Investments
Japan buyouts: Bucking the trend
Japan remains a private equity hotspot despite muted buyout activity elsewhere in Asia. Take-private and sponsor-to-sponsor opportunities make for a more textured local market
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.
Southeast Asia VC: Drought survivors
As weaker sentiment for technology risk cools venture capital markets globally, Southeast Asia is lagging in limbo. Investors remain bullish but continue to hold their fire amidst questions around valuations
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).
Hong Kong: Action on innovation
Efforts to turn Hong Kong into a technology ecosystem are still at an early stage. Investors and start-up founders believe many of the ingredients are there, but the recipe can be flawed or ignored
4Q analysis: Who wants China?
Pan-regional GPs get traction by highlighting their Asia ex-China credentials; buyouts rebound as growth capital – and China – continue to recede; India impresses with bumper exit proceeds
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.
Southeast Asia tech: Resilient with an asterisk
Southeast Asia’s booming tech space no longer lends itself to an easy narrative. As start-up fever cools globally, the region charges forward. Cracks are beginning to show but so are counterintuitive bright spots
Japan VC: Late-stage crossroads
Japan’s late-stage technology start-ups are finally beginning to attract meaningful attention from global investors. They should not pop open the champagne
1Q analysis: Monetising managers
Baring Asia and PAG underline the value of their management entities; exits slump amid uncertainty; BGH Capital, renminbi GPs shore up fundraising; investment fails to extend the late 2021 flourish
4Q analysis: Record quarter, record year
China rebounds as Asia private equity investment ends 2021 with a bang; bright spots in improving fundraising environment; sponsor-to-sponsor exits thrive while PE-backed IPOs stumble
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.
2022 preview: Blockchain
A broader range of investors will play in the blockchain space as new applications are normalized, although regulation remains the wildcard. Developing markets will punch above their weight
2022 preview: Japan VC
Japanese VC is growing up fast and looking a little less homogenous in the process. A longstanding growth-stage gap is about to disappear as new actors file in
2022 preview: Healthcare
Healthcare’s high-cost, rapidly digitizing profile will persist regardless of how COVID-19 plays out in the coming years. China appears set for consolidation, including in biotech
2022 preview: India tech
As India’s technology sector balloons, investors are balancing confidence about fundamentals with expectations of pushback. Both will play out in 2022 to some extent
2021 in review: Boom time
Cheap debt and a desire for assets that deliver technology-driven growth have propelled Asia private equity investment to new highs and supported a resurgence in exits. But fundraising still fails to convince
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.
Taiwan start-ups: Leaving the factory
Taiwan’s industrials-focused venture capital and start-up ecosystem has tilted noticeably toward consumer software in the past year. Nevertheless, the traditional heavyweights are indispensable
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.
