Articles by Andrew Woodman
Profile: Helion Venture Partners' Sanjeev Aggarwal
Sanjeev Aggarwal, co-founder of Helion Venture Partners, has been at the vanguard of several pivotal developments in India’s tech industry, from the birth of BPO to the flowering of e-commerce
Industry ponders the future of fund-of-funds - AVCJ forum
Fund-of-funds still have a significant role to play in Asia despite predictions of their demise in changing LP landscape, industry participants argued at the AVCJ Forum in Hong Kong.
PE sees shift in due diligence focus to management - AVCJ Forum
Private equity advisory firms are placing greater emphasis on management integrity as they seek to refine the due diligence process for portfolio companies, say industry participants.
Advent adds to China operating partner program
Advent International has appointed healthcare industry veteran Lincoln Chee to its operating partner program in China. He will advise the private equity firm in identifying investment opportunities in the space and in generating value in portfolio companies....
Gobi backs China travel site Yododo
Gobi Partners has committed $4 million in Series A financing to Yododo.com, a Chinese hostel booking and travel site.
GPs upbeat on changing LP base - AVCJ Forum
While some LPs may have retreated from the asset class in recent years, private equity firms are increasingly identifying new sources capital as other investors - either from Asia or looking to tap Asia - remain eager to allocate.
Carlyle set for another partial exit from Japan's Chimney
The Carlyle Group is set to reap up to JPY14.3 billion ($145 million) through another partial exit from Japanese casual restaurant chain Chimney Corp, after agreeing to subscribe to a tender offer by liquor retailer Yamaya Corp. to acquire a 48.66% stake....
CIC to buy London business park from Blackstone - report
China Investment Corporation is in exclusive talks to acquire Chiswick Park - a 32-acre UK business park - from The Blackstone Group.
Xander-backed KidZania to invest $75m in India theme parks
An Indian franchisee of KidZania, a kids indoor theme park chain backed by Xander Group, is looking to open as many a five theme parks in the country, investing up to $75 million.
Exhilway to invest $1b in India via Global Opportunities Fund
Exhilway Global, a US-based hedge fund and emerging markets private equity GP, is looking to invest $1 billion in India as it prepares to launch its Exhilway Global Opportunities Fund (EGO) next month - targeting $2 billion.
Japan's Polaris exits Nippon Oil Pump to Wendel
Japanese buyout firm Polaris Capital Group has agreed to exit its entire share in Nippon Oil Pump Group (NOP) - a maker of hydraulic pumps and motors - to French listed investment group Wendel.
CHAMP-owned Accolade to acquire NZ wine brands
Accolade Wines, a winemaker owned by Australia's CHAMP Private Equity, has agreed to acquire a portfolio of wine brands from New Zealand counterpart Mud House Wine Group.
Investment: Southeast Asia's family footholds
By most measures, Southeast Asia is under-penetrated by private equity. If deal flow expectations are to be met, investors must tap local networks for openings in and around the family conglomerates
VC fundraising: Where angels flock
Venture capital fundraising has become difficult for all but the select few in Asia as LPs concentrate their resources on established names. Where will replacement investors come from?
PE-backed Shuanghui eyes $6b HK IPO - report
Shuanghui International Holdings, the PE-backed Chinese meat processing company which recently acquired US pork producer Smithfield Foods, has reportedly hired six banks as sponsors for its intended $6 billion Hong Kong IPO next year.
Headland launches $357m Kreuz takeover offer
Hong Kong- based PE firm Headland Capital Partners has launched a takeover offer for Singapore-listed Kreuz Holdings, a subsea services provider to the offshore oil and gas industry. Under the terms of the proposed agreement, all outstanding shares of...
Globis, Intel-backed V-Cube files for Tokyo IPO
V-Cube,a Japanese developer of web-conferencing and webinar systems backed by Intel Capital and Globis Capital Partners, has filed for its Tokyo IPO.
SMBC, NEC-backed VC fund backs US semiconductor firm
Innovative Venture Fund, an early stage investment fund set up by Japan's NEC Capital and SMBC Venture Capital, has a led a round of investment in SiTime Corp, a US-based semiconductor company. Additional participants in the round included Hercules Technology...
Globis backs online stock photo site Pixta
Globis Capital Partners has invested JPY70 million ($700,000) in Pixta, the Japanese company behind stock photo and online storage service site Pixtastock.com.
Apollo, Oaktree-owned Nine Entertainment targets $658m IPO
Australian TV network Nine Entertainment - which is backed by US hedge funds Oaktree Capital Group and Apollo Global Management - is looking to raise up to A$697 million ($658 million) in its IPO set for December. The capital raised will be use to pay...
Taiwan's Chinatrust to buy Tokyo Star Bank for $530m
CTBC Financial, the parent company of Taiwan's Chinatrust Commercial Bank, is to buy a 98.16% stake in Tokyo Star Bank for JPY52 billion ($530 million) from US private equity firm Lone Star and other creditors-turned-shareholders. It will be the first...
New Zealand, Taiwan cross-border fund ups target to $70m
A cross-border fund launched by New Zealand-based Pan Pacific Capital and Taiwan's state-run Institute for Information Industry (III) has raised its target to $70 million and is nearing a first close.
CVC poised to buy China restaurant chain South Beauty - report
CVC Capital Partners is said to be nearing an agreement to buy a majority stake South Beauty Group, a Chinese restaurant chain, for around $300 million.
Vision Knight teams up with strategics to tap China online education
Vision Knight Capital - the private equity firm set up by former Alibaba CEO David Wei - has partnered with games developer NetDragon Websoft and a unit of electronics maker Hon Hai Precision Industry to launch a $33 million online education venture....