Industry
KKR-backed Seven West Media looks into debt refinancing
Australia’s Seven West Media, which is part-owned by KKR, is assessing bank proposals to refinance up to A$2 billion ($2.1 billion) of debt. Sources familiar with the situation told Reuters that several banks have bid to underwrite 3-5 year funding packages....
CVC considers refinancing options for Nine Entertainment
CVC Asia Pacific is looking into refinancing options for up to A$3.5 billion ($3.7 billion) in debt on the books of portfolio company Nine Entertainment. Sources told Reuters that – contrary to earlier reports – the private equity firm is not yet in talks...
Private equity – it's all about the personalities
When I first joined AVCJ, I was told by my publisher Dan Schwartz that private equity is a people’s business. The full significance of these words didn’t hit home until sometime later, during the dotcom boom, when I saw how potent a mix of savvy investors...
PE firms struggle to secure Woori stake
It was the $6 billion question: Would the Korean government sell control of the country’s third-largest lender to a private equity firm? Had the answer been yes - and Korea Deposit Insurance Corp. (KDIC) exited Woori Financial Group to one of three local...
WestBridge looks to exit portfolio companies of yesteryear
WestBridge Capital – which was re-launched by its original founders in February - is looking to exit portfolio companies in which it invested prior to merging with Sequoia. According to India’s Business Standard, this includes stakes in Indecomm Global,...
Asia Pacific SWFs, public pension funds hold 25% of global AUM
Asia Pacific sovereign wealth funds and public sector pension funds now account for $3.2 trillion in assets under management, 25% of the global total.
Hony makes first QFLP investment
Hony Capital has made the first investment under Shanghai's Qualified Foreign Limited Partner (QFLP) program. The firm has reportedly agreed to invest in Shijiazhuang Hongray Group, a disposable gloves manufacturer. Financial details were not given.
IFC invests $29.6m in MFI Bandhan Financial
The International Finance Corp. (IFC), the investment arm of the World Bank, has acquired nearly 11% of microfinance firm Bandhan Financial Services for a reported INR1.35 billion ($29.6 million). The deal first came to light last month.
BofA sold CCB stake to Chinese consortium
China’s State Administration of Foreign Exchange, the National Social Security Fund and CITIC Securities have emerged as the buyers of the 5% stake in China Construction Bank (CCB) sold by Bank of America (BofA) for $8.3 billion, the Financial Times reported,...
Anacacia Capital fund named world's top performer
A vehicle launched by Australia’s Anacacia Capital has been named the top performing fund globally by Pensions and Investments magazine. Anacacia Partnership I, which closed in 2007, was judged to be the outstanding performer out of funds raised between...
Permira's top LP SVG Capital sees 25% rise in asset value
UK-based Permira Advisers’ most prominent LP SVG Capital has announced a 25% increase in its assets’ value in the first half of 2011. This was largely attributed to strong performances by Permira portfolio companies including Galaxy Entertainment Group...
Investigators seek details on all DE Shaw India deals – report
Indian investigators probing alleged foreign exchange irregularities relating to an investment made by DE Shaw have asked the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) for details of all domestic entities that received funding from the private equity...
NEA considering Flipkart investment - report
NEA, the US venture capital firm is considering an investment in Bangalore-based Flipkart, an online retailer of books, mobile phones and other consumer goods. Investment bankers familiar with the situation told The Business Standard that the company...
Korea Teachers Pension Fund to invest $50m in local PE, VC
The Korea Teachers Pension Fund (KTPF) reportedly plans to invest KRW54 billion ($50.7 million) in 3-5 domestic venture capital and private equity firms in September.
Innovation Works closes China internet fund at $180m
Innovation Works, the tech incubator started by Google’s former China head Kai-fu Lee, has closed its debut fund at $180 million. The vehicle, which specifically targets Chinese internet companies, was oversubscribed, the company said.
Australia's private equities continue to outperform public
Private equity in Australia outperformed public markets in the first quarter of 2011, continuing a trend that dates back nearly a year. The Australia Private Equity and Venture Capital Index (APEVC Index), published by Cambridge Associates, delivered...
Mongolia fund to make first investment by October
The Mongolia Opportunities Fund is looking to make its first investment by the end of October. Batsaihan B. Jamichoi, the former Uniqlo executive who started the fund, told Bloomberg that he is targeting infrastructure and service provider in the mining...
China Life to launch PE vehicle
China Life has become the first Chinese insurance company to be granted a license by domestic regulators to raise private equity and real estate funds. Under rules published by the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) last September, insurers...
Private equity's fashion fix
Fashionable women the world over aspire to own something – a handbag, a coat, a pair of leather pumps – by a designer of such legacy and prestige as Valentino. But in May 2007, global private equity investor Permira pulled the ultimate one-upmanship:...
Hahn & Company closes first fund
Hahn & Company, the South Korea-focused private equity firm founded by Scott Hahn, formerly Morgan Stanley Private Equity (MSPE) Asia’s (MSPEA) chief investment officer, has recorded a final close on its first fund, reaching the hard cap of $750 million....
Nominations are open for the AVCJ Awards 2011
As most of you will recall, we started the AVCJ Asian Private Equity & Venture Capital Awards back in 2001, when the region’s nascent private equity industry was going through a “nuclear winter,” picking up the pieces left by the dotcom bust. The awards...
Australia pursues Myer profits offshore
The Australian Tax Office (ATO) tells AVCJ that it can’t comment on an ongoing legal matter. This is unfortunate because no else understands how the country’s main revenue collector picks its fights – or what message it wants to send to foreign investors....
KKR among suitors for India's Future Group
KKR has emerged as one of the key suitors for Future Capital Holdings, the financial services division of India’s Future Group. It joins JP Morgan and Piramal, the healthcare, manufacturing and real estate conglomerate, according to Reuters.
Investors demand greater transparency from GPs - survey
Institutional investors are increasingly turning to private equity for returns, but they expect greater transparency from GPs. According to a survey report released by SEI in collaboration with Greenwich Associates, fund management need to demonstrate...