Articles by Susannah Birkwood
ChrysCapital no fair-weather friend to Intas
Back in 2005, the principal concern for much of India’s rural population was where their next meal was going to come from. Over the past seven years, however, the spoils of rapid economic growth have trickled down through the social strata. Rural residents...
PE firms lag behind VCs in adopting social media
Venture capital firms have long embraced social media for everything from networking with entrepreneurs to sparking dialogue about industry trends. Why are private equity players so slow to join in?
Accel, IDG back Forus Health with $5m
Venture capital firms Accel Partners and IDG Ventures India have led a $5 million Series A round of funding for Indian medical technology company Forus Health.
Navis mulls buying Twilight Litaka stake
Malaysia-based Navis Capital Partners is in negotiations with Indian pharmaceutical company Twilight Litaka Pharma about a potential cash injection of $1.5 billion ($29 million) in the firm.
Nanostart launches Asia Pacific arm in Singapore
German-based nanotechnology VC investor Nanostart has created a new company, Nanostart Asia Pacific, as part of its expansion into the region.
Jones Lang LaSalle chief launches India real estate fund
Jones Lang LaSalle's (JLL) India CEO has reportedly left his role at the global property consultancy to launch a real estate fund with a former Merrill Lynch executive.
Nexus leads $26m Series A round for TalentSprint
Nexus Venture Partners has invested $26 million as part of a Series A round for TalentSprint, an Indian company that helps graduates and young professionals find jobs.
Alvarez & Marsal hires Harvey Packham as director
Advisory firm Alvarez & Marsal has taken on Harvey Packham as a director with its global forensic and dispute services (GFD) business in Beijing.
ChrysCapital reinvests $57m in Intas Pharmaceutical
ChrysCapital Partners is investing a further INR3 billion ($57 million) in Indian drugmaker Intas Pharmaceuticals ahead of the company’s upcoming initial public offering.
Navis takeover bid values SEGi at $360m
Navis Capital Partners has confirmed that it has made an unconditional takeover offer for Bursa Malaysia's main market-listed SEG International Berhad. The offer values the private tertiary education provider at MYR 1.1 billion ($360 million).
IVCA chief joins Avigo Capital - report
The president of the Indian Venture Capital Association (IVCA), Mahendra Swarup, has joined SME-focused mid-market firm Avigo Capital as a partner.
Sidbi raises $128m for India Opportunity Fund
Sidbi Venture Capital Fund is nearing the close of its India Opportunity Fund, having just received a commitment of INR6.7 billion ($128 million) from financial institutions.
UK's Inflexion sets up portfolio teams in China, India
Inflexion Private Equity and MBO Partenaires have become the latest European PE players to set up teams in China and India to support the expansion of their portfolio companies.
Profile: Vickers Capital's Finian Tan
One of the men who bet on Baidu before anyone knew what it was, Vickers Capital founder Finian Tan worked as a counselor, university don, oil trader and politician before settling on venture capital
European GPs seek exits to Asian corporates
The trend for European GPs to set up portfolio teams in Asia helps expand their companies into new geographies. But forming local joint ventures offers significant exit prospects as well
PE-backed 1st Holdings sells stake to Salesforce.com
Advantage Partners-owned Japanese software maker 1st Holdings has received an investment from US-based enterprise cloud computing company Salesforce.com.
CapVest exits United Coffee to Japan's UCC
CapVest has sold United Coffee, one of Europe’s largest coffee companies, to Japanese trade buyer UCC Holdings for EUR500 million ($617 million).
Edelweiss-backed CSB to float
Catholic Syrian Bank (CSB), the Indian institution backed by Edelweiss Capital, AIF Capital, Gartmore Private Equity and Siguler Guff, plans to launch an IPO by September.
Carlyle in mix for $1.8b Kyobo Life stake
The Carlyle Group appears to be one of several private equity firms vying for a $1.8 billion stake in South Korea’s Kyobo Life Insurance.
SAIF, Accel invest $5m in PropTiger
Venture capital firms SAIF Partners and Accel Partners have invested INR250 million ($5 million) in PropTiger Realty, an Indian online property marketing firm.
Navis' Adampak takeover offer now unconditional
Navis Capital Partners has announced that its S$110.7 million ($87.9 million) takeover offer for Singapore-listed Adampak has become unconditional, making its proposed acquisition of the label company almost guaranteed.
TPG approaches first close of $1.5b on Asia fund
TPG is nearing a first close of its latest Asian buyout fund on $1.5 billion, bringing the private equity giant one step closer to its goal of raising at least $4 billion for the region.
Olympus Capital invests $38m in Karur Vysya
Olympus Capital Holdings Asia has bought a 4.8% stake in India’s Karur Vysya Bank for $38.34 million as part of a PIPE transaction. It comes one month after ChrysCapital invested $31 million in the bank.
Kedaara to hold $200m first close - report
Kedaara Capital, the private equity fund manager established last year by former Temasek India head Manish Kejriwal, is nearing a first close of its maiden fund on $200 million.