AVCJ launches iOS app

PE executives, some never happier than when boarding a plane in search of the next big investment, found themselves grounded, as did peers in other industries. The chances of contamination were much higher in the confines airplane cabins and train carriages, or such was the view at the time. For a few months, it looked like Asia might come to a grinding halt as investors jumped ship and growth flat-lined. 

Fortunately, the SARS virus was contained, the region's economies rebounded and private equity continued its inexorable rise. For those new to the region, those months of uncertainty are a footnote in history.
For those of us who were there at the time, however, the experiences aren't so easy to forget. It was a relatively new strain of the virus and there was a sense that the world was looking at Asia from behind a sterile curtain, worried that this unknown disease would get out (as in a few cases it did). The internet was awash with rumors, stoking global fears.

Investors with Asian allocations were caught up in the maelstrom and the challenges some GPs faced at the time seem absurd with the benefit of hindsight. The managing partner of top-tier firm recalled an LP denouncing him as "cruel" for letting his children remain in Hong Kong during the crisis.

It took a situation of this magnitude to highlight the information disconnect that existed between Asia and the rest of the world. AVCJ, as a provider of news, concluded that there was a need for more accurate and timely communication of facts. Asia's private equity industry is relatively small but the dynamic that persists to this day - most of the capital providers are in North America and Europe, far removed from events on the ground - exacerbated the problem.

It was then that AVCJ began its metamorphosis from a monthly into a weekly publication. During the months when travel was banned, we launched a weekly supplement providing on-the-ground reports and updates on Asian GPs and investments. This was made easier by our earlier venture into the digital space by distributing AVCJ online via the (then up and coming) Adobe PDF format. We wanted to get news and analysis out there as quickly as possible.

Today, that spirit of embracing the needs of Asian private equity remains alive within AVCJ. As tablets and smart phones begin to replace laptop and desktop computers in the daily workflow of many executives, we are pleased to announce the launch of an iPad app version of our weekly publication.

This AVCJ IOS app will be available for free download on Apple's iTunes Store this coming Friday, March 1. The app features many great features and functions made possible by modern technology, including search, bookmarks, live links and embedded videos. An android version of AVCJ is also in the works and will be launched in the near future. There will be new additions and enhancements over the coming months.

For those of you with iPads and iPhones, please take the time to download and install this new AVCJ app. We would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions on how we can further improve our magazine for you.

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