Industry
Portfolio: New Horizon Capital and Tachikichi
New Horizon Capital has turned around ceramics maker Tachikichi by emphasizing its unique connections to Japanese culture. Now the GP hopes that strategy can take the company beyond its old restraints
Myanmar PE: Back to the future
Myanmar’s relatively abrupt transformation from impoverished pariah to upbeat high-growth investment target has resulted in some interesting challenges for private equity and venture capital
China SOE reform: No change?
The mixed ownership model that features in China’s latest push on state-owned enterprise reform sounds exciting in theory but some private equity investors must revise their expectations in practice
Micro VC: Small is beautiful
Asia's micro VC segment is gaining appeal as diversity among fund managers grows
SoftBank's embattled COO Nikesh Arora to step down
Nikesh Arora, the president and COO of Japanese technology conglomerate SoftBank and the presumptive successor of CEO Masayoshi Son, will step down from his positions at the company.
NewQuest closes Fund III at $540m
Direct secondaries specialist NewQuest Capital Partners has reached a final close of its third fund at the hard cap of $540 million, increasing it from the original hard cap of $520 million in order to accommodate investor demand.
Indian government announces FDI liberalization
India's government will allow unlimited foreign direct investment (FDI) in a wide range of sectors, including online grocery.
AVCAL calls for reforms ahead of Australian election
The Australian Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (AVCAL) is urging major political parties to do more to help scale up domestic companies ahead of a federal election next month.
Tax law eased for Indian start-up investments
India's Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has implemented an exemption on income taxes for investments in some start-ups.
Shenzhen Hepalink commits $60m to TPG biotech fund
Chinese drug maker Shenzhen Hepalink Pharmaceutical has agreed to commit $60 million to TPG Capital’s latest biotech fund.
IFC to support Abraaj's $200m Pakistan fund
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has proposed investing up to $20 million in a Pakistan-focused fund being raised by The Abraaj Group. The vehicle has an overall target of $200 million.
China search giant Baidu launches $303m media fund
Baidu, China's leading internet search provider, has set up a RMB2 billion ($303 million) fund that will support the production of at least 30 movies over the next two years.
India's Lok Capital reaches $40m first close on third fund
Indian venture capital firm Lok Capital has reached a first close of $40.5 million for its third fund, which is targeting a $100 million total corpus within 12-18 months.
Japan fundraising: Stronger sentiment
A host of Japanese GPs are either in the market with new funds or preparing to enter it. Industry participants are optimistic that the process will be smoother than last time around
Omidyar in $20m round for Indian venture debt player
Intellegrow Finance, a non-banking financial company (NBFC) and venture debt lender that targets small and growing businesses in India, has raised INR1.34 billion ($20 million) from investors including existing backer Omidyar Network.
Hamilton Lane closes $210m global credit fund
Hamilton Lane has raised $210 million for a credit-focused strategic opportunities fund, exceeding the initial target of $150 million.
Q&A: J-Star's Gregory Hara
Gregory Hara, CEO and managing partner of J-Star, discusses the global opportunities available for smaller Japanese manufacturers and the importance of setting clear goals for portfolio companies
Japan's middle market: Simmering prosperity
GPs are finding opportunity in Japan’s economic stagnancy and dramatic demographic trends, but embracing this massive market will require a sharper focus on planning, as well as patience and poise
Golden Gate closes $60m SE Asia VC fund
Singapore-based Golden Gate Ventures has closed its second early-stage venture fund focused on Southeast Asia at $60 million.
Indian regulator nixes acquisition of PE-backed Sharekhan
India's Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) has rejected BNC Paribas' proposed acquisition of PE-backed retail brokerage Sharekhan.
Japanese LPs: Glacier effect
There is growing interest among Japanese institutional investors for exposure to alternatives. However, this doesn’t mean commitments will come quickly, or go to private equity first
Singapore's CapitaLand launches VC unit
Singapore real estate developer CapitaLand has set up a dedicated VC unit – known as C31 Ventures – to support global tech start-ups. This comes after the company received funding under the early stage venture fund program (ESVF) to make investments within...
Korea's KIC appoints new CIO
Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) has named Shin-Woo Kang, most recently CEO of Hanwa Asset Management, as its new CIO. He replaces Heung-Sik Choo, who stepped down in February after less than two years in the job.
China's Chenhui Capital, Lancy Group launch Sino-Korean fund
Chinese GP Chenhui Venture Partners have teamed up with one of its LP – Shenzhen-listed company Lancy Group – to create a Sino-South Korea PE fund that will invest in consumer and technology companies.