GPs
India's SphitiCap targets $500m for debut VC fund
SphitiCap, a recently established early-stage VC firm in India, has announced the launch of its debut fund targeting USD 500m.
Q&A: Mayer Brown's Soumitro Mukerji
Soumitro Mukerji, a partner in the banking and finance practice at Mayer Brown in Singapore, explores potential drivers of increased fund finance activity in Asian private equity
India's Motilal Oswal closes latest fund at $552m
The private equity arm of India’s Motilal Oswal Financial Services has closed its fourth flagship growth fund with INR 45bn (USD 552m) in commitments.
Currency, exit, labour issues worry Japanese GPs - AVCJ Forum
Currency depreciation, dwindling domestic IPO opportunities, and labour shortages are all their toll on the portfolios of middle-market Japanese private equity firms, the AVCJ Japan Forum heard.
Japan's D Capital hits third close on debut fund
D Capital, a recently established Japanese middle-market private equity firm, has achieved a third close of JPY 27bn (USD 186.4m) on its debut fund. The target is JPY 30bn.
Elev8 targets $200m for India growth-stage fund
Elev8 Venture Partners, a newly established Indian growth-stage investor, has launched its debut fund with a target of USD 200m.
Japanese GPs should target incremental gains on ESG - AVCJ Forum
Japanese private equity firms should be very targeted in implementing environment, social, and governance (ESG) policies at the portfolio company level even if the payoffs are small and accumulate over time, the AVCJ Japan Forum heard.
Fund focus: Tower goes large with debut fund
Tower Capital Asia is repositioning itself as a large, globally connected PE firm as it transitions from deal-by-deal investing to a fund structure. Deep roots in Singapore remain the nucleus of the strategy
Japan's Nomura launches blockchain VC unit
Japan’s Nomura Holdings has launched a business called Laser Venture Capital that will invest in companies in the blockchain and digital assets space.
Tower Capital closes maiden SE Asia PE fund on $379m
Singapore’s Tower Capital Asia, which has historically invested on a deal-by-deal basis, has closed its debut blind pool private equity fund for Southeast Asia on USD 379m.
C Ventures rebrands, hits first close on new fund
C Ventures, a VC firm set up by Adrian Cheng, scion of Hong Kong’s New World Development, has rebranded as C Capital – reflecting steps to diversify into a multi-strategy asset manager – and reached a first close on its latest fund.
Fund focus: Glenwood gains traction with carve-out thesis
Korea-focused Glenwood Private Equity has closed its second fund on KRW 900m (USD 648m) from local LPs, having established itself as a mid-market corporate divestment specialist
Portfolio: Advantage Partners and Elise Fashion
Advantage Partners acquired Vietnamese women’s apparel retailer Elise Fashion with a view to integrating manufacturing, design, and distribution into a leaner operation with a more international profile
Secondaries specialist TR Capital expands into Singapore
Asia-focused secondaries investor TR Capital has opened an office in Singapore, expanding a regional footprint that already includes bases in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Mumbai.
China's HighLight hits first close on life sciences fund, targets $650m
HighLight Capital, a China-based life sciences investor, has completed a first close of USD 540m on its fourth US dollar-denominated fund. The overall target is USD 650m.
Fund focus: Baring restocks its dry powder
Baring Private Equity Asia claims a pipeline full of USD 1bn-plus investment opportunities to meet the needs of an USD 11bn-plus fund – but for now it is being cautious about pursuing them
Profile: Crescendo's Kevin Lee
Kevin Lee founded Crescendo Equity Partners to spot overlooked Korean technology suppliers and reposition them as global leaders of their niches. This required a rare combination of skills
Korea: A good time to be different?
Macroeconomic uncertainty and liquidity risk are pushing Korean private equity firms to think beyond buyouts, double down on operational capabilities, and consider all their exit options
Baring Asia hits final close on eighth pan-regional fund
Baring Private Equity Asia (BPEA), which agreed to merge with EQT earlier this year, has closed its eighth pan-regional fund with commitments of USD 11.2bn.
ICI signals growing climate agenda in Asia PE
Initative Climat International (ICI), a private equity community dedicated to stemming global warming, has launched an Asia Pacific chapter, signalling a growing regional commitment to climate issues.
Q&A: Unitus Ventures' Surya Mantha
Indian returns-focused impact investor Unitus Ventures is sharpening its thesis around jobs as it celebrates its 10-year anniversary. Surya Mantha, a managing partner at the firm, traces the evolution
China's Welkin Capital targets London IPO
China-focused Welkin Capital is looking to raise up to USD 300m through an IPO for a London-listed investment entity seeded with assets from its debut private equity fund, which closed in 2017.
Japan's D Capital nears target for debut PE fund
Japan’s D Capital, a private equity firm specialising in digital transformation that spun out from Unison Capital last year, has raised JPY 26bn (USD 188m) for its debut fund against a target of JPY 30bn.