Fundraising
Brookfield closes $4b global fund
Brookfield Asset Management has reached a final close of $4 billion on its fourth global private equity fund.
Australia's CapitalPitch launches $7m early-stage fund
Australia-based start-up networking platform CapitalPitch has launched a fund focused on early stage investments, with a target size of at least A$10 million ($7.3 million).
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
Korea to allow publicly-raised capital into private equity
Korea’s Financial Services Commission (FSC) has announced plans to allow capital raised through public market offerings to invest in domestic private equity and real assets vehicles.
Fund focus: WI Harper sticks to small scale
While other VC firms have seen significant jumps in fund size as they target the growth space, WI Harper's latest Asia-US vehicle will remain focused on early-stage deals with a cross-border angle
Vivo raises $100m for Sino-US healthcare VC fund
Healthcare specialist Vivo Capital has closed its latest Sino-US venture capital fund with around $100 million in commitments. The vehicle will focus on early-stage investments.
Corporate VC: A fine balance
Corporations in Asia increasingly see the merits of captive VC units, but they must be clear in their financial and strategic objectives in order to give teams the right combination of autonomy and guidance
Fund focus: Geodesic helps US start-ups go big in Japan
The former US ambassador to Japan and the ex-head of Andreessen Horowitz's growth investment practice have joined forces to help US start-ups gain traction in Japan
Fund focus: Mekong looks to crack Vietnam's consumer code
Mekong Capital hopes to continue its success in Vietnam's consumer sector with the $112 million Mekong Enterprise Fund III, relying on a value creation model that is now tried and tested
India's Nalanda raises additional $620m for evergreen fund
India-focused GP Nalanda Capital has raised $620 million in a fresh tranche of funding for its evergreen vehicle Nalanda India Equity Fund.
Facebook co-founder's VC firm in first close on US-Asia fund - update
B Capital Group, a VC firm launched by Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin and Raj Ganguly, formerly of Velos Partners and Bain Capital, has reached a first close on a US and Asia-focused fund, which has a full target of $250 million.
Singapore's NRF seeds four corporate VC funds
Corporate VC funds operated by real estate developer CapitaLand, cloud services provider DeClout, agriculture company Wilmar International and logistics provider YCH Group will share S$40 million ($29 million) in seed funding from Singapore’s National...
WI Harper raises $175m Asia fund
WI Harper Group has closed its eighth venture capital fund, which targets early-stage investments in Asia-focused companies, at $175 million.
Mekong closes Vietnam fund at $112m
Mekong Capital has reached a final close of $112 million on its fourth Vietnam-focused fund. The original target for the vehicle was $150 million.
Geodesic closes $335m VC fund to bridge US, Asia
Geodesic Capital, a US-based venture capital firm focused on helping start-ups drive Japanese expansion, has closed its first fund at $335 million.
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
Fund focus: UC Capital looks to play matchmaker
UC Capital's Lions Growth Fund will give European manufacturers access to the connections and the capital in Asia they cannot get on their own.
Japan's AbbaLab launches $14m start-up fund
AbbaLab, a Japanese start-up incubator focused on hardware prototyping in the internet-of-things (IoT) space, has launched a JPY1.5 billion ($14 million) fund.
Meridian Capital seeks $307m for China VC fund
Meridian Capital, a Chinese technology-focused venture capital firm, is looking to raise RMB2 billion ($307 million) for its latest renminbi-denominated fund.
IFC, ADM Capital launch Asia lending platform
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the investment arm of the World Bank, has teamed up with Hong Kong-based ADM Capital to launch a lending platform to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Asia.
Aura launches Australia-focused VC fund
Aura Group, an Australia and Singapore-based fund management and investment business, is raising an Australia-focused venture capital fund with a target corpus of A$30 million ($21.8 million).
IFC to invest in Southeast Asia frontier markets fund
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the investment arm of the World Bank, will invest up to $7.5 million in a PE fund managed by Singapore's Emerging Markets Investment Advisers (EMIA).
Japanese pharma group launches global VC arm
Japanese oncology specialist Taiho Pharmaceutical has launched a VC arm that will invest an initial pool of $50 million in global start-ups focused on cancer therapies.
Japan's Gree reaches $37m first close on second fund
Gree Ventures – the VC arm of Japanese online media and gaming company Gree - has achieved a first close of its second fund with about $37 million in commitments.