Investments
CLSA Capital Partners backs VoloAgri
CLSA Capital Partners (CLSA CP) has invested in VoloAgri Group, a California-based agricultural technology company, which is the third agriculture investment channeled through its Clean Resources Asia Growth Fund.
Mediaflag moves to acquire J-Star-owned sweets maker Tokachi
Mediaflag - a company which provides distribution support services to consumer goods manufacturers - has offered to acquire a 100% stake in Tokachi, a traditional Japanese sweets maker owned by Japanese mid-market buyout firm J-Star. The financial terms...
CRCI reaches $180m first close on Fund III
China Renaissance Capital Investment (CRCI) has reached a first close of approximately $180 million on its third growth capital fund. The timing of the close was determined by the GP needing to finalize its first investment out of the new vehicle.
Archer Capital revives interest in NZ's Abano Healthcare
Archer Capital obtained a five-month standstill agreement with shareholders of New Zealand's Abano Healthcare, potentially allowing time for a new takeover bid to come together after its latest effort was rejected earlier this week.
Ancora closes Indonesia fund at $128m
Indonesia-focused GP Ancora Capital has made a final close on its second fund at $128 million. The vehicle is currently 40% deployed, having made three investments since its launch in early 2011.
Warburg Pincus invests in China health center Amcare
Warburg Pincus has invested in Beijing-based Amcare Women's & Children's Hospital. The transaction size was not disclosed.
ClearVue Partners backs $5m round for China online grocery store
ClearVue Partners has led a $5 million Series A round of funding in Shanghai-based online grocery store Fields.
Hong Kong start-ups: The Silicon Harbour
Hong Kong is touting itself as Asia's next great tech start-up hub. It must first address expensive real estate, the role of government as facilitator, and strategic positioning vis-à-vis mainland China
PE-backed Australia pub fund targets IPO - report
Australian Pub Fund, which is backed by M.H. Carnegie & Co. and Australian superannuation fund Sunsuper, is said to planning an IPO on the Australian Securities Exchange.
Forbidden fruit?
There used to be a time when a private equity fund buying the portfolio company of another private equity fund was a serious faux pas. Nowadays, GPs have become less shy about buying from peers, who in many cases might be selling good but un-exited assets...
Axa-owned Novacap chemicals group makes China acquisition
AXA Private Equity-backed French chemicals group Novacap, is to acquire a majority stake in Taixing Yangzi Pharm Chemical (Yangzi), one of the leading Chinese producers of a chemical mainly used for the production of paracetamol. Financial terms of the...
MSPEA-backed Hyundai Rotem to raise up to $575m in IPO
Hyundai Rotem, a South Korean train maker backed by Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia (MSPEA), intends to raise as much as KRW622.4 billion ($575 million) in what is set to be the country's biggest IPO so far this year.
VC-backed Forgame targets $222m Hong Kong IPO
Forgame Holdings, a Guangzhou-based mobile game developer backed by several VC firms, plans to raise at least $222 million through an IPO in Hong Kong.
India’s Micro Housing Finance Corp raises $5.5m in new equity funding
Unilazer Ventures and existing backers Caspian Advisor’s India Financial Inclusion Fund and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation have invested INR350 million ($5.5 million) in Micro Housing Finance Corporation (MHFC), which makes housing loans to lower...
New Zealand's Pencarrow acquires Bell Tea & Coffee
Pencarrow Private Equity has bought Bell Tea & Coffee Company (BTCC), New Zealand’s oldest tea enterprise, from supermarket chain Foodstuffs. Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) is coming in as a significant co-investor, while BTCC’s senior management...
Temasek unit plans $185m Youku Tudou sell down – report
Sennett Investments, an affiliate of Temasek Holdings, has reportedly sold down its entire stake in Youku Tudou, an US-listed Chinese video site, generating up to S$235 million ($185 million).
KKR considers teaming with Japan state fund for Panasonic unit - report
KKR may partner with a Japanese state-backed investment fund in a bid to secure a stake in Panasonic's healthcare unit.
KKR's Kravis bullish on Asia private equity, credit
Henry Kravis, co-founder of KKR, believes that Asia’s macro headwinds have created an attractive environment for private equity investment, although the asset class is just one of several strategies that feature in his longer-term outlook for the development...
Malaysia's Khazanah exits Time Engineering stake for $21m
Malaysian sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional has sold its entire stake in local IT firm Time Engineering (TEB) to Censof Holdings for RM69.8 million ($21.3 million)
WuXi PharmaTech-backed Foundation Medicine sets terms for $75m IPO
US cancer diagnostics firm Foundation Medicine, which counts the corporate venture fund of Shanghai-headquarted WuXi PharmaTech among its backers, has announced the terms for its US IPO.
Blackstone consortium reduces Pactera MBO offer
A consortium led by The Blackstone Group has made a definitive offer for Pactera Technology International that values the US-listed tech outsourcing firm at approximately $600 million. Existing investor GGV Capital is also participating in the bid alongside...
Hong Kong investors contemplate "Silicon Harbour"
Hong Kong has the potential to become an innovation center for Asia, say industry participants, but not quite in the mold of Silicon Valley.
Intel Capital, AsiaVest to make partial exits from China's Montage via US IPO
Intel Capital and AsiaVest Partners will make partial exits from Montage Technology Group when the China-based semiconductor manufacturer completes its NASDAQ IPO.
Sequoia leads Series B round in China menstruation-tracking app
Sequoia Capital China has led a Series B round of founding for Dayima.com, a menstruation cycle-tracking mobile app. Existing backer Bertelsmann Asia Investments also participated in the round.