Buyouts
Polaris acquires Japanese salon operator
Polaris Capital has acquired a majority stake in Japanese salon and sports club operator Socie World for a reported JPY3 billion ($32 million). The capital came from the private equity firm’s third vehicle, which has so far raised JPY36 billion, just...
Billabong halts trading, PE firms said to cut buyout offer
Billabong International halted trading Tuesday amid reports that the two private equity consortiums bidding for the embattled Australian surfwear company would lower their bids.
CITIC PE agrees carve-out of TNT's China road business
CITIC Private Equity has agreed to buy TNT Express’ China road operations for an undisclosed sum. It is one of several divestments expected from the Netherlands-based logistics provider, which is seeking to cut costs and refocus on its core European...
TPG completes take-private of China’s ShangPharma
TPG Capital has completed a management buyout of ShangPharma Corporation that values the Chinese pharmaceutical and biotech research outsourcing firm at $173 million. It is the sixth private equity-backed privatization of a US-listed Chinese company to...
Q&A: Baring Private Equity Asia's Jean Eric Salata
Baring Private Equity Asia closed its fifth fund at $2.46 billion in early 2011. CEO Jean Eric Salata tells AVCJ why the firm has taken its time investing the capital and where he now sees value emerging in the market
Malaysia’s EPF eyes more PE opportunities
Malaysia’s Employees Provident Fund (EPF) plans to increase its private equity commitments in 2013, with a particular interest in regional co-investment opportunities.
Baring PE Asia abandons Ambow Education take-private
Baring Private Equity Asia (BPEA) has abandoned its $108 million take-private bid for Chinese education provider Ambow Education Holding, citing the resignation of four of the New York-listed company’s independent directors and its auditors in the 10...
FountainVest wins approval for China jewelry take-private
A consortium comprising FountainVest Partners and the chairman and CEO of NASDAQ-listed jeweler LJ International has won board approval to take the company private in a deal worth about $64 million. It is the seventh PE-backed privatization of US-listed...
Billabong says buyout talks continue, despite share slump
Embattled Australian surfwear manufacturer Billabong International has said that talks continue with two prospective buyers, seeking to reassure the market after the company’s stock price plunged to a record low on Thursday.
Quadria Capital buys India’s Milestone Religare
Quadria Capital, which is currently raising a healthcare fund focused on South Asia and Southeast Asia, has acquired Milestone Religare Investment Advisors. Milestone Capital, joint owner of the asset alongside Religare Enterprises, had been looking for...
Australian trade buyer fined in Castle Harlan ‘bid rigging’ case
Australian’s Federal Court ordered engineering firm Bradken to pay $22.4 million in damages over its takeover of a Canadian mining services company Norcast that was previously bought and sold on the same day by US private equity firm Castle Harlan.
TPG plucks chicken deal
TPG nearly missed out on acquiring Inghams Enterprises. When the Bob Ingham, the 81-year-old owner of Australia's top chicken producer, put the company on the block for A$1.5 billion ($1.5 billion) last July, the private equity firm came in with an offer...
Lunar hires ex-Parker Pens China executive as sector partner
Lunar Capital has appointed Vincent Sun as sector partner for high-end branded consumer goods, with the expectation that he will be seconded to children’s clothing retailer I Pinco Pallino Asia as general manager. This follows the China-focused GP’s...
Australia's QIC reveals stake in US retailer
Australian investment manager QIC has disclosed its ownership of a stake in online plus-size retailer OneStopPlus through its private equity unit.
KKR eyes Panasonic healthcare unit - report
KKR is said to be among several investors showing interest as Panasonic looks to offload its healthcare unit.
Competition for large-cap Indonesia deals to intensify – AVCJ Forum
Indonesian private equity will remain intensely competitive at the larger end of the market as regional and global buyout firms compete for a limited number of deals, industry participants told the AVCJ Indonesia Forum in Jakarta today.
Archer’s Brownes buys Ravenhill Dairy assets
Archer Capital-owned Brownes has agreed to buy Ravenhill Dairy’s brand, processing assets and milk supply as it bids to double turnover to A$400 million over the next five years and steal a march on Western Australia rivals Harvey Fresh and Lion.
Baring PE Asia tables buyout offer for China’s Ambow Education
Baring Private Equity Asia (BPEA) has offered to buy New York-listed Ambow Education Holding in a deal that values the Chinese tutoring and training services provider at about $108 million. It is the 14th PE-backed take-private transaction involving a...
AVCJ at 25: Patrick Walujo of Northstar Pacific Partners
Patrick Walujo, co-founder and managing partner of Northstar Pacific Partners, leveraged local knowledge and relationships at TPG Capital to create Indonesia’s largest domestic private equity platform
AVCJ at 25: Michael Chae of The Blackstone Group
Michael Chae, head of international private equity at The Blackstone Group, arrived in Asia after the global financial crisis and as the pre-IPO fever was about to turn. Changing times require changing strategies
AVCJ at 25: Nick Bloy of Navis Capital Partners
Nick Bloy, co-managing partner at Navis Capital Partners, saw Lehman Brothers collapse within days of a launching his sixth fund. LPs had to be reassured or replaced, and the strength of Navis’ existing portfolio was pushed to the fore
AVCJ at 25: David Gross-Loh & Jim Hildebrandt of Bain Capital
David Gross-Loh and Jim Hildebrandt, managing directors at Bain Capital, guided the firm’s Japan-heavy Asia portfolio through the global financial crisis. Acting fast without overreacting was central to their approach
AVCJ at 25: Tim Sims of Pacific Equity Partners
Tim Sims, a founder and managing director at Pacific Equity Partners, was part of the team responsible for Australia’s first-ever leveraged buyout in 1998. Fourteen years on, Australia is the regional hub for these deals
AVCJ at 25: Bill Ferris & Joe Skrzynski of CHAMP Private Equity
Bill Ferris and Joe Skrzynski set up Australian Mezzanine Investments in 1987. Now known as CHAMP Private Equity, the firm was responsible for some of Australia’s first buyouts and then saw the market rise and rise during the 2000s