Industry
VIDEO: Shearman & Sterling's Lorna Chen
Foreign-backed renminbi funds are likely to struggle to raise capital in China after the regulator decreed that such vehicles don’t qualify for local treatment for investment purposes, says Lorna Chen, a partner at Shearman & Sterling
KKR fund among AIFs to operate in India under new route
KKR’s India Alternate Credit Opportunities Fund is among seven alternative investment funds (AIFs) that have been approved by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
CalPERS invests $530m in two China-focused property funds
The California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) has committed $530 million to two China-focused real estate funds run by ARA Asset Management, a Singapore-listed affiliate of Cheung Kong Holdings.
GGV receives commitments of $509m for fund IV
GGV Capital, the US and China-focused venture capital investor, has raised $508.9 million for its fourth fund. In addition to the main fund, the VC firm has attracted $10.8 million for a side vehicle known as GGV Capital IV Entrepreneurs Fund.
Origo secures $60m for China cleantech fund, targets first close by year end
Origo Partners, a London-listed private equity investor focused exclusively on China, has received $60 million in commitments for a $200 million fund targeting cleantech companies.
Mercer boosts Asia wealth management team
Mercer has appointed Edmund Teo to lead its wealth management team in Asia, providing research, advisory and portfolio management services to banks, insurers and other financial services organizations in the region. Pierre DeGagne also joins as a principal...
Middletons and K&L Gates mull merger
Australian law firm Middletons is in discussions with global player K&L Gates about a potential merger. It would create a firm of more than 2,000 lawyers in 45 offices throughout Australia, Asia, and the Middle East, the Americas and Europe.
Adveq establishes third Asia office
Adveq has opened an office in Hong Kong, its third in the region. The move comes after the asset manager announced plans in January to increase its investment in China to RMB3.5 billion ($554 million) over the next two years.
China slowdown hampers emerging markets fundraising, investment
Fundraising by private equity firms focused on emerging markets reached $17.2 billion in the first six months of 2012, or nearly half of the $38.5 billion raised in 2011 as a whole, with a spike in emerging Europe counterbalancing a slowdown in China....
PCCW to invest $25m in Vision Knight Capital
PCCW, Hong Kong’s biggest telecommunications operator, said in a statement to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange that it may invest as much as $25 million in Vision Knight Capital, a private equity fund co-founded by David Wei, former CEO of Alibaba.com.
Blackstone offers Chinese version of website
Visitors to global buyout giant The Blackstone Group’s website will now be able to access content in Chinese, as well as in English and Japanese.
Tata Capital in talks with PFC to launch $1b PE fund
Tata Capital is reportedly in talks with India’s Power Finance Corporation (PFC) to launch a $1 billion private equity energy fund. The private equity player will own 49% of the joint venture, with the remainder held by PFC. Around $300 million is expected...
Shareholder revolt at Actis-backed Halonix - report
Shareholders at halogen bulb and lamp manufacturer Halonix have reportedly complained to India’s market regulators that the company has violated the country’s Foreign Exchange Management Act.
Armstrong announces first close of cleantech fund on $65m
Singapore-based clean energy investor Armstrong Asset Management has announced a first close on $65 million for its maiden fund, which will focus on clean energy projects across Southeast Asia.
Yimou Zhang sets up $315m personal film fund - report
Leading Chinese filmmaker Yimou Zhang has reportedly been raising a private equity fund with Kunhong Media, a private investment manager focusing on the entertainment industry, in the last six months. The target size of the fund is RMB2 billion ($315...
GLOBIS establishes Singapore subsidiary
GLOBIS, the Japanese venture capital firm, has established Globis Singapore, a subsidiary that will provide companies with management training and organizational development solutions.
China oil trader agrees to buy control of Warburg-sued Titan
China's Guangdong Zhenrong Energy, an oil and commodity trader partly owned by state-run Zhuhai Zhenrong Corp, has agreed to pay HK$175 million ($22.57 million) for a controlling stake in Hong Kong-listed Titan Petrochemicals, a debt-laden shipping and...
Capsquare eyes early-stage Indonesia
There's little doubt that Indonesia is the flavor of the month in private equity circles at present, but questions remain over deal access. Information on private companies is sparse, local relationships rule, entrepreneurs are wary of selling equity...
Philippines launches first infra fund
The decision to become the first-ever Philippines-dedicated infrastructure fund can’t have been easy one. As with any vehicle, a number of criteria needed to be in place to ensure the success of the Philippine Investment Alliance for Infrastructure (PINAI)....
China grants private equity an A-share investment platform
China’s securities regulator has loosened restrictions on participation in the Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (QFII) program and opened the door to private equity firms. Do they want to go through it?
Asia's first secondary real estate trading platform launches
Asia Pacific’s first trading platform for buyers and sellers of secondary interests in real estate funds was launched this week by Jones Lang LaSalle.
Offshore investors: Leap into the unknown
With commitments from domestic LPs easing off, Australian, Japanese and Korean GPs are looking to raise capital from overseas investors. They are entering new territory and some are better prepared than others
History lessons of PE in Asia
With 2012 marking the 25th anniversary of the AVCJ Hong Kong Forum – and, give or take a year, the Asian Venture Capital Journal itself – we have been taking a trip down memory lane for some special content to be released later in the year. This involves...
PE a key focus for institutions investing in Asia – survey
Institutions investing in Asia plan to make private equity and other alternative assets a key focus, according to a new survey.