international infrastructure investment business, in operation since 1994.
Israel's Infinity launches six RMB funds
Infinity-I China Fund, the Tel Aviv-headquartered venture capital firm led by Infinity Group CEO Amir Gal-Or, has launched six RMB-denominated private equity funds in partnership with seven Chinese cities, including Beijing, Suzhou, Harbin, Shijiazhuang,...
Pacific Alliance appoints new MD for realty unit
Pacific Alliance Group, the Asian alternative asset investment manager, has appointed Wei Song, who previously worked with Equity International, a privately-held real estate investment company in the US, as MD of Pacific Alliance Real Estate.
Steel Partners seeks new board directors for Sapporo
Steel Partners Japan Strategic Fund, the US investment fund which holds about 18% of leading Japanese brewer Sapporo Holdings, has sent letters to other shareholders, seeking their support for Steel’s plan to appoint new board directors ahead of Sapporo's...
Carlyle's Willcom on notice for further government support
Willcom, the Japanese PHS - personal handy-phone service - provider controlled by Carlyle Asia, will be assessed by the Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corporation of Japan (ETIC) to see if the government organization will support the mobile company’s...
China Merchants entity plans third fund in three years
CMS Capital (HK) Co., Ltd., a fully-owned subsidiary of China Merchants Securities operated under China Merchant Group, one of the largest conglomerates in China, plans to launch its third private equity fund in three years since its formation.
Olympus Asia's Shen back to Hong Kong
Private equity firm Olympus Capital Holdings Asia has promoted David Shen, a managing director previously based in Tokyo, to be head of its Asia operation.
TPG may back Shriram Properties
US buyout firm TPG Capital may be backing Bangalore-based real estate developer Shriram Properties in their acquisition of property assets, according to local media reports.
Sumitomo Mitsui launches turnaround fund
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. will launch a JPY 30 billion ($332 million) corporate turnaround fund to help the bank’s SMEs clients to turn around struggling businesses.
Shinsei and Aozora may resume merger talks
Private equity investees Shinsei Bank and Aozora Bank’s merger plan, previously reported cancelled, now apparently will come up for negotiation again, according to Japanese media reports.