Advisory
FTV Capital leads $56m round for Indian researcher
US venture investor FTV Capital has taken a minority stake in India-based industry research and consulting company MarketsandMarkets after leading a $56 million funding round.
Due diligence: Behind the curve
Gaining an accurate impression of an industry is vital for investors, but this can be difficult in markets where information is patchy or unreliable. Those who hope to prosper must learn to judge data carefully
Information issues: Fund administration in Asia
Private equity firms in Asia are increasingly willing to outsource fund administration, but they appear to be slower than their global counterparts in embracing more sophisticated middle office functions
Japan succession deals: The long game
Succession planning opportunities are growing in Japan’s middle market as a generation of founders bend to the will of time and commercial pressure. For GPs seeking buyouts, it is all about who you know
Skadden hires Asia fund formation partner from Ropes
Skadden has appointed Geoffrey Chan, formerly head of the Asia private investment funds practice at Ropes & Gray, as partner and head of its Asia Pacific investment management practice.
Hong Kong tax: A life less certain
Hong Kong introduced legislation intended to give private equity investors greater tax certainty, but the implementation guidelines have moved it further from this goal. The implications could be wide-ranging
Timeliness the key to value-add – AVCJ Forum
PE investors must focus on speed and forward planning when implementing strategies across team building, operational improvements and crisis management, industry participants told the AVCJ Forum in Hong Kong.
Investors weigh maneuvering options in response to global volatility – AVCJ Forum
Recent signs of global volatility have prompted PE investors to consider a divergence in business dynamics and economic trajectories between the US and Europe and Asia, industry participants told the AVCJ Forum.
Ropes & Gray adds partner to Asia private funds practice
Vincent Ip, a Hong Kong-based partner with Ropes & Gray’s private investment funds group, has been promoted to partner.
Hong Kong tax policy: An unfortunate first
Hong Kong is the only major international center openly seeking to treat carried interest as income rather than capital gain for tax purposes. The private equity industry wants to know where it stands
China boutique investment bank CEC buys Siemer & Associates
Chinese boutique investment bank and advisory firm CEC Capital Group – formerly known as China eCapital – has agreed to buy US-based counterpart Siemer & Associates (S&A).
Sixpoint hires Diamond Dragon's Tan to head Asia distribution
Placement agent and secondaries advisory firm Sixpoint Partners has appointed Joan Tan, formerly of Diamond Dragon Advisors, as managing director and head of Asian distribution.
Deal advisory: Helping hands
Chinese M&A buyers must overcome their reluctance to engage top-quality advisory teams for their transactions
Q&A: Interchina Consulting's Barry Chen
Barry Chen, managing director at InterChina Consulting, discusses where investors get it right and wrong on M&A, whether they are foreign companies doing deals in China or Chinese players going overseas
Q&A: Aberdeen Asset Management's Andrew McCaffery
Andrew McCaffery, head of alternatives at Aberdeen Asset Management, discusses the long-term impact of investors becoming more aggressive in their pursuit of returns, almost regardless of the risk
LPs want GPs to show comprehensive approach to ESG - AVCJ Forum
Private equity firms need to incorporate environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations into their investment strategies – and do so in a long term, end-to-end manner, LPs told the AVCJ ESG Forum.
Side letters: A little extra
The proliferation of side letter provisions submitted by LPs as conditional on their participation in a fundraise is adding to administrative workloads. Private equity firms must negotiate carefully
Fund T&C: Carrot and stick
Fee discounts and co-investment often dominate GP-LP discourse, but longer-term issues surrounding economics and governance are increasingly important to negotiations over some Asian GPs’ fund terms
Asia-based diligence provider Poseidon bought by Exiger
The Poseidon Group, a Hong Kong and Singapore-based due diligence and business intelligence provider, has been acquired by global regulatory risk and compliance player Exiger.
The communicators: Investor relations in Asia
GPs in Asia are devoting more resources to investor relations in response to increased reporting requirements and a challenging fundraising environment. But finding the right IR formula is not easy
PE investors see value in forward planning on operational improvement
Operational strategies should be defined in detail well before any financial commitment is made, according to industry participants at the Hong Kong Venture Capital & Private Equity Association's (HKVCA) China summit.
China fund administration: In or out?
Whether they are US dollar managers upgrading their LP bases or renminbi GPs tapping offshore investors for the first time, China PE firms increasingly see the reputational value of independent administration
The gathering storm: Preparing portfolio companies for a downturn
As warning signals of a global economic downturn become increasingly convincing, private equity portfolio companies are likely to come under pressure. Investors are advised to prepare carefully
Reputational due diligence: No stone unturned
Thorough reputational due diligence can find both potential deal-breakers and opportunities for improvement. Are PE firms taking it to the necessary depth in emerging markets like India?