LPs
Japan's Tokio Marine closes Fund V at $466m
Tokio Marine Capital has reached a final close of JPY51.7 billion ($466 million) on its fifth Japan mid-market fund on the back of strong support from domestic LPs, notably regional banks.
Asia fundraising: Retail channels
Private equity firms keen to diversify their LP bases are looking to establish relations with Asia’s high net worth segment, and the private banks and wealth managers who facilitate access to this community
KKR secures $5.8b first close on third Asian fund
KKR has reached a first close of just under $5.8 billion on its third pan-Asian fund. The vehicle has an institutional hard cap of $8.5 billion, with a further $700 million in commitments from the firm’s balance sheet and management team.
LP interview: Adveq
Active in Asia for about two decades, fund-of-funds Adveq has a preference for China and India, and a relatively strong bias towards VC. Jun Qian, head of China investment, explains what he wants in a GP
Secondaries: A cautionary tale
Cracks have appeared in the secondary transactions through which Standard Chartered Private Equity had sought to secure its future, underlining the challenges for investors of bank-led deals
Australia's Vantage achieves first close on fund-of-funds
Vantage Asset Management has reached a first close of A$20 million ($15.2 million) on its third Australia-focused fund-of-funds. The vehicle, which launched in February 2016, has an overall target of A$100 million.
LPs going direct: In the shadows
While appetite for co-investment among LPs continues unabated, the notion of going solo on deals is more talked about than acted on in Asia. But shadow capital still poses a threat to managers
Fund focus: Pioneer sees PE come of age in New Zealand
Pioneer Capital sees the closing of its third fund at the hard cap of $180 million as confirmation that private equity in New Zealand has become more mainstream
Fund focus: Apis seeks to make specialization count
Apis is relying on its team's financial services expertise and networks to deliver the goods in South Asia and Africa. LPs have given them $287 million with which to prove the thesis
Institutional investors and private equity: Cracks in the ice?
Competition is intense at the upper end of the global buyout space, with abundant dry powder and readily available debt pushing up valuations. LPs are keen to allocate to the asset class, but will they end up disappointed?
Dual currency fundraising: Servant of two masters
A resurgence in renminbi fundraising has prompted GPs best known for US dollar funds to enter the local currency market. Addressing conflicts of interest in an increasingly complex industry will prove difficult
KKR sets $8.5b hard cap for Asia fund, schedules first close
KKR has set an institutional hard cap of $8.5 billion for its third pan-Asian fund, with the total expected to reach $9.2 billion including commitments from the firm’s balance sheet and management team. A substantial first close – of around half the hard...
Industry players warn of conflicts in evolving GP-LP relationship - AVCJ Forum
Institutional investors globally are looking to reduce the number of GPs in their portfolios with a view to writing bigger checks for – and having deeper relationships with – a smaller number of managers, but this lack of diversification in the LP base...
LP interview: Tsinghua University Education Foundation
Tsinghua University Education Foundation is the first Chinese endowment fund to invest in private equity. It has developed a preference for managers with niche strategies
Family offices want flexible solutions from PE - AVCJ Forum
Australian family offices and high net worth individuals (HNWIs) represent a huge potential source of capital for private equity, but GPs must be flexible in terms of the products they offer.
Fund focus: ChrysCapital banks on reputation with Fund VII
Having fully realized its first four funds and returned more than 100% of the fifth, ChrysCapital had a strong exits story to tell in raising $600 million for Fund VII
Fund focus: Into the white space
The arrival of Odyssey Private Equity – a collaborative effort by former executives from two of Australia’s best known GPs – once again draws attention to the hole in Australia’s lower middle market
HPEF strikes incentive deal with LPs over Asia fund
HPEF Capital Partners – formerly known as Headland Capital Partners – has won LP approval for an incentive scheme that ties in a reconstituted team to manage the existing portfolio, and the principals still hold expectations of raising a successor fund...
Australia's Hostplus commits $65m to seed investor Artesian
Australian superannuation fund Hostplus has committed A$85 million ($65 million) to local seed investor Artesian, taking the venture capital firm’s funds under management to more than A$150 million.
Cost conundrum: Super funds, fees and private equity
Australian regulators want greater consistency in how superannuation funds report costs and fees to members. While sound in principle, the draft measure is problematic in practice, especially for private equity
The hybrids: GPs seek to work with Australian family offices
Australia’s lower middle market is rich in investment opportunities but underpenetrated by private equity. Local family offices are increasingly keen on participating, although in their own way
Singapore's Temasek opens San Francisco office
Singapore’s Temasek Holdings has opened an office in San Francisco, expanding its US presence following the establishment of a New York office in 2014.
Azerbaijan fund commits $100m to e-Shang Redwood's Japan vehicle
Azerbaijan’s state oil fund (SOFAZ) has agreed to invest $100 million in a Japan-focused logistics vehicle being raised by e-Shang Redwood (ESR), a pan-Asian logistics services company that has a string of private equity backers.
Unigestion acquires European rival Akina
Switzerland-based wealth management firm and PE fund-of-funds Unigestion has acquired the Europe-focused private equity business of its rival Akina Partners.