Industry
Fund focus: Welkin finishes institutional upgrade
The closing of Welkin Capital's second fund sees the GP pairing a formalized PE investment approach with the industry connections forged in its family office origins
GP-led secondaries: Stigmatized no more
Traditionally perceived as a recourse for private equity firms in trouble, GP-led secondary transactions are starting to be used by brand-name managers as a liquidity solution for LPs
Fund focus: OrbiMed scales up for Fund III
US-based healthcare specialist investor OrbiMed once again raises the bar with the closing of its oversubscribed third Asia fund
Profile: Quadria Capital's Abrar Mir
Following a happenstance job placement in healthcare investment, Abrar Mir developed a passion for the sector’s science and ethics. This underpinned the creation of Asia-focused Quadria Capital
ADB re-ups in OrbiMed's Asia healthcare fund
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has invested $60 million in OrbiMed Asia Partners III, the third Asian private equity fund of healthcare-focused GP OrbiMed.
Korea, Singapore launch cross-border healthcare incubator
Singapore investor Golden Equator Capital and Korean research organization C&R Healthcare Global have jointly launched an incubation program that will help Korean healthcare start-ups execute Asian expansions via Singapore.
High valuations push Australian LPs up the infrastructure risk curve
Australian institutional investors are responding to rising valuations in the core infrastructure space by moving up the risk curve into more opportunistic assets – and domestic pricing pressure is also expected to lead to higher emerging markets allocations....
Malaysia Debt Ventures tech fund to invest up to $954m
Government-owned Malaysia Debt Ventures (MDV) has launched its third fund with a view to investing up to MYR4 billion ($954 million) in technology companies across the next 20 years.
IFC considers commitment to China's GenBridge
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has proposed an investment of up to $25 million in the debut fund of GenBridge Capital, a private equity firm set up by former executives from JD.com and TPG Capital that focuses on China’s consumer sector....
Regulators seek to curb initial coin offerings
Start-up fundraisings via the sale of cryptographic tokens, also known as initial coin offerings (ICO), are set to experience elevated legal enforcement risk in Asia following regulatory pressure in China and Hong Kong.
Q&A: Bain Capital Credit's Barnaby Lyons
Barnaby Lyons, managing director and head of Asia at Bain Capital Credit, discusses the opportunities available in the region’s private credit space and the changing attitudes of investors toward the space
China outbound M&A: Within the rules
Changes to China's overseas M&A guidance could mean changes for investors in the country seeking to purchase foreign assets
GP-LP: Dangerous liaisons
A diverging supply-demand dynamic in private equity fundraising is threatening the GP-LP alignment of interest. Concessions on both sides are needed in the interests of long-term stability
Bain reaches $557m first close on Asia special situations fund
Bain Capital Credit has reached a first close of $557 million on its Asia-focused special situations fund.
China's Withinlink seeks $30m for VC fund
China-based start-up incubator and early-stage investor Withinlink is targeting $30 million for its second venture capital fund to help US companies enter the Chinese market.
OrbiMed closes third Asia healthcare fund at $551m
Healthcare-focused investment firm OrbiMed has closed its third Asian private equity fund with $551 million in commitments.
Eight Roads launches $250m China healthcare fund
Eight Roads Ventures, the proprietary investment arm of Fidelity International, has launched its debut China healthcare fund worth $250 million. All the capital comes from the firm's parent.
Asia Pacific pension fund assets hit $3.7t
Assets held by the largest pension funds and sovereign wealth funds in Asia Pacific increased 7% year-on-year – outpacing the global growth rate of 6.1% - to $3.7 trillion in 2016 on the back of strong, though volatile, equities markets.
China's Qingsong raises $129m early-stage tech fund
Qingsong Fund, a Chinese VC firm formed by Alvin Liu, an angel investor and co-founder of Tencent Holdings, has closed its third renminbi-denominated fund at RMB850 million ($129 million).
Chinese investor commits $63m to Australia incubator
Suzhou High-Tech Venture Capital Group, a Chinese state-backed investment fund, has committed A$80 million ($63 million) to a start-up incubator based in Melbourne.
Korean fintech: Financial times
Korea’s financial technology sector is affording start-ups disruption opportunities based on an outdated infrastructure environment. Early movers are experimenting with a number of business models
DSG closes India, Southeast Asia consumer fund at $50m
DSG Partners Asia, which targets early-stage consumer opportunities in India and Southeast Asia, has closed its second fund at the hard cap of $50 million. Everstone Capital bought a 50% stake in the GP last year.
Korea securities firms: Brokerage bonanza
Korean securities firms are building PE teams with a view to raising capital from third-party investors. There is government support for these efforts, but independent GPs aren’t worried about increased competition
Korean middle market: Up the ladder
Interest from foreign LPs in Korea’s middle-market is rising, but the segment is still dominated by domestic institutional investors. Changes to this dynamic are unlikely to arrive soon