Industry
Leveraged lenders seek common ground
Australia’s banks have proposed a standard set of rules on who can do what in the event of a default. They say it will stimulate the mezzanine market but junior lenders claim the measures are too restrictive
Australian venture capitalists face commercialization obstacles
Entrepreneurs are brimming with ideas but Australia’s venture capital firms don’t have the capital to convert innovation into products. Government support has so far been piecemeal
Q&A: Archer Capital's Peter Wiggs
At a time when Australian GPs are seeing changes in everything from LP bases to exit options, Peter Wiggs, managing director of Archer Capital, says that a consistent investment strategy can pay dividends
Australian fundraisers feel the strain
Are changes in superannuation laws the cause or the scapegoat? Either way, Australia’s fundraising landscape is undergoing substantial change. Local GPs must choose between going offshore or going out of business
An Australian-Asian story
Australia is the exception in Asian private equity: a market in which buyouts are routine, leveraged finance is readily available and entry and exit activity is relatively transparent. It is, one is tempted to say, Japan without the intrigue and inscrutability....
HAO Capital to roll out its third USD fund
HAO Capital, a China-focused growth capital investor, plans to launch its third US dollar-denominated fund this year and also exit two portfolio companies through A-share listings.
China to include PE in new securities fund law
China is likely to introduce a revised securities fund law this year, which could classify private equity vehicles as a legal product subject to clearer regulations.
Western Australia moves forward on sovereign fund plans
The Western Australia government appears to have accelerated plans to set up a sovereign wealth fund to accrue a portion of the profits being generated by the region’s natural resources. Premier Colin Barnett mooted the prospect of a future fund that...
Sony, Toshiba get state funding for outbound investment
Sony Corp. and Toshiba Corp. will be the first companies to receive capital from a $100 billion government fund set up last year to finance overseas acquisitions and minimize the impact of a rising yen. The strength of Japan’s currency has hurt export...
Oak Investment backs Chinese online shopping engine
B5M, a Chinese shopping online platform, has raised $7.1 milion through a Series A funding round led by Oak Investment Partners and e-commerce platform operator Giosis Holdings.
CITIC Capital rolls out new VC fund
CITIC Capital, partly-owned by Chinese Investment Corp. (CIC) and CITIC Group, has reached a first close of $60 million for its new venture capital fund. The vehicle represents the private equity firm's first foray into VC.
IncuCapital backs EFactor's expansion in India
IncuCapital has reached an agreement to launch EFactor, a major global entrepreneurial community platform, in India, in a bid to generate business network opportunities for local entrepreneurs.
SEC files lawsuit against executives of Chinese coal company
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed a lawsuit against two Chinese executives from Puda Coal, accusing them of shifting its main asset to a third-party company and then selling a stake to CITIC Trust. Ming Zhao and Liping Zhu, chairman...
Asia's aspirational brands: It's how you pick 'em
Should we be surprised that L Capital, the private equity arm of luxury goods giant LVMH, thinks its Asia operations have the capacity to handle a $1 billion fund? Given the scale of consumer sector opportunities in the region, not really. But a more...
Abraaj acquires emerging markets SME specialist Aureos
When Omar Lodhi took charge of Abraaj Capital’s Asia business, the idea was to pursue organic growth. The private equity firm opened an office in Singapore early last year and then one in India, where it already had a joint venture with Sabre Capital...
Korea's LP problem
Both the GP and LP bases in South Korea are relatively narrow. Once fund managers have more to show for themselves in terms of track records, it will be easier to distinguish wheat from chaff
High India pharma valuations price PE firms out of the market
With strategic investors drawn to India’s rapidly growing pharma sector, private equity players must either go niche or get out
Q&A: Intel Capital's Keith Larson
Keith Larson, vice president and managing director for Intel Capital’s manufacturing sector investments, talks to AVCJ about how and where Asia is gaining an edge in the global technology space
Operating partners: The social network
Operating partners now form the backbone of most private equity firms, in a variety of different guises. Samena Capital’s take on this concept recognizes the importance of relationships in Asia
Asia, Middle East LPs put up 30% of BC Partners' buyout fund
Asian and Middle East investors contributed 30% of the capital for BC Partners’ latest European fund, which has closed at EUR6.5 billion ($8.6 billion) after 18 months in the market. LPs from these regions only accounted for 10% of the private equity...
MMI relies on US investors for $300m high-yield bond
KKR-owned MMI International successfully issued its $300 million high-yield bond, principally attracting interest from US investors due to their familiarity with the sector and the company’s customer base. The five-year non-call bond was priced at a yield...
Ojas Venture Partners backs Indian tech start-up BrizzTV
Indian technology start-up BrizzTV Media Lab has received Series A funding from Ojas Venture Partners, a VC firm that backs early stage technology-based businesses.
Abraaj Capital buys Aureos to boost emerging markets exposure
Abraaj Capital has acquired Aureos Capital, creating an entity with approximately $7.5 billion in assets under management and 150 investment professionals across 30 countries. The purchase enables Dubai-headquartered Abraaj, which focuses on the Middle...
Banyan Tree invests $15m in Dilip Buildcon
Banyan Tree Growth Capital, a $100 million private equity fund that provides capital to middle-market Indian firms, has invested INR750 million ($15 million) in Bhopal-based infrastructure company Dilip Buildcon.