Industry
1Q analysis: Barely disguised weakness
Government guidance funds in China and Toshiba Corporation in Japan papered over obvious cracks in Asia private equity fundraising and investment. Nothing could hide the pain around exits
Asia fundraising: To the grindstone
As macro uncertainties add red tape to fundraising processes and oblige some managers to operate on a deal-by-deal basis, the improvisational, survivalist nature of Asian private equity is on display
Deal focus: The SoftBank effect, one step removed
The new owners of SoftBank Ventures Asia are cut from the same cloth – and even come from the same family – as the VC firm’s corporate parent. They aspire to reconfigure Asia’s tech ecosystem
Q&A: Vitalbridge Capital's Jinjian Zhang
Jinjian Zhang, founder of Chinese VC firm Vitalbridge Capital, on addressing domestic turbulence, getting investors to reengage on China, and where he sees opportunities in Southeast Asia
Collyer seeks $100m for Southeast Asia fund-of-funds
Collyer Capital, a Singapore-based investment firm co-founded by Eric Marchand, formerly of Unigestion and Campbell Lutyens, is looking to raise around USD 100m for a Southeast Asia-focused fund-of-funds.
Australia's Glow hits first close on debut PE fund
Australian private equity firm Glow Capital Partners has reached a first close of AUD 55m (USD 37m) on its debut fund. The target is AUD 300m.
Australia's Square Peg adds partner
Australia-based Square Peg Capital has promoted James Tynan, a principal at the venture capital firm, to partner level. It brings the total number of partners to nine.
Kotak halts India fund-of-funds
Kotak Investment Advisors (KIAL) has halted fundraising for its latest fund-of-funds, citing the challenging investment environment.
India's Paragon raises $86m for Fund II
Indian middle market private equity firm Paragon Partners has closed its second fund on INR 7bn (USD 85.7m). It raised USD 120m in the previous vintage.
Australia's Crescent closes Fund VII on $670m
Crescent Capital Partners has closed its seventh Australia and New Zealand mid-market fund with AUD 1bn (USD 670m) in commitments.
Japan's Marunouchi Capital hits $303m first close on Fund III
Marunouchi Capital, a Japanese private equity firm controlled by Mitsubishi Corporation, has reached a first close of JPY 40.2bn (USD 303m) on its third fund.
ResponsAbility sets $450m hard cap for second Asia food fund
Swiss impact investor ResponsAbility has set the hard cap for its second South and Southeast Asia-focused sustainable food fund at USD 450m, having fully deployed Fund I across five investments.
Mistletoe founders to acquire SoftBank Ventures Asia
SoftBank Group has agreed to sell its captive VC unit, SoftBank Ventures Asia (SBVA), to a newly formed entity led by the team behind Japan-headquartered start-up incubation and investment platform Mistletoe.
Lightspeed China hits first close on renminbi fund
Lightspeed China Partners has returned to the renminbi funds space for the first time in seven years, reaching a first close of CNY 800m (USD 116m) on its latest local currency vehicle.
PAG cuts target size of Asia fund by one third
PAG has reduced the target size of its fourth pan-Asian buyout fund to USD 6bn from USD 9bn, according to Mergermarket, AVCJ's sister publication.
Coller launches $218m renminbi secondaries fund
Coller Capital has launched a renminbi secondaries fund with a target of CNY 1.5bn (USD 218m), confirming it has secured a first close of undisclosed size.
Fund focus: Iron Pillar takes India SaaS to the world
Iron Pillar has secured USD 129m for what it claims is the first India venture-growth fund dedicated to supporting local companies with global software and cloud infrastructure solutions
AVCJ daily bulletin returns April 11
AVCJ's daily bulletin is taking a short break for the Easter holiday. Publication will resume on April 11.
Gulf gambit: Asia GPs court Middle East LPs
As the Middle East becomes a focal point for private equity fundraising globally, Asia-based managers hope that macro trends work in their favour. Being the right size and the right strategic fit also helps
Profile: PENM Partners' Hans Christian Jacobsen
Hans Christian Jacobsen’s emerging markets experience spans Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. He ended up finding an appealing blend of growth, access, and stability in Vietnam
Japan's J-Star names three new partners
Japanese lower middle-market private equity firm J-Star has elevated three longstanding staff to partner, bringing the total number of partners to nine.
Japan's Fiducia hits second close on debut fund
Fiducia, a tech investor set up by the former private markets head of Japan Post Bank, has reached a second close of JPY 3.86bn (USD 29m) following a commitment from SBI Group.
Kotak reaches first close on second India special situations fund
Kotak Investment Advisors has reached a first close of USD 1.25bn on its second India-focused special situations fund against an overall target of USD 1.6bn.
Hopu Magnolia cuts fund target, seeks to delay final close
Hopu Magnolia, a growth capital unit of Chinese private equity firm Hopu Investment Management, has cut its planned new fund size to USD 250m, almost half of the original target.