Fundraising
John Tsang: Hong Kong as magnet for PE funds
Hong Kong has retained its status as a private equity hub, largely on the back of developments in mainland China, said Hong Kong's financial secretary John Tsang at an industry event.
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.
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.
Goldman Sachs to launch first energy-focused fund
Goldman Sachs plans to raise $2-3.5 billion for its first energy-focused private equity fund. The global vehicle, known as Broad Street Energy Partners, will target the oil, gas and power industries.
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,...
China targets illicit PE fundraising
Horror stories of individual investors being talked into committing capital to suspect private equity funds have prompted regulatory intervention in China. But progress is slow and the road is long.
Private equity and Asia’s new rich
On two occasions last week, fund managers told me they were looking to attract capital, but not from the standard institutional LP. Is this a coincidence or the start of a new trend? It’s not yet clear. But one contributing factor of which we can be...
Cinemacraft receives funding from 500 Startups
Asian interactive media platform provider Cinemacraft has secured funding from US-based business incubator 500 Startups.
India to launch state-backed $1b innovation fund
India plans to roll out a $1 billion government-backed venture fund to support innovative companies that promise a better future to the poor.
Kedaara to pursue carve-outs from Indian conglomerates
Kedaara Capital, the private equity firm created by Manish Kejriwal and Sunish Sharma, formerly of Temasek India and General Atlantic India, respectively, will focus on investments in carve-outs and spin-offs of non-core assets from large corporations.
CrystalGenomics receives $2.6m from VC-backed fund
South Korea-based CrystalGenomics has secured KRW3 billion ($2.6 Million) through a private placement to the Korea Seoul Life Science Fund (KSLSF).
Citadel Capital seeks capital from Chinese LPs
Middle Eastern private equity firm Citadel Capital is seeking to raise capital in China and is in talks with a Beijing-based sovereign wealth fund, according to Stephen Murphy, the firm’s managing director responsible for institutional fundraising.
Lightspeed targets $675m for ninth fund
Lightspeed Venture Partners is seeking $675million for its new global fund, according to a regulatory filing. The firm principally targets investments in China and India, as well the US and Israel.
Hony Capital raises $4b for new USD, RMB funds
Beijing-based Hony Capital, one of China’s largest private equity firms, has raised close to $4 billion from investors for two separate vehicles, both double the size of their respective predecessors.
Former head of SBI Macquarie seeks $500m for India fund
Violet Arch Capital Advisors, a startup run by Varun Bajpai, former head of SBI Macquarie Infrastructure Fund, is looking to raise $500 million for its debut fund. The vehicle will be sector agnostic, targeting opportunities that are driven by India’s...
Fourth quarter analysis: The end of multiples arbitrage?
Fourth-quarter analysis: Growth capital investments flounder; established GPs thrive in difficult markets; trade and secondary sales fail to pick up the capital markets slack.
Canaan Partners closes ninth fund at $600m
Canaan Partners, the venture capital firm that focuses on the US, India and Israel, has closed its ninth fund at $600 million. The new vehicle, which received commitments from both new and existing LPs, takes the firm’s total assets under management...
Banker formally launches $1b Indonesia fund
A new Indonesian merchant banking operation plans to raise a $1 billion private equity fund that will target investments in the country. If successful, it would be the largest ever Indonesia-focused fund as well as one of the largest vehicles of its type...
Global PE fundraising endures weak fourth quarter
Global private equity fundraising ended 2011 weakly, with 108 funds attracting commitments of $52.4 billion in the fourth quarter, the lowest quarterly total since the start of the financial crisis. The provisional figure was marginally below the July-September...
Vivo Ventures closes seventh fund at $375m
Vivo Ventures, the US and Greater China-focused healthcare investment firm, has closed its seventh fund at $375 million. The firm now has more than $1 billion under management.
Q&A: Hamilton Lane's Mario Giannini
Mario Giannini, CEO of Hamilton Lane, discusses the fundraising climate globally and the impact of massive capital inflows on Asia.
Nomura enters China’s PE space
Nomura Holdings has become the first Japanese financial services company to invest in Chinese private equity, after agreeing to participate as an LP in the Shanghai-based Jiu You Quan Xing Equity Investment Fund. The vehicle, which is managed by Jiu You...
Archer secures $1.5b for fifth fund
Projections for Archer Capital's fifth fund continued to increase even as the capital-raising environment in Australia got tougher. A target of A$1.2 billion ($1.2 billion) soon became A$1.4 billion and finally A$1.5 billion, which is where it closed...
Don’t lose your head in a hot market
As we head into 2012, will investors’ appetite for Asian private equity be checked? Apparently not.