Investments
IDG bets on potential e-commerce consolidator
Survival of the fittest is a concept that applies to almost every ambit and rings particularly true in the field of Indian e-commerce of late. Last week Flipkart.com, the country’s largest online retailer, backed by Tiger Global Management and Accel...
Frontier markets: Investing around Asia’s edges
Private equity deal flow in Mongolia, Cambodia and Laos has gone from zero to a steady trickle. When can the region’s frontier markets turn this potential into real momentum?
China’s silent auctions
Numbers alone don't really do justice to China’s post-global financial crisis credit boom, but they are impressive nonetheless. A RMB4 trillion ($633 billion) stimulus package was announced at the end of 2008, bank lending rose nearly 130% over the...
Goldman Sachs buys minority stake in Mongolian bank
Goldman Sachs has purchased a 4.78% stake in Trade & Development Bank of Mongolia, the country’s oldest bank. The company has previously received investment from Asian Development Bank and International Finance Corp. (IFC).
Goldman Sachs exits Hana in $331m sell down
Goldman Sachs has exited the remainder of its stake in South Korea's Hana Financial Group through a public market sell down worth $331 million.
IDG, SAIF inject $14m into Firstcry.com
IDG Ventures India and SAIF Partners have led a $14 million Series B round for Indian e-commerce start-up Brainbees Solutions, which runs the First Cry and GoodLife websites. The deal is thought to be one of India’s biggest venture investments in a...
Unison nears $650m Showa Yakuhin Kako buyout - sources
Japanese private equity firm Unison Capital is reportedly in the final round of bidding for Showa Yakuhin Kako, a drug producer backed by Tokio Marine Capital.
Warburg Pincus poised to commit $50m to Indian NBFC
Warbug Pincus is closing in on a $50 million investment in Au Financiers, an Indian non-banking financial company. The deal provides a partial exit for existing investor Motilal Oswal Private Equity.
CapAsia acquired by US hedge fund
Singapore-based private equity infrastructure investor CapAsia has been acquired by The Rohatyn Group (TRG), a US-based hedge fund focused on emerging markets.
VC-backed Flipkart buys rival Indian e-commerce site
Indian online retailer Flipkart has purchased rival e-commerce platform Letsbuy.com for an estimated $25 million. Both companies are backed by Tiger Global Management and Accel Partners, but no details were disclosed on the structure or value of the transaction.
Longreach considers En Tie Bank sale - sources
Japan-focused private equity firm Longreach Group is said to be weighing up the prospect of selling its majority stake in Taiwanese lender En Tie Commercial Bank.
Kotak PE invests $25m in Minda Corporation
Kotak Private Equity Group (KPEG), part of Kotak Mahindra Group, has reportedly invested INR1.25 billion ($25 million) for a minority stake in automotive component firm Minda Corporation.
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...