Industry
Temasek launches Asia impact fund
Singapore’s Temasek Holdings has set up a private equity fund that will make impact investments, primarily in developing Asia.
China-US tensions hinder PE fundraising, redraw investment options
Trade tensions between China and the US have held back private equity fundraising in recent months, but industry participants are also considering the long-term challenges – and opportunities – of a schism between the world’s two largest economies.
KKR hands advisory role to former Australian prime minister
Malcolm Turnbull, whose three-year tenure as prime minister of Australia ended in August of last year, has joined KKR as a global senior advisor.
China GPs target tech angles in consumer plays
All China consumer deals are now technology deals, but investors must back up this positioning with meaningful value-add capabilities in areas such as digital marketing and data analytics or risk being accused of embellishing a technology thesis for the...
Warburg Pincus seeks $4.25b for China, SE Asia fund - update
Warburg Pincus is targeting $4.25 billion for its second China companion fund, having officially added Southeast Asia to the mandate. The previous companion fund closed at $2 billion in late 2016 after three months in the market.
Legend Capital hires PV Wang, ups fundraising ambitions
Chinese venture capital firm Legend Capital has appointed Asia PE industry veteran Piau-Voon Wang (pictured) as a managing director and COO as part of efforts to institutionalize operations and diversify its LP base.
Singapore's EV Growth closes debut fund at $200m
Singapore-based EV Growth, a joint venture between East Ventures, Indonesia’s Sinar Mas Digital Ventures (SMDV) and Japan’s YJ Capital, has closed its first fund at $200 million.
China start-ups: Overtime
China’s start-up ecosystem is conforming to global norms by championing demanding work schedules, but companies must still consider ways to keep their employees suitably motivated
Food tech: Irresistible recipes
Food technology is a virtually endless horizon of profound and unignorable investment imperatives mistaken as a niche category. Alternative protein is the first opportunity set to gain serious traction
China-US trade: Opening gambit
Investors see short-term challenges in the ongoing China-US trade conflict, but longer-term opportunities are expected to emerge from the decoupling of the two economic giants
Singapore's VisVires launches $150m food tech fund
VisVires New Protein, a Singapore-based VC firm specializing in food technology, has launched its second fund with a target of $150 million. Fund I closed at $40 million in 2016.
Genesis starts Southeast Asia venture debt business
Sassoon Investment Corporation, the family office of the Sassoon family, and Indonesian bank CIMB Niaga have launched Genesis Alternative Ventures, a venture debt provider targeting start-ups in Southeast Asia.
Temasek-owned Azalea targets $600m from PE-backed bonds
Temasek Holdings-owned Azalea Asset Management is once again offering Singapore retail investors the opportunity to participate in private equity with plans to raise around $600 million through the sale of bonds backed by LP interests in funds.
LP interview: Natixis
Natixis Investment Managers is leveraging a novel affiliate-manager structure to grow fund exposure in Asia in a sustainable way. Alternatives, and increasingly private equity, are driving much of the progress
Governance standards: A matter of integrity
Traditionally the overlooked, underappreciated or misrepresented facet of ESG, governance is gaining prominence in emerging markets private equity as investors reassess risk exposure
China online education: Passing the test?
Capital has poured into China’s online education sector in recent years, but with losses mounting and valuations called into question, investors are finding that not all business models are created equal
Endiya reaches $40m first close of second India VC fund
Endiya Partners, an early-stage VC investor based in India, has achieved a first close of $40 million for its second fund. The target is $70 million.
PE-backed ESR closes Japan logistics fund at $1.8b
ESR, a pan-Asian logistics and fund management platform that was seeded by Warburg Pincus, has closed its latest Japan-focused fund at JPY200 billion ($1.8 billion).
Archipelago closes debut fund at $75m
Southeast Asia-focused private equity firm Archipelago Capital Partners has closed its debut fund at $75 million, and plans to raise a successor vehicle in 2020.
Everstone hires former Wipro co-head for IT investments
India’s Everstone Group has hired Suresh Vaswani (pictured), a former executive at Wipro, Dell, and IBM, as a senior director focused on investments in information technology (IT).
CPPIB increases co-investments, fund check sizes in Asia
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) closed a record nine direct private equity deals in Asia during the 2019 financial year, while writing down one of its largest existing co-investments in the region.
EMR launches third fund with $1.3b target
Australian resources-focused private equity firm EMR Capital has launched its third fund with a target of $1.3 billion.
Vietnam PE: Proving ground
Global investors are demonstrating a more consistent sense of confidence in Vietnam as record levels of IPO and private equity activity suggest the country has largely dispelled a reputation for volatility
Impact investment faces tricky path to standardization
Impact investing has reached a “fundamental inflection point” in terms of the availability of investment opportunities and interest from LPs, but the institutionalization process is not straightforward.