Industry
Taiwan regulator nixes Carlyle's EBC exit
The Carlyle Group appears to have hit a wall in its latest attempt to exit Taiwan TV station Eastern Broadcasting (EBC) as the National Communication Commission (NBC) blocked a sale to Taiwan Optical Platform, a local telecom services provider.
Placement agent First Avenue opens Korea office
Private funds and corporate placement agent First Avenue has opened an office in Seoul, adding to its existing Asia Pacific bases in Hong Kong and Sydney.
Fund focus: Gree widens its regional scope
For its $67 million second fund, Gree Ventures has added India to its existing Japan and Southeast Asia coverage with a view to facilitating wider cross-border collaboration
China's Lyfe Capital raises $420m for second healthcare fund
China-based healthcare specialist Lyfe Capital has raised more than $420 million for its second fund, which comprises parallel US dollar and renminbi-denominated tranches.
India demonetization: After the storm
In the aftermath of India’s demonetization policy, the direst predictions have failed to materialize. But the experience has also shown how little power PE firms have in some situations
Helion co-founder launches $100m India fintech fund
Rahul Chandra, co-founder and managing director at India-based Helion Venture Partners, is looking to raise $100 million for an early-stage fund. He will retain his existing portfolio management responsibilities at Helion.
AVCJ daily bulletin returns May 31
AVCJ's daily bulletin will not be published on Tuesday May 30 due to the public holiday in Hong Kong.
China's Bona Film forms $150m fund with US-based CAA
Chinese film distributor Bona Film Group, which is backed by a handful of PE and strategic investors, has teamed up with Hollywood talent agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA) to launch a $150 million film fund.
Artesian closes $19.5m Australian cleantech fund
Australian venture capital firm Artesian Venture Partners has raised A$26 million ($19.5 million) for a domestic clean energy fund with a A$10 million cornerstone investment from the government’s A$1 billion Clean Energy Innovation Fund.
Big beast: The SoftBank Vision Fund
SoftBank's global technology fund is significant enough to redraw the private equity investment opportunity in certain industries, if not to redraw the industries themselves
Japan's Gree Ventures closes second fund at $67m
Gree Ventures, which was set up by Japanese mobile gaming company Gree, has closed its second early-stage VC fund at $67 million.
Australia's CHAMP PE closes Fund IV at $547m
CHAMP Private Equity has reached a final close of A$735 million ($547 million) on its fourth Australia and New Zealand-focused fund.
IFC proposes $40m commitment to Kedaara's second India fund
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the investment arm of the World Bank, is considering a commitment of up to $40 million to the second India-focused fund of Kedaara Capital.
Frontline BioVentures merges with WuXi Ventures
Chinese healthcare specialists Frontline BioVentures and WuXi Healthcare Ventures have merged, forming a new investment firm called 6 Dimensions Capital.
SoftBank achieves $93b first close on global tech fund
SoftBank Group Corp. has reached a first close of more than $93 billion on its global technology investment fund. A final close of $100 billion is expected within six months.
CPPIB's Asia PE portfolio grows 24% to reach $9.9b
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) increased its exposure to Asian private equity by almost one quarter over the 12 months ended March 2017. The portfolio reached C$13.4 billion ($9.9 billion) as the pension plan made five direct investments...
Lightspeed China closes debut renminbi fund at $87m
Lightspeed China Partners has closed its first renminbi-denominated venture fund at RMB600 million ($87 million).
Arbor targets $220m for second VC fund, IFC set to invest
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is considering an investment of $15 million in Hong Kong-based Arbor Ventures’ second VC fund, which has an initial target of $220 million.
Vietnam: Improving sentiment
With regional and global GPs showing greater interest in Vietnam, local managers have an additional exit option - and an opportunity to show that country funds can perform across multiple cycles
China aerospace player launches $22b tech fund
China Aerospace Science & Technology Corporation (CASC) has launched a RMB150 billion ($22 billion) fund with a group of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to invest in new technologies.
Q&A: VinaCapital's Andy Ho
Andy Ho, managing director and CIO of VinaCapital, discusses how the continued development of Vietnam’s economy has created a broader range of opportunities for private equity investors
Shaw Kwei seeks $800m for Asia fund
Shaw Kwei & Partners, a middle-market private equity firm that primarily focuses on the industrial, manufacturing and services sectors in Asia, is targeting $800 million for its fourth fund.
Vietnam SOEs: Shifting ground
Vietnam’s state-owned enterprise (SOE) privatization initiative continues to produce investment opportunities, but private equity firms must be prepared for a hard sell when negotiating
CDIB hires senior team from SMC Capital
Three of the senior management team at SMC Capital China - a GP launched by Hong Kong-based Simon Murray & Company (SMC) - have left to join CDIB Capital, the PE arm of Taiwan’s China Development Financial.