Funds
Billabong suspends trading amid reports of TPG bid
Australian surf-wear manufacturer Billabong International has suspended trading amid reports that TPG Capital has tabled a buyout offer for the company. The move comes as Billabong looks for ways to manage a A$600 million debt pile, with net profit expected...
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 Partners,...
Foreign RMB funds suffer from LP access troubles
With state-backed firms hesitant to commit and wealthy individuals unreliable, overseas private equity firms face a long slog to raise their renminbi funds
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 course...
CVC-backed Nine in talks to sell magazine business – reports
CVC Capital Partners-owned Nine Entertainment has held talks with Seven West Media over the potential sale of its ACP magazines division. The funds raised would help pay down some of the beleaguered company’s A$2.7 billion ($2.8 billion) in senior debt...
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.
COLI, ICBC raise $230m for second China property fund
China Overseas Land & Investment (COLI) and ICBC International Investment Management have raised $230 million in initial capital for their Harmony China Real Estate Fund II. The vehicle's full target is $500 million.
China tipped to see more NPL deal flow
Bad debts accumulated by China’s state banks have been targeted by distressed asset investors for about a decade, with mixed results. The high-profile auctions of the mid-2000s that attracted the likes of Avenue Capital and Mellon are no more. Foreign...
Slow progress for foreign RMB funds
Renminbi-denominated private equity funds have been one of the most important trends in the last few years. The market has grown tremendously with more than US$24 billion being raised in 2011 alone. Most of this capital has gone to local firms, especially...
IndiaHomes secures $4 million from existing VC backers
IndiaHomes, a Delhi-based property services company, has received $4 million from existing venture capital backers. The firm is seeking to raise another $6 million in the coming fiscal year.
Lightspeed nears close of $200m China fund
Lightspeed Venture Partners is reportedly nearing a final close of a $200 million China fund, coming after it recently said it was seeking $675million for its new global vehicle.
TPG reaches first close of its two RMB funds
TPG Capital has reached a first close of its two China funds, having received commitments of RMB4 billion ($635 million). The private equity firm said that 90% of the capital raised came from private investors rather than government-linked entities. It...
Singapore Medical to receive $4.5m from Kendall Court
Singapore Medical Group (SMG) will receive a SGD$5.6 million ($4.5 million) investment from Kendall Court, representing the private equity’s first foray into the healthcare sector.
Indian realty valuations to take a hit
The time is ripe for an exit for private equity funds focused on Indian real estate. But can investors keep up the pace without affecting returns?
Asian fund-of-funds: In the balance
Do Asian fund-of-funds have the scale and selling points to survive in an increasingly complex and competitive market?
Sequoia invests $3.9m in Indian recharge portal
Indian E-commerce portal Freecharge.in has raised INR200million ($3.9million) in its series A round of funding from venture capital firm Sequoia Capital.
Lok Capital's second fund closes at $65m
Mumbai-based venture capital Lok Capital has closed its second fund at $65 million, a social venture capital vehicle targeting microfinance providers directly as well as companies that support the microfinance ecosystem.
Carlyle completes another China Pacific Insurance sell-down
The Carlyle Group has completed another sell-down of China Pacific Insurance Group, offloading 18 million shares and reducing its stake in the company to 4.94% from 5.15%. The private equity has now generated nearly $3.7 billion through four sales since...
Carlyle promotes three Asia professionals to MD level
The Carlyle Group has named 13 new managing directors, including Hiroyuki Otsuka in Tokyo, Matthew Hunter in Sydney and Wayne Bannon in Hong Kong, as part of a raft of promotions that saw 41 professionals elevated to senior positions.
CEC to raise $300m China fund
Hong Kong-based private equity firm China Enterprise Capital Management (CEC) is said to be planning to raise up to $300 million for a third fund which will focus on consumer deals in mainland China.
Intel backs Japanese tech firm G-cluster
Japanese technology company G-cluster Global has received support from Intel Capital and SFR Développement, the venture capital arm of French telecoms company SFR.
Red Fort closes second real estate fund at $500m target
Red Fort Capital has completed a final close of its second real estate fund at $500 million, coming mere weeks after the firm said it was targeting this amount from investors.
L Capital in talks with Indian ethnic wear chain
L Capital Asia, the private equity arm of luxury goods giant LVMH group, is in talks to acquire a minority stake in Fabindia, an Indian ethnic fashion retailer.
Hony's bumper raise sparks concerns about China fund sizes
How much is too much? Hony Capital set the benchmark for the string of large China-focused funds expected to launch in the next year or so as it closed its fifth vehicle at $2.4 billion. Hony Capital Fund V took barely four months to complete its fundraising,...