Buyouts
Mitsubishi UFJ to buy UBS' alternative fund services unit
MUFG Investor Services, the asset servicing group of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, will buy UBS Global Asset Management's Alternative Fund Services (AFS) business.
Australia's Anacacia takes majority stake in LED business
Anacacia Capital has acquired a majority stake in Australian lighting business LEDified Lighting Corporation for an undisclosed sum.
PE consortium submits take-private bid for China's Qihoo
Chinese internet security software provider Qihoo 360 Technology has received a take-private offer from its chairman and CEO, plus CITIC Securities, China Renaissance Holdings and Sequoia Capital.
Q&A: The Longreach Group's Masamichi Yoshizawa
The Longreach Group made a name for itself acquiring non-core assets from Japanese corporates. Masamichi Yoshizawa, a partner with the North Asia-focused firm, expects more of these deals
Banks and deal-sourcing: Information arbitrage
Japan’s banks do not have the power that they once did to source deals, but they are far from irrelevant. GPs say these institutions still have a role to play, though their advice must be considered carefully
Corporate governance: Thin end of the wedge?
Japan’s corporate governance code will not trigger a torrent of non-core divestments, but it may encourage boards to think strategically about how – and with whom – they can improve performance
Japan consumer: Big spenders
Japan’s gradual economic recovery could deliver a wealth of new opportunities in the consumer space. But to realize true value, private equity firms must look deeper, or in certain cases, further
Japan buyouts: Large check limbo
It is not a phenomenon unique to Japan. Pick a major Asian market with public markets trading at or close to an all-time high and you find a cumulative private equity investment figure that is lagging the previous year’s pace.
VC-backed iDreamSky gets take-private offer
IDreamSky Technology, a VC-backed Chinese mobile game publisher, has received a take-private proposal from its chairman and CEO barely 10 months after going public on NASDAQ.
Japan's Advantage to launch $400m Asia fund
Japanese mid-market GP Advantage Partners is looking to raise a $400 million fund targeting investments opportunities in Asia ex-Japan.
Polaris acquires Japan massage salon operator
Japan's Polaris Capital has acquired massage salon chain Factory Japan Group (FJG) for an undisclosed sum. The investment was made via Polaris Private Equity Fund III.
Nordic Capital backs Chinese maker of child car seats
European GP Nordic Capital has acquired Max-Inf, a Chinese manufacturer of children's car seats, to complement its existing portfolio investment in UK child safety products firm Britax.
Sequoia, Fosun support take-private for China's Bona Film Group
Sequoia Capital and Fosun International are supporting a founder-led take-private offer for Bona Film Group that values the US-listed Chinese film distributor at approximately $832 million.
Sequoia's Shen joins China take-private wave
Neil Shen, managing partner at Sequoia Capital China, is supporting take-private bids for budget hotel operator Home Inns and online real estate agency E-House as a growing number of US-listed Chinese companies turn their attention to domestic listings....
Archer buys Dun & Bradstreet's Australasia credit-checking unit
Archer Capital has agreed to buy Dun & Bradstreet’s (D&B) Australia and New Zealand-based credit data business for A$220 million ($170 million).
KKR-owned Panasonic Healthcare agrees $1.1b Bayer bolt-on
Panasonic Healthcare, the Japanese medical equipment manufacturer in which KKR acquired a majority stake last year, has agreed to buy Bayer’s diabetes care business for EUR1.02 billion ($1.15 billion).
Q&A: ICG's Christopher Heine
Whether it is mezzanine for buyouts or growth financing for family businesses, Christopher Heine, head of Asia Pacific at Intermediate Capital Group, wants to be seen as a partner rather than just another capital provider
Deal focus: Mandarin, Zoomlion team up again in Italy
Having supported Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science & Technology acquisition of Italy’s CompagniaItalianaFormeAcciaio (CIFA) seven years ago, Mandarin Capital Partners (MCP) didn’t hesitate in suggesting that the Chinese construction machinery manufacturer...
Buyout target Cocoaland gets offer First Pacific consortium
Malaysian confectionary manufacturer Cocoaland Holdings, which has been targeted by Navis Capital Partners and EQT Partners, has received a buyout offer from a consortium including Hong Kong investment company First Pacific.
J-Star backs Japan medical insurer
Japanese mid-market GP J-Star has invested an undisclosed sum in Nihon Hoken Service (NHS), a Tokyo-based insurance agency and insurance solicitation business.
China's VC-backed Taomee receives take-private proposal
An investment arm of Chinese brokerage Orient Securities has teamed up with the CEO and president of children's entertainment group Taomee Holdings, and submitted a take-private offer for the US-listed company.
China cross-border: A helping hand
When Hony Capital bought Pizza Express for about GBP880 million ($1.5 billion) last year, the plan was to turn the UK-based restaurant chain’s nascent China presence into a commanding one. The private equity firm then built a dedicated platform for other...
Focus Media set for $7b reverse merger in Shenzhen - update
Shenzhen-listed Jiangsu Hongda New Material will acquire Chinese outdoor advertising business Focus Media, which was taken private two years ago by a consortium of PE investors and company management, for RMB45.7 billion ($7.37 billion), paving the way...
China GPs highlight role of local partners in cross-border deals
China-based private equity investors are bullish about the prospect of bringing overseas technologies and brands into the domestic market, but securing competent local partners is key to capitalizing on these opportunities.