Australasia
Australia's Asciano accepts Qube-Brookfield joint $6.8b bid
Australian rail freight and cargo port operator Asciano has accepted a joint takeover offer from consortiums led by Qube Holdings and Brookfield Asset Management worth A$9 billion ($6.8 billion).
Q&A: L Capital Asia's Ravi Thakran
Following the announcement of L Capital's merger with Catterton, Ravi Thakran, managing partner and chairman of L Capital Asia, discusses the implications of the deal and shares his views on the investment climate
Fund focus: Asia LPs in Morgan Stanley infra push
Morgan Stanley raises $5.8 billion for global infrastructure investments as the asset class matures in Asia
Direct investment: Embracing the unorthodox
The effect of direct investment and co-investment by LPs is more profound than often realized, and has consequences for the future of fundraising
Australian LPs consider diversified approaches to PE - AVCJ Forum
Australian LPs are increasingly interested in non-traditional structures in private equity as they find that fund investment programs no longer offer the flexibility, fee burden and scale of deployment to meet their needs.
CHAMP PE backs Australian forex broker
CHAMP Private Equity has invested in Pepperstone, an Australian foreign exchange broker that facilitates more than $100 billion in transactions every month.
Relationships key to raising capital from family offices - AVCJ Forum
Relationship-building should underpin fundraising efforts targeting family offices, with an emphasis on understanding individual needs and motivations, industry participants told the AVCJ Australia & New Zealand Forum.
Australian LPs make for sophisticated co-investors - AVCJ Forum
Australian superannuation funds are more sophisticated co-investors than their US counterparts, but the ability of LPs across the industry to participate in these deals remains limited.
Oaktree opens Australia office
Oaktree Capital Group has opened its first office in Australia, with Byron Beath, previously of Macquarie Bank, appointed to lead investment activities in the region.
Investec backs Australia fintech investor H2 Ventures
Investec has acquired a stake in Australia-based financial technology investor H2 Ventures. It is part of a broader collaboration that will see Investec contribute to H2’s accelerator and early-stage investment program.
KKR appoints Scott Bookmyer as Australia head
Scott Bookmyer, COO of KKR’s Asian operation, has been given the additional role of head of Australia. He will relocate from Hong Kong to Sydney and start work in July.
Blue Sky-backed Alcidion lists in Australia
Blue Sky Alternative Investments-backed healthcare technology company Alcidion has listed in Australia with a A$2 million ($1.4 million) IPO priced at A$0.03 a share.
Telstra backs Monk's Hill Southeast Asia fund
Australia’s Telstra Ventures has made an LP commitment to Singapore-based Monk's Hill Ventures' debut Southeast Asia fund - which is targeting S$100 million ($80 million) - as part of an ongoing pivot to Asian venture capital.
Brookfield, Qube consider joint Asciano bid
A Brookfield Asset Management-led consortium and a group led by Qube Holdings that includes Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) and China Investment Corporation (CIC) are considering a joint A$9 billion ($6.5 billion) bid for Australian rail...
Australia services: Roll-up rapport
As Australia rebalances its economy in the wake of the commodities downturn, services are coming to the fore. Private equity investors continue to see consolidation opportunities
Q&A: Archer Capital's Peter Wiggs
Peter Wiggs, CEO of Archer Capital, on why the IPO slowdown has helped PE deal flow, the attractiveness of education and healthcare, and recently spun-out Archer Growth
Australia VC: Policy power
Australia’s innovation agenda is intended to serve as the foundation stone of a technology-driven economy. Do the promises made to start-ups address areas where they want to see change?
Lower middle market fundraising: Early adopters
While Australia’s lower middle market still offers opportunities for conventional GPs, some managers see growing potential in alternate fund models. Skepticism is strong among their peers
Australian PE: Under the spotlight
The rapid descent of Dick Smith Electronics from a $500 million valuation to bankruptcy has led to sharp criticism of private equity. Once again, the industry must explain why it isn’t the bad guy
Australia: Burgeoning buyouts
Following a bumper 2015 characterized by a few very large transactions, what does this year hold in store for Australia private equity investment?
Bohai Industrial backs $950m debt deal for Yancoal Australia
Bohai Industrial Investment Fund, a private equity firm controlled by Bank of China, has participated in a $950 million debt funding round for Yancoal Australia, a publicly-traded subsidiary of sate-owned Yanzhou Coal.
Anacacia backs MBO of Australian timber player
Anacacia Capital has supported a management buyout of Big River Group, an Australia-based manufacturer of construction materials. The deal comes as the GP is said to be readying its third fundraise, targeting A$250-300 million ($179-215 million).
Australia's Future Fund makes secondary sale to CPPIB - report
Australia’s Future Fund exited A$1 billion ($712 million) worth of fund positions from its private equity portfolio last year, with Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) picking up the assets.
Blackstone buys New Zealand retirement villages from Lend Lease
The Blackstone Group has agreed to buy a portfolio of five retirement villages in New Zealand from Australia-listed property and infrastructure group Lend Lease Group.