Investments
Catalyst buys Australian resources industry service provider
Australian private equity firm Catalyst Investment Managers has purchased a 49% stake in Morris Corporation, a provider of facilities management and accommodation services to the mining and oil and gas industries. The value of the transaction was not...
KKR-backed MMI plans $300m high-yield bond issue
MMI International, a KKR portfolio company, plans to issue a $300 million high-yield bond to refinance debts incurred through its 2007 buyout. The move indicates that non-traditional funding channels are opening up for private equity firms at a time when...
Thomas Cook plans to sell its Indian arm
Thomas Cook has initiated a process to sell its 77% stake in Thomas Cook India, a transaction intended to bring down its debt up to GBP890 million ($1.4 billion). Several Private equity investors are said to be potential suitors.
Masdar to invest in Chinese fuel cells and water treatment
Masdar Capital, the private equity arm of renewable energy firm Masdar, is said to be looking for opportunities to invest in the fuel cells and water treatment spaces in China.
Temasek sells $300m ICICI Bank stake
Temasek Holdings, Singapore’s second-largest sovereign wealth fund has sold a 1.4% stake in ICICI Bank for INR14.7 billion ($299 million), reducing its shareholding in India’s biggest private bank to 2%.
TPG, Bain in talks to invest $50m in Parag Milk - sources
TPG Capital India and Bain Capital are said to be in advanced talks with India’s Parag Milk Foods about purchasing $50 million worth of shares in the dairy products manufacturer.
Verlinvest acquires 20% of Everstone's restaurant business
Family office Verlinvest, has acquired a 20% stake in Cuisine Asia, a Mauritius-based holding company set up by Everstone Capital to manage its food and beverage assets.
Yahoo chairman to step down, future of Asian assets unresolved
Yahoo is replacing its chairman and three other directors as it continues to restructure its business, a process that includes the potential spin-out of its Asia-based assets to a consortium comprising Alibaba Group, Softbank and some private equity players....
Unitas takes a bite out of Babela's
Everyone loves pizza and chicken wings, and none more so than Unitas Capital. The regional buyout firm, which paid $40 million for a majority stake in Chinese restaurant chain Babela’s last week, plans to kick off its list of operational improvements...
Wolseley exits Freshmax to Maui Capital
From cattle ranchers to fruit and vegetable farmers, PE interest in Australasia’s agricultural space is wide-ranging. In each case, investors are seeking to leverage the perception, particularly in Asia, that produce from Australia and New Zealand is...
Beacon India acquires 1.3% stake in PE-backed construction firm
Beacon India Private Equity Fund, a $200 Million Indian growth capital vehicle, has acquired a 1.3% stake in NCC, a listed construction and infrastructure enterprise backed by The Blackstone Group and ChrysCapital Advisors. The transaction is worth INR216.4...
MCap, IDFC invest $20m in ReGen Powertech
Subbu Subramaniam, who spun out from Baring Private Equity Partners India three years ago to form MCap Fund Advisors, has backed ReGen Powertech in his first pure private equity deal. MCap’s previous investments were PIPE deals for companies including...
Yawadwipa targets $750m buyout of Indonesia's Bank Mutiara
Yawadwipa, the startup Indonesia-focused merchant banking operation that recently unveiled plans for a $1 billion private equity fund, has express an interest in acquiring state-owned PT Bank Mutiara for around $750 million. The price is based on the...
Sun-Apollo invests $15m in Indian housing project
Sun-Apollo India Real Estate Fund has invested INR750 million ($15 million) for a 49% stake in a housing project run by real estate developer Assotech in Gurgaon, India.
PEP conducts due diligence on Spotless
Australia’s Spotless Group has done an about-turn and allowed Pacific Equity Partners (PEP) to conduct due diligence into the cleaning services company. This comes despite the firm previously saying it would only open its books to PEP if it increased...
BC Partners replaces Fitness First management team
BC Partners has axed the core management team of Fitness First in a bid to prevent its portfolio company sinking under the weight of its high-interest loans.
Hutchison Whampoa to acquire Orange Austria
Hutchison 3G, a unit of Hong Kong conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa, agreed to acquire Orange Austria, a mobile telecommunication company owned by France Telecom and buyout firm Mid-Europa Partners.
Baring injects $100m in RMZ India project
Baring Private Equity Partners (BPEP) has channeled INR5 billion ($100 million) into backing RMZ Corp’s acquisition of an office space project in Bangalore.
Ironbridge mulls IES SBO
Ironbridge Capital is reportedly among the private equity suitors looking to participate in the secondary buyout of CHAMP Private Equity’s International Energy Services (IES).
Warburg Pincus, Oak Hill seek exits from Indian BPO firms
Warburg Pincus and Oak Hill Capital Partners are both lining up exits from Indian outsourcing companies listed in the US. WNS plans to offer 10.5 million new and ordinary shares, which would reduce Warburg Pincus’ holding in the company from 47.84% to...
CIC takes minority stake in EIG Global
China Investment Corp. (CIC), the $410 billion Chinese sovereign wealth fund, has bought a minority stake in US-based asset management firm EIG Global Energy Partners.
China nearly matches Europe for VC funding in 2011
Chinese companies attracted $6 billion in venture capital funding in 2011, up 8% year-on-year, and putting the country at near parity with Europe, which saw commitments of $6.1 billion. On a country basis, the US remains the runaway leader, with VC funding...
Swire enters the bidding for Baring-backed Courts Asia
Hong Kong conglomerate Swire is reportedly among the bidders for Baring Private Equity Asia-invested electronics and furniture retailer Courts Asia. The sale could be worth close to $400 million.
Warburg Pincus completes partial exit from Kotak Mahindra
Warburg Pincus completed a public market sell down of part of its holding in India’s Kotak Mahindra Bank on Wednesday. The private equity firm raised about $170 million through the transaction.