GPs
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
Q&A: Affirma Capital's Ivo Philipps
Affirma Capital came into being 18 months ago as Standard Chartered’s private equity team spun out with most of the remaining balance sheet assets. COO Ivo Philipps explains the middle and back office transition
LeapFrog names co-head of healthcare
Asia and Africa-focused impact investor LeapFrog Investments has recruited Biju Mohandas as a partner and global co-lead for healthcare.
TPG takes majority stake in NewQuest
TPG has agreed to take a majority interest in Asia secondaries specialist NewQuest Capital Partners, nearly three years after acquiring a minority stake in the manager.
Fund focus: LPs endorse Ocean Link's China tourism, tech thesis
Ocean Link has raised $580 million for a second fund targeting China travel, tourism and consumer technology assets, but the firm believes co-investment could take aggregate deployment to $1.4 billion
Fundraising talent: New calls of duty
The trend toward more stringent due diligence in recent years has maximized fundraising complexity at a time when the professionals involved must adapt to unfamiliar virtual forums
COOs in Asia private equity: Horses for courses
The COO role is gradually becoming more prevalent in Asian private equity, but GPs struggle to find the right combination of financial skills and business acumen. The optimal candidate is often internal
KKR loses managing director in Singapore
Terence Lee, a managing director at KKR who leads technology, media and telecom (TMT) and growth equity investments in Southeast Asia, has left the firm.
Cathay appoints executive president, makes partner promotions
Cathay Capital has announced a spate of global personnel appointments in private equity and venture capital, including the naming of Arthur Yeung as executive president.
Iron Pillar co-founder launches India venture growth firm
Sameer Nath, co-founder and a managing partner at Indian VC firm Iron Pillar, has spun out to form TrueScale Capital, which will follow a similar venture growth remit.
Quadrant becomes first Asia GP to make HEC top 10
Quadrant Private Equity has become the first Asia Pacific-based manager to make the top 10 in the HEC-Dow Jones Private Equity Performance Ranking.