GPs
Baring targets $8.5b for eighth pan-Asia fund
Baring Private Equity Asia is back in the market seeking $8.5 billion for its eighth pan-regional fund, less than 15 months after closing Fund VII at $6.5 billion.
IFC to invest $25m in Gaja's fourth India fund
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has proposed a $25 million commitment to the fourth private equity fund from India’s Gaja Capital. The target corpus is $400 million.
Asian GPs prioritize portfolio resilience - Bain & Co
Three out of five GPs in Asia Pacific would be willing to forego at least 5% of near-term profit if that sum could be invested in making their portfolio companies more resilient across a range of metrics.
Brookfield hires ex-Blackstone executive to lead China PE
Alex Yang, formerly a senior managing director at The Blackstone Group, has been recruited by Brookfield Asset Management to lead its private equity business in China.
China's GSR Ventures appoints first female managing director
Yutong Zhang has become the first woman to join the team of managing directors that leads Chinse VC firm GSR Ventures.
CITIC Capital rebrands as Trustar, backs Swiss medtech business
CITIC Capital Partners, a private equity firm part-owned by Chinese conglomerate CITIC Group, has rebranded as Trustar Capital.
China VC player Source Code to raise $1b
Source Code Capital, a Chinese venture capital firm founded by Yi Cao (pictured), formerly of Sequoia Capital China, is set to raise $1 billion across two funds.
Ant Capital seeks $461m for sixth Japan fund
Ant Capital Partners has set a hard cap of JPY50 billion ($461 million) for its sixth Japan buyout fund, with a first close on as much as half that total provisionally scheduled for the end of April.
Deal focus: Temasek supports impact's giant leap
Impact specialist LeapFrog Investments will use Temasek’s financial backing to broaden its reach, in terms of sectors and geographies, as well as to anchor future funds
Fund focus: See Fund backs university talent
Having launched his own start-up on campus, Song Yao of See Fund is returning to China’s academic institutions to look for the next generation of hard technology unicorns
Fund focus: Openspace says it with distributions
Openspace Ventures launched its $200 million third fund comfortable in the knowledge that the first two were top-quartile performers. IPOs, trade sales and partial secondary exits have all played a role
Shaw Kwei recruits managing director in Hong Kong
Shaw Kwei & Partners has recruited Paul DeMand, who brings three decades of operational experience in the automotive, electronics, and precision machining industries, as a managing director.
Openspace raises $200m for third Southeast Asia VC fund
Openspace Ventures has closed its third Southeast Asia fund – which targets Series A and B rounds for companies with B2C and B2B technologies – at the hard cap of $200 million.
Fund focus: Asia Partners eyes Southeast Asia's white space
The growth-stage funding gap is approximately $1.1 billion per year in Southeast Asia, according to Asia Partners. The GP now has $384 million in dry powder to try and fill it
Singapore's East Ventures takes over EV Growth
EV Growth, a joint venture between Singapore’s East Ventures, Indonesia’s SMDV and Japan’s YJ Capital, is dissolving its co-GP structure, with East Ventures taking over as the sole manager.
Q&A: Everstone Group's Sameer Sain
Sameer Sain, co-founder and CEO of Singapore-based and India-focused Everstone Group, explains why he’s doubling down on ESG and on a hands-on buyout strategy that prioritizes bargain hunting
Addor raises $241m for second China healthcare fund
Addor Capital – a Chinese VC firm backed by Jiangsu High-Tech Investment Group, also known as Govtor Capital – has raised RMB1.56 billion ($241 million) for its second renminbi-denominated healthcare fund.
Affinity adds to China team
Affinity Equity Partners has recruited Sam Sun, previously a partner at Sequoia Capital, as a managing director based in Beijing.
India direct secondaries: Footprint freefall
A darker mood for Chinese investors in India is stirring expectations for a wave of direct secondary opportunities
GPs & SPACs: Filthy lucre?
The global SPAC craze is percolating into Asia, with private equity firms among the sponsors. LPs aren’t necessarily comfortable with the development, but there’s only so much they can do about it
China VCs back See Fund's debut vehicle
See Fund, an investment firm established by the founder of Chinese artificial intelligence chip start-up DeePhi Technology, has raised RMB200 million ($31 million) for its debut fund.
Indus Valley raises $17.5m for Pakistan VC fund
Pakistan-focused VC firm Indus Valley Capital has raised $17.5 million for its debut fund focused on early-stage start-ups. The initial target was $15 million.
ESG & operations: Compliance corner
Few mid-market private equity firms in Asia have dedicated ESG personnel and this is not necessarily an obstacle to progress. As compliance and reporting burdens increase, the status quo may change
Private equity & cybersecurity: Dark clouds
From fraudulent drawdown notices to ransomware, private equity firms and their portfolio companies are increasingly vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Training and vigilance are paramount