Industry
Russia’s SWF assembles core management team
The Russia Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) has assembled its core management team with the appointment of five directors, a legal counsel and an adviser.
IAC’s Match.com invests in Chinese dating website
IAC-owned Match.com has purchased a 20% stake in Chinese dating website Zhenai Inc. Details of the transaction have not been disclosed.
RRJ invests in Chinese diaper manufacturer – report
RRJ Capital, the private equity firm set up former Goldman Sachs and Hopu Investment luminary Richard Ong, has teamed up with CK Life Sciences to invest $80 million in Chinese baby diaper manufacturer AAB, Reuters reported, citing a source with direct...
Regulators to address Hana's KEB offer after Lone Star court ruling
South Korean regulators will review whether Hana Financial may purchase Korea Exchange Bank (KEB) from Lone Star following a court ruling addressing allegations that the embattled US buyout manipulated KEB’s stock price in 2003 to gain a higher valuation...
Ping An granted PE investment license
Ping An Insurance, China’s second-largest insurer, has been granted a regulatory license to raise private equity and real estate funds.
TPG, Northstar in cross-investment deal
What does it say about the shifting sands in private equity when an Asian GP is able to get a stake in a global buyout firm? Indonesia-based Northstar Pacific has achieved just that through a cross-investment deal with TPG. The US firm will take 10-20%...
Chinese outbound M&A: Unfamiliar territory
Ever more Chinese firms are engaging in overseas M&A, with varying degrees of success. Prospective sellers must be aware of the risks as well as the opportunities
PE partnerships – A route into Indonesia
The recently announced TPG-North Star Pacific share swap got me thinking about collaboration between private equity firms. Global PE players have been using local funds to gain access to new markets for some time now, and quite a few have committed capital...
Abu Dhabi Investment Authority to boost PE exposure
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) is scaling up its private equity activities with a view to doubling its headcount in this area, The Al Arabiya News reported, citing sources familiar with the situation. The sovereign wealth fund currently has...
Buyout firms structure Australia investments through Singapore
Singapore has emerged as the preferred conduit for private equity firms looking to enter and exit investments in Australia from offshore. CHAMP Private Equity and TPG are understood to be among those to have set up Singapore structures in the wake of...
Clearwater raises $200m, targets $900m for Asia fund
Clearwater Capital Partners has so far raised $200 million for its fourth Asia ex-Japan fund, which will target special situations investments in public and private debt and equity. The company is aiming for a final close of around $900 million, a source...
US court widens collusion probe of 2005-2007 mega deals
The mega “club deals” between some of the big global buyout firms during the 2005-2007 boom period have been put under wider scrutiny in a US antitrust lawsuit. The four-year-old case accuses 11 firms, including Blackstone Group and KKR, of colluding...
PE investment outpaces IPO fundraising by 60% in last six years - report
Private equity and venture capital investment in India reached nearly $50 billion in the last six years compared to $31 billion raised through IPOs during the period, according to a report published by Grant Thornton and the Indian Private Equity and...
Hudson plans China's largest RMB cleantech fund
US buyout firm Hudson Clean Energy Partners, which has $1 billion in assets under management, is planning to raise its first renminbi-denominated fund. It is being touted as the largest cleantech investment vehicle in China despite the fund’s target...
Regulators to rule on Lone Star's KEB case next month
South Korean regulators are slated to make a final ruling on October 6 regarding allegations that US buyout firm Lone Star manipulated Korea Exchange Bank’s (KEB) stock price in 2003 to gain a higher valuation for its exit.
Sarona commits $3.5m to Aureos' Southeast Asian fund
The Sarona Frontier Markets Fund I has committed $3.5 million to the Aureos South-East Asia Fund II, a $250 million vehicle targeting Southeast Asia’s small-to-mid-cap businesses.
AVCAL releases private equity governance code
The Australian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (AVCAL) has released a governance code designed to improve transparency in the private equity industry. The code is intended to formalize industry best practice and all AVCAL members will be...
Aditya Birla nears second fund close
The PE division of Indian financial services group Aditya Birla Group, Aditya Birla Capital Advisors, has reached a first close on its second private equity vehicle, Sunrise Fund, at INR2.2 billion ($48 million).
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...
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...
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
With the auction of the government’s stake in Woori Financial Group stalled again, questions are being asked about the compatibility of banks and private equity in Korea
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.