GPs
Lakson Investments becomes Pakistan's first VC firm
Pakistan’s Lakson Investments claims to have been awarded the country’s first venture capital license with the launch of a new fund that will target domestic start-ups.
IDG partners Unilever, AWS on India early-stage program
IDG Ventures India has joined Unilever Ventures and Amazon Web Services (AWS) for an initiative aimed at supporting early-stage technology start-ups in India.
Asia fundraising: Demand and supply
Capital is pouring into the asset class, globally and in Asia, to the benefit of brand-name buyout managers. Deploying a large fund in Asia means squeezing as much deal flow as possible out of each jurisdiction
Hamilton Lane raises its largest-ever global secondaries fund
Hamilton Lane has closed its latest global secondaries fund at $1.9 billion. It is the largest secondaries vehicle the firm has ever raised, coming in at more than twice the size of the previous fund.
L Catterton targets $1.25b for third Asia fund
L Catterton Asia – the regional arm of L Capital, which merged with US-based Catterton last year – is looking to raise $1.25 billion for its third fund.
Q&A: Vertex Ventures' Ben Mathias
Ben Mathias, managing director and head of India at Temasek Holdings-backed Vertex Ventures, discusses the firm’s priorities for adding value to Indian start-ups looking to the global stage
LP interview: Ekuinas
Ekuinas represents a mixed bag, serving as GP and LP and pursuing social and economic objectives. CEO Syed Yasir Arafat Syed Abd Kadir explains how the group is making a difference in Malaysian private equity
Australia's CHAMP PE closes Fund IV at $547m
CHAMP Private Equity has reached a final close of A$735 million ($547 million) on its fourth Australia and New Zealand-focused fund.
IFC proposes $40m commitment to Kedaara's second India fund
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the investment arm of the World Bank, is considering a commitment of up to $40 million to the second India-focused fund of Kedaara Capital.
Vietnam: Improving sentiment
With regional and global GPs showing greater interest in Vietnam, local managers have an additional exit option - and an opportunity to show that country funds can perform across multiple cycles
Q&A: VinaCapital's Andy Ho
Andy Ho, managing director and CIO of VinaCapital, discusses how the continued development of Vietnam’s economy has created a broader range of opportunities for private equity investors
Shaw Kwei seeks $800m for Asia fund
Shaw Kwei & Partners, a middle-market private equity firm that primarily focuses on the industrial, manufacturing and services sectors in Asia, is targeting $800 million for its fourth fund.
Vietnam investment: Familiar faces
Regional private equity firms are refocusing on Vietnam, widening the exit options for local GPs that specialize in bringing companies to scale. But sizeable deals are scarce and valuations are rising
Q&A: Armstrong Asset Management's Andrew Affleck
Andrew Affleck, managing partner of Singapore’s Armstrong Asset Management, explains the role private equity investors can play in developing renewable energy assets in Southeast Asia
Japan fundraising: Middle market momentum
Japan’s buyout space has been thrust into the spotlight following a flurry of fundraising activity by domestic private equity firms. Can the middle market retain its sweet spot status?
CLSA closes third Japan fund at $400m hard cap
CLSA Capital Partners (CLSA CP) has become the seventh private equity firm to close a Japanese mid-market fund since the start of the year, hitting the hard cap of $400 million for its third vehicle.
Iron Pillar reaches $20m first close on debut fund
Indian venture capital firm Iron Pillar Capital Management has reached a first close of INR1.3 billion ($20 million) on its debut India fund.
Polaris closes fourth Japan fund on $665m
Polaris Capital Group has hit the hard cap of JPY75 billion ($665 million) for its fourth Japan fund, becoming the third Japanese mid-market GP to announce a final close in the space of a week, and the sixth since the start of the year.
CVC appoints Sumitomo Mitsui executive as Japan president
CVC Capital partners has named Nobuaki Kurumatani, a former executive at Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, as the president of its Japan operations.
J-Star raises $291m for third Japan fund
J-Star has closed its third Japan-focused buyout fund at the hard cap of JPY32.5 billion ($291 million), having launched the vehicle last summer with a target of JPY30 billion.
Private to public: Indonesia taps PE talent for government
Saratoga Capital's Sandiaga Uno is the latest Indonesian PE professional to enter public service following his election as deputy governor of Jakarta. This trend is a function of a relatively shallow talent pool
Fund focus: ClearVue brings consumer clarity
Having raised $362 million for its second fund, and diversifying its LP base in the process, Chinese GP ClearVue Partners has proved there is appetite for consumer sector specialists that have the right skill sets
ClearVue raises $362m for China consumer fund
ClearVue Partners has closed its second China consumer-focused fund at $362 million, having received commitments from institutional LPs including several global fast-moving consumer goods companies.
Integral closes third Japan mid-market fund at $670m
Integral Group has closed its third Japan mid-market buyout fund at the hard cap of JPY73 billion ($670 million), with domestic LPs accounting for approximately three quarters of the corpus.

