LPs
LGT closes fourth Asia fund-of-funds at $1b
LGT Capital Partners has closed its fourth Asia Pacific fund-of-funds at the hard cap of $1 billion. It had initially targeted a final close in October 2020.
US tech regulation: Green card or red card?
Compliance with US regulations on foreign investment in critical technologies is forcing Chinese VC players to examine their fund structure and governance as well as their deployment strategies
Family offices: The IT crowd
Asia's family offices have benefited by going big on growth capital and venture, leveraging technology trends in the region. However, not all family money is smart money
Japan's GPIF reappoints Hiro Mizuno as CIO
Hiro Mizuno (pictured) has been reappointed CIO of Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) following the conclusion of his first term leading the world’s largest retirement savings pool at the end of September.
Operational due diligence: Query parameters
Institutional investors are taking a closer look at the back-office operations of fund managers in what appears to be a new normal for GP-LP relations. Service providers are circling
Asian family offices lead on performance, growth capital exposure
Family offices in Asia Pacific and emerging markets were the strongest performers globally last year and they are also leading the charge into venture and growth-oriented investments, according to UBS and Campden Wealth’s latest global family office...
China's CIC prioritizes direct investment, bilateral funds
China Investment Corporation (CIC) is stepping up its private equity co-investment and direct investment activity – including through the establishment of bilateral cross-border funds – as it seeks to boost returns in increasingly unstable global...
LPs and infrastructure: Custom connections
LPs are mixing up their approaches to infrastructure as shifts in supply-demand dynamics converge with increased specialization requirements in next-generation projects. Asia remains the unproven goldmine
Australian superfund consolidation to alter private markets strategies
Australia’s pension market is ripe for consolidation, which will see the emergence of a handful of mega superannuation funds that leverage their scale to bring more investment activity in-house, according to leading industry participants.
LP interview: CalSTRS
Keen to reduce investment costs, California State Teachers’ Retirement System is changing the way it works with managers. Co-investment, joint ventures and stakes in GPs are priorities for private markets
TCDRS backs Baring's latest Asia fund
Texas County & District Retirement System (TCDRS) has committed up to $100 million to Baring Private Equity Asia’s seventh pan-regional fund.
Future Fund stresses risk-reward balance in private market strategies
Institutional investors “should be thoughtful about balancing risk and reward” as they deploy more capital into private markets that present liquidity and valuation challenges, according to the deputy CIO of Australia’s Future Fund.
CDC appoints direct equity managing director
CDC Group has named Tony Morgan (pictured), formerly a managing director at Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) as a managing director responsible for direct equity.
China secondaries: Curious conversions
An exit lag and difficulties raising money for renminbi funds in China has created a novel opening for secondaries investors comfortable moving assets from one currency to another
LPs warn of co-investment risks - AVCJ Forum
The boom in LP appetite for co-investment has made it harder to secure access to deals and created adverse selection risk as private equity firms push beyond their comfort zone, investors told the AVCJ Korea Forum.
Myron Zhu joins Manulife with expansion mandate
Manulife Investment Management has appointed Myron Zhu (pictured), formerly co-head of PE at Aberdeen Standard Investments, as its head of Asia private markets based in Hong Kong.
Australia's Future Fund hires TPG executive
Future Fund has appointed Sid Khotkar, who has spent the past 12 years working for TPG Capital in Australia, as a director in its private equity team.
Women in PE: Change on the agenda
As the private equity industry continues to formalize its approach to gender diversity, deep cultural changes will define the difference between best intentions and best practice
Women in VC: Crashing the gates
VC firms are increasingly serious about identifying and elevating prospective female talent, but the industry’s culture has a long way to go before women can feel truly valued and contribute their best work
Women in PE: Mind the gap
Gender diversity within private equity is an increasing priority for LPs and GPs alike. Addressing problems around the recruitment and retention of women requires fundamental changes in culture and mindset
Q&A: CalSTRS' Chris Ailman
Chris Ailman, CIO of California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS), discusses why – and how – private equity managers should be placing greater emphasis on diversity
LP interview: Media Super
Media Super has distinguished itself among larger competitors in Australia by maintaining substantial exposure to alternatives. PE is fading from the allocation mix but VC beckons
Exit strategy: Good timing
KKR helps make the argument for realizing early exits when it supports a fundraising process, but LP reactions to this approach remain a mix of approval, suspicion and resignation
Texas Teachers targets Asia growth with proposed Singapore office
Teacher Retirement System of Texas wants to use its planned Singapore base as a means of gaining direct access to private investments in the region – although the pension fund’s CIO said penetrating Asia would likely take longer than an earlier push...
