Investments
PE-backed China Cinda to raise $2.5b in Hong Kong IPO - report
PE-backed China Cinda Asset Management Corp, one of four groups set up to absorb non-performing loans (NPLs) from the country’s Big Four state-owned banks, is expected to raise up to $2.5 billion in its Hong Kong IPO.
India’s VC-backed Qubecell acquired by mobile payments company Boku
Mobile billing aggregator Qubecell, which is backed by Kae Capital, Blume Ventures, Mumbai Angels and TA Ventures, has been acquired by San Francisco-based Boku.
Risa Partners exits drug store to Tsuruha Holdings for $99m
Risa Partners, a unit of NEC Capital, has exited its 56% stake in Japanese drug store operator Hearty Wants to strategic investor Tsuruha Holdings for JPY10.1 billion ($99 million).
China to modify IPO approvals system
The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) will move towards a registration-based system for IPOs in place of the current approval-based system. This is intended to make it easier for companies, especially smaller ones, to raise capital.
Gaw Capital acquires London property for Korean investors
Gaw Capital Partners, a Hong Kong-based private equity real estate firm, has acquired Waterside House - an office building in London - on behalf of a pool of South Korean institutional investors.
Blackstone, Panchshil Realty to buy Mumbai office tower
The Blackstone Group and Xander Group-backed Indian developer Panchshil Realty are set to buy a majority stake in an office tower in Mumbai for close to INR9 billion ($144 million).
GIC to anchor Ascendas India realty platform
GIC Private will be the lead investor in an Indian real estate platform launched by Singapore-based Ascendas. The Ascendas India Growth Programme has a target size of S$600 million ($482 million) and will invest in real estate in India, focusing on business...
China’s NSSF invests in US-listed mobile games developer
The National Council for Social Security Fund (NSSF), China's state pension fund, has invested $15 million in China Mobile Games and Entertainment Group (CMGE), a US-listed mobile games operator.
Australian Tax Office warns foreign investors on compliance
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has written to 130 private equity firms offering to “assist with their compliance” as it scrutinizes the pipeline of upcoming IPOs to ensure foreign investors don’t avoid paying local tax.
Alibaba buys VC-backed mobile app analytics operator
China e-commerce conglomerate Alibaba Group has purchased Umeng, a Beijing-based mobile app analytics service provider incubated by Innovation Works.
Australia's HighPoint Capital invests in Brand New Media
HighPoint Capital has acquired a significant minority shareholding in Brand New Media (BNM), a Sydney-headquartered business that runs digital channels for brands and broadcasters. Its partners include Seven West Media in Australia, New Zealand’s national...
CapAsia exits Thai toll road
The floods that devastated Thailand in the second half of 2011 were the country’s worst in 50 years, with the World Bank putting the economic damages at $45.7 billion. Bangkok came under threat in mid-October with outer areas most severely hit. The...
Bitcoin boom
“It is in some ways easier to buy things in China using bitcoin than it is using traditional fiat currency,” says Dan Ciporin, partner at the VC firm Canaan Partners.
Oaktree ups stake in New Zealand's MediaWorks
Oaktree Capital has increased its stake in New Zealand broadcaster MediaWorks to 43%, after acquiring a 14.6% stake from Dutch lender Rabobank. The transaction took place the same day lenders completed their recapitalization of MediaWorks, reducing its...
Temasek, Greenwoods back Phoenix Healthcare IPO
Temasek Holdings and Shanghai-based Greenwoods Investment have made a pre-IPO investment in Phoenix Healthcare Group, picking up a 10% stake in the company for RMB165 million ($26.8 million).
PAG real estate arm raises $1.5b Asia fund
Secured Capital, the Japan-based real estate investment arm of PAG, has reached a $1.5 billion final close on its fifth fund - Secured Capital Real Estate Partners V - exceeding its $1 billion target.
Vision Knight, Softbank China back tourism site 8trip
Vision Knight Capital has led a RMB150 million ($25 million) round of funding for 8trip, a Chinese B2B online travel website. SoftBank China Venture Capital (SBCVC) also participated in the round.
SoftBank China invests in P2P lending site Yooli.com
Chinese peer-to-peer financing platform Yooli.com has received $10 million in Series A funding from Softbank China Capital. The platform launched in February but already has nearly 100,000 registered users and has transacted more than RMB264 million ($43...
Haitong Capital, Orient International launch RMB buyout fund
Haitong Capital, a PE arm of Haitong Securities, and Shanghai-based logistics company Orient International Enterprise have launched a renminbi-denominated buyout fund with a target of RMB3 billion ($493 million).
CDC, IDFC co-invest in India's Green Infra
CDC Group will invest up to $25 million in Green Infra, an independent renewable power producer backed by IDFC Alternatives. The GP will add another $23.89 million as part of a $125 million financing round.
CapAsia JV sells stake in Thai toll road operator
CapAsia and Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ have sold their minority stake in Thailand’s Don Muang Tollway (DMT) for $132 million to a newly announced joint venture between Hong Kong-based First Pacific and Philippines infrastructure developer Metro Pacific...
Australia's PEP sells Link stake to Macquarie, ICG - report
Australia’s Pacific Equity Partners (PEP) has reportedly sold a 25% stake in share registry and superannuation administration services provider Link Group to Macquarie Group and Intermediate Capital Group for around A$200 million ($187 million).
Investors adapt to adversity – AVCJ Forum
Flexibility and changing strategy are key to finding the best opportunities in the current adverse environment, investors told the AVCJ Forum in Hong Kong.
North Asia GPs cautiously optimistic on economic reforms – AVCJ Forum
Government-driven reforms in Japan and South Korea have the potential to deliver more buyout opportunities, although industry participants told the AVCJ Forum in Hong Kong that their optimism is cautious rather than wholehearted.