Articles by Susannah Birkwood
PE & PR: Sustainable alpha
Increasing numbers of PE firms are upping their commitment to environmental and social governance issues at future and existing portfolio companies. What’s their motive?
Ten Network, CHAMP Private Equity agree Eye Corp sale
CHAMP Private Equity’s portfolio company oOh!media has agreed to pay A$113 million ($117 million) for Eye Corp, Ten Network Holdings’ outdoor advertising business. Last week it downsized its original offer of A$145 million to A$110 million.
Australia's fundraising rebounds with foreign investor support
The fiscal year ended June 2012 was reportedly the best fundraising year for the Australian private equity and venture capital industry since 2007-2008, with more than A$3.3 billion ($3.4 billion) raised by 21 funds.
Allegro Funds leads MBO of Australia's Hastie Services
Allegro Funds has completed a management buyout of Australian industrial services group Hastie Services, months after parent company Lazard-backed Hastie Group went into administration.
Profile: Founders Fund's Bruce Gibney
Founders Fund Partner Bruce Gibney became a multi-millionaire by investing in PayPal while still at university. He was later involved in the first angel investment made in Facebook
Hedge fund Dymon branches into PE – report
Hedge fund manager Dymon Asia Capital is said to have launched a private equity vehicle with support from Singaporean sovereign wealth fund Temasek Holdings. It is the latest in a string of managers to offer both hedge fund and PE strategies under one...
Blackstone to buy Shanghai office tower
The Blackstone Group has reportedly agreed to purchase Shanghai’s Huamin Imperial Building, an office tower valued at approximately RMB7 billion ($1.12 billion).
Freshfields promotes Shanghai PE lawyer to counsel
International law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has promoted Christian Zeppezauer from its corporate practice in Shanghai to the role of counsel.
KKR opens office in Singapore
KKR opened its office in Singapore on Thursday – its seventh in Asia and 15th globally – as a base for its investment activities across Southeast Asia.
CapitaLand sets up $215m housing PE fund in China
Singapore developer CapitaLand has closed its first value housing private equity fund, which will invest in affordable residential developments in China. It has a corpus of S$264 million ($215 million).
Champ PE makes lower offer for Eye Corp
CHAMP Private Equity’s portfolio company oOh!media has made a revised offer of A$110 million ($114 million) for Eye Corp, Ten Network Holdings’ outdoor advertising business.
A slice of the pie: Selling a stake in the GP
PE firms have been selling stakes in themselves for as long as they’ve existed. The invasion of first-time funds into Asia creates extra opportunities for LPs keen to participate in GP economics
Pacific Century snaps up ING's Asia assets
Hong Kong-based private equity firm Pacific Century Group has acquired several parts of ING’s life insurance operations. It will pay EUR1.64 billion ($2.14 billion) for the Dutch financial institution’s life insurance, general insurance, pension and financial...
Citigroup hires ex-Silver Lake partner as Japan M&A head
Citigroup has hired Masao Yoshikawa, an ex-partner and Japan representative at private equity firm Silver Lake, as its new managing director of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in Japan.
Italian PE fund backs Indian Hotels in $1.9b Orient-Express bid
Montezemolo & Partners, an Italian family-owned private equity firm, and Indian Hotels (IH), India’s biggest accommodation provider, have launched a $1.86 billion takeover bid for Orient-Express Hotels (OEH), a Bermuda-based hotel chain.
Hamilton Lane to ramp up Asia allocation to 15%
US-based gatekeeper Hamilton Lane is planning to allocate around 15% of its global portfolio to Asia, as investors look to capitalize on higher growth in the region.
CHAMP PE-backed oOh!media walks away from Eye Corp buyout
CHAMP Private Equity’s oOh!media portfolio company has decided not to proceed with its buyout of Eye Corp, Ten Network Holdings’ outdoor advertising business. This comes despite Ten’s denial earlier this week that the acquisition price would be lowered...
Blackstone seals India's largest commercial real estate deal – report
The Blackstone Group has reportedly secured the biggest commercial real estate deal in India to date, acquiring a 50% stake in a portfolio of three business parks for $200 million.
Start-up investment: Fallen angels
The scarcity of seed capital in most of Asia has left the region’s entrepreneurs crying out for angel investors. What’s stopping them from flooding in?
SCPE thirsty for $32m Indian bottler deal
Despite its mammoth population - almost half of which is below the age of 30 – the per-capita consumption of soft drinks in India is one of the lowest in the world. For companies such as Varun Beverages (VBIL), which received an INR1.7 billion ($32 million)...
New Zealand, Taiwan ink $200m co-investment pact
New Zealand Venture Investment Fund (NZVIF) and Taiwan’s National Development Fund (NDF) have formed a co-investment partnership which aims to commit up to $200 million into venture capital funds in the two nations.
Singapore PE fund in $600m deal to buy Next Media assets
A Singaporean private equity fund is part of a consortium looking to pay NT$17.5 billion ($600 million) for various Taiwanese media assets owned by Hong Kong-listed Next Media.
Norton Rose nabs Lucas from Baker & McKenzie
International law firm Norton Rose has appointed Andrew Lucas as a partner in its corporate team based in Bangkok. He joins from Baker & Mackenzie’s Beijing office, where he was also a partner.
SAIF Partners to launch China hedge fund – report
China-focused private equity firm SAIF Partners is reportedly planning to launch a Greater China hedge fund, which would make it the first major Chinese PE player to attempt such a move.