Fund-of-funds
LP interview: CalSTRS
Keen to reduce investment costs, California State Teachers’ Retirement System is changing the way it works with managers. Co-investment, joint ventures and stakes in GPs are priorities for private markets
New Zealand opens $200m VC scheme to private managers
New Zealand has opened a NZ$300 million ($199 million) government-backed venture capital scheme to applications from domestic and international private fund managers.
LP interview: Unigestion
Asia’s rising levels of private equity talent offer enticing growth prospects for Unigestion’s wealth management clients, but enforcing discipline among emerging markets managers remains a challenge
Commonfund hires HSBC executive to lead Beijing office
Commonfund Capital has appointed Xiaonan Tian as an associate director and head of its investment office in Beijing from where she will oversee the firm’s Asia Pacific portfolio.
Hamilton Lane targets Asia with $1.7b co-investment fund
Hamilton Lane has closed its fourth global co-investment fund at $1.7 billion, with a view to deploying 15-20% in Asia. It is the firm’s largest co-investment fund to date.
Fund focus: Hostplus’ diversification drive
Australia's Hostplus partners with Natixis-backed Flexstone Partners for an investment program focused on backing middle-market US managers
Moonrise raises $106m for China venture vehicle
Moonrise Capital, a global venture capital-focused investment firm established by Don Pascal, formerly CEO of Commonfund Capital, has raised $105.7 million for a China fund-of-funds product.
Australia's Hostplus establishes US emerging managers program
Australian superannuation fund Hostplus has launched an investment program focused on middle-market US private equity managers with Flexstone Partners, a PE unit of Natixis.
LP interview: CreditEase Wealth Management
Leveraging the online and offline infrastructure of its parent’s P2P lending platform, CreditEase Wealth Management has built a channel for Chinese high net worth money to enter private equity
Shanghai launches $7.35b biotech fund
The Shanghai government has launched a biotech sector-focused fund targeting a hard cap of RMB50 billion ($7.35 billion) in partnership with Guotai Junan Securities, China Pacific Insurance and Shanghai Zhangjiang Group.
LP interview: PennSERS
Bryan Lewis, CIO of Pennsylvania State Employees’ Retirement System, discusses accessing Asia, approaches to co-investment, and paring a bloated PE portfolio into a smaller set of strategic relationships
Axiom Asia completes $1.6b fundraise
Axiom Asia has closed its fifth regional fund-of-funds at $1.39 billion - beating the target of $1.01 billion - and also raised $210 million for its first dedicated co-investment vehicle.
Adams Street raises $824m for global fund-of-funds
Adams Street Partners has closed its latest global fund-of-funds with $824 million in commitments. It exceeds a target raise of $800 million.
Natixis merges regional PE units
The asset management business of Natixis has launched a global private equity firm by merging three existing PE affiliates, including Singaporean fund-of-funds Eagle Asia Partners.
China Everbright sets up $288m fund with local government
China Everbright (CEL) has set up a RMB2 billion ($288.2 million) fund-of-funds with the local government of the city of Liyang in Jiangsu province.
Adams Street closes global early stage fund at $426m
Adams Street Partners has reached a final close of $426 million on Adams Street Venture Innovation Fund II, its global early-stage fund-of-funds.
Franklin Templeton, Asia Alternatives to launch fund-of-funds
Franklin Templeton Investment and Asia Alternatives have agreed to form a joint venture that will provide bespoke global private equity fund-of-funds solutions.
Fund focus: Unicorn sticks to early-stage remit
China venture capital-focused fund-of-funds Unicorn Capital Partners raises $250 million with an eye on an increasingly challenging but rewarding early-stage technology space
Unicorn raises $250m for second China fund-of-funds
China-focused venture capital fund-of-funds Unicorn Capital Partners has closed its second fund at the hard cap of $250 million.
Indian government commits $29m to four GPs
The Indian government has committed INR2 billion ($29 million) to four domestic investment funds as part of its support for the entrepreneurial sector.
Outsourced CIO: Secret sauce
Teams spinning out from US endowments are competing in an increasingly competitive market for outsourced investment mandates from institutions. Scale and differentiation are the key selling points
Everbright forms China-focused JV with HQ
HQ Capital has joined Yuanju Capital, an affiliate of China Everbright’s asset management arm Everbright Financial Holding, to launch a wealth management platform aimed at the Chinese market.
China launches $4.6b technology-focused guidance fund
The Beijing government has launched a RMB30 billion ($4.6 billion) innovation-focused fund-of-funds that will not only make investments locally but also commit capital overseas with a view to bringing technologies to China.
AIIB approves $100m commitment to Indian sovereign fund
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has approved a $100 million investment in the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), an Indian government-backed vehicle intended to mobilize investment in infrastructure.