Investments
Generative AI in due diligence: Crunching new numbers
Private equity is rediscovering artificial intelligence as a due diligence tool in the wake of ChatGPT. Data security, legal, and technical risks have curbed uptake somewhat, less so for venture
Australia's Challenger Funds acquires stake in Proterra Asia
Challenger Funds Management, one of the largest active asset managers in Australia, has acquired a stake in Singapore-based PE firm Proterra Investment Partners Asia from Australia’s Pacific Current Group.
Global PE sees fundraising, performance contraction - McKinsey
Global private equity fundraising contracted 15% in 2022 as McKinsey & Company’s latest private markets annual review painted a bleak picture of the asset class, noting that one-year performance entered negative territory for the first time since 2008....
Malaysia's Khazanah launches start-up programme
Malaysian sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional has launched a VC collaboration and start-up investment programme with an initial MYR 180m (USD 40m).
Labour shortages: Tales from north and south
Australia and Japan are facing extreme labour shortages. In the former, GPs can survive on policy support and emergency manoeuvres. In the latter, fundamental strategy shifts are a more immediate imperative
Dalma Capital buys Singapore's Global CIO Office
Dalma Capital Group, a Dubai-headquartered alternative investment management platform, has agreed to buy The Global CIO Office, a Singapore-based outsourced CIO business that primarily serves family offices.
GPs prioritise specialisation, value creation in Asia - AVCJ Forum
Asian private equity has moved on from chasing momentum plays, with GPs increasingly pursuing opportunities where they have domain expertise and know they can add value, the AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum heard.
Philippines venture builder, Ayala engineer health-tech merger
917Ventures, a corporate venture builder controlled by Philippines-based telecom operator Globe Group, has merged its KonsultaMD telehealth platform with assets held by Ayala Corporation to create a one-stop health super app.
North Asia buyout player MBK sells GP stake to Dyal
North Asia-focused buyout firm MBK Partners has sold a 12% GP stake to Dyal Capital Partners, a unit of US-based alternative investment firm Blue Owl that buys interests in third-party managers.
LP interview: Pictet
Switzerland-headquartered private bank Pictet is adding headcount in Asia – to assess investments as well as woo clients – as the introduction of new strategies increases exposure to the region
Australia's Five V sells GP stake
Australia-based Five V Capital has sold a 25% GP stake to Pinnacle Investment Management Group, a listed multi-affiliate platform investor that has interests in 14 Australian asset managers.
Investors see China regulatory turbulence as short-term - AVCJ Forum
Regulatory uncertainty overshadowing China's technology sector is a temporary phenomenon, investors told the AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum, while noting that targeting areas favored by the government remains a safe play.
Value-add needed to navigate consumer boom – AVCJ Forum
Investors are targeting consumer brands with strong fundamentals or overlooked expansion angles as part of efforts to avert spiking valuations, the AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum heard.
Energy transition to dominate private equity – AVCJ Forum
Energy transition, including innovation in power and transportation, will be the biggest investment theme in the decades to come, industry veterans told the AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum.
COVID-19 validates sector lens strategies – AVCJ Forum
COVID-19 has reinforced the argument for developing sectoral expertise that spans geographies, industry leaders told the AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum.
Investors get tough on diversity - AVCJ Forum
Investors are pressing GPs and portfolio companies to do more on gender and cultural diversity, pointing to evidence that greater parity boosts performance, the AVCJ ESG Forum heard.
Baring, Quadrant claim firm of the year prizes at AVCJ Awards
Baring Private Equity Asia (BPEA) and Quadrant Private Equity won the firm of the year prizes at the 2021 AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Capital Awards, as KKR and NewQuest Capital Partners secured two victories apiece, and Weijian Shan received the AVCJ...
Deal focus: Southeast Asia's four-trick credit pony
Advance Intelligence Group has used its core risk assessment technology to expand into lending and e-commerce transaction finance and services. Membership of Southeast Asia’s unicorn club is its reward
Deal focus: Investors flock to SaaS specialist Ones
China’s Ones aspires to become Atlassian rather than Slack, catering to software developers working on complicated projects. Effective localization is partly responsible for a surge in VC investment
India's Dream Sports launches $250m corporate VC fund
Dream Sports, operator of India’s largest fantasy sports platform, has established a $250 million venture capital unit that will invest in sports, gaming, and fitness-tech start-ups nationwide.
GLP, Sequoia commit $800m to China's Harvest Capital
Harvest Capital, a China-based private equity firm that focuses on the consumer sector, has received a strategic investment of nearly $800 million from GLP – a regional logistics platform and investment manager- and Sequoia Capital China.
Japan's Advantage adds renewables strategy
Japan’s Advantage Partners has broadened its investment scope with the introduction of a renewables and sustainability strategy.
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.
Hillhouse agrees partnership with Jardines
Hillhouse Capital has teamed up with Asian conglomerate Jardine Matheson to pursue investment and business development opportunities in Greater China and Southeast Asia.