Australasia
Blackstone appoints ex-Archer partner as Australia senior advisor
The Blackstone Group has appointed James Carnegie as a senior advisor based in Sydney, where he will focus primarily on developing the firm’s private equity activity in Australia. He previously spent seven years at Archer Capital, leaving the local...
General Catalyst invests $20m in Australia's Bigcommerce
Australian e-commerce start-up Bigcommerce has won $20 million in Series B funding from General Catalyst Partners. The US venture capital firm previously invested $15 million just over a year ago.
Rival PE firm matches TPG’s $709m Billabong offer
A rival private equity firm – reportedly Bain Capital – has offered to match TPG Capital’s A$694 million ($709 million) buyout bid for Australian surfwear company Billabong International. The Billabong board maintains that neither offer reflects...
CVC’s Nine sells magazine unit to service debts
CVC Capital Partners-owned Nine Entertainment has sold its ACP Magazines division to German publisher Bauer for A$500 million ($510 million). The proceeds will go towards paying down some of the Australian media company’s debt, with a senior tranche...
Blue Sky PE injects $3 million into Australian caterer
Blue Sky Private Equity has funneled A$3 million ($3.1 million) into Oil Industry Catering & Services, a provider of catering and support services to the Australian mining industry.
Wolseley's Guardian Childcare bolts on early learning center operator
Guardian Childcare Alliance, the Australian childcare center operator owned by Wolseley Private Equity, has acquired Jigsaw Corporate Childcare, which operates early learning centers for employees of blue chip corporate clients.
Murdoch fund takes full ownership of DMG Radio Australia
Illyria, a private investment vehicle run by Lachlan Murdoch, son of media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, has taken full ownership of DMG Radio Australia after acquiring the 50% it didn’t already own from UK-based media company Daily Mail and General Trust...
Crescent wins investor support after raising ClearView offer
Crescent Capital Partners has improved its buyout offer for Australian financial services provider ClearView Wealth, winning the support of leading shareholder Guinness Peat Group (GPG). The private equity firm is now offering A$0.55 per share, up from...
Archer Growth prepares for Cura Day exit – report
Archer Capital Growth is reportedly preparing to exit Cura Day Hospitals Group. The Australian GP helped found the company in 2008, having teamed up with a group of doctors and medical specialists who manage and work at its nationwide network of day hospitals.
Billabong still in talks with TPG, presents turnaround strategy
Australian surfwear company Billabong International is understood to be continuing discussions with TPG Capital over a A$694 million ($723 million) buyout offer, even as it unveiled a turnaround strategy regarded as a move to preserve its current status.
Quadrant in quasi-secondary retail deal
Does Quadrant Private Equity's investment in Super A-Mart and Barbeques Galore constitute a quasi-secondary transaction?
GE, VC firms to back Australasia cleantech start-ups
General Electric (GE) has teamed up with five venture capital firms in Australia and New Zealand on a $10 million fund that will support the development of clean technology. It is the company’s first ever local “ecoimagination” challenge and entries...
Mercury Capital poaches Crescent investment director
Australian mid-market private equity firm Mercury Capital has reportedly hired Christopher Criddle, partner and investment director at rival firm Crescent Capital Partners.
Australia's QIC to pick up Swedish PE interests - report
Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) is reportedly set to buy almost 10% of a EUR1.5 billion ($1.9 billion) portfolio of private equity interests being sold by Swedish insurance group Länsförsäkringar.
Middletons and K&L Gates mull merger
Australian law firm Middletons is in discussions with global player K&L Gates about a potential merger. It would create a firm of more than 2,000 lawyers in 45 offices throughout Australia, Asia, and the Middle East, the Americas and Europe.
Quadrant and Ironbridge complete Australian retail buyout
Australian private equity groups Quadrant Private Equity and Ironbridge Capital have realized a buyout of specialized retail businesses Super A-Mart and Barbeques Galore.
Oz law firm appoints PE expert
Australian law firm Corrs Chambers Westgarth has hired private equity lawyer Philip Kapp to be a senior partner. Kapp claims to have been involved in almost every major Australian PE deal since 2000.
Offshore investors: Leap into the unknown
With commitments from domestic LPs easing off, Australian, Japanese and Korean GPs are looking to raise capital from overseas investors. They are entering new territory and some are better prepared than others
VC fund to help restore Australia’s Olympic dominance
The chairman of a body that introduces sports technology businesses to the commercial market is reportedly attempting to raise A$60 million ($63 million) for a venture capital fund designed to help restore Australia’s dominance in the Olympic Games.
Australian tech entrepreneurs to create VC fund
A group of Australian technology entrepreneurs have joined forces to create a new venture capital fund, Blackbird Ventures.
Colonial First State buys TDF’s broadcasting assets in Finland
Colonial First State, an Australian wealth manager owned by Commonwealth Bank of Australia, has agreed to buy French broadcasting group TDF’s Finland business. The company, known as Digita, owns Finland’s largest broadcast tower network as well as...
Australia’s QIC to use Burgiss Group PE software platform
QIC, one of the largest institutional investors in Australia, has deployed a private equity software platform designed by The Burgiss Group, a New Jersey-based software solutions provider.
CHAMP Ventures takes majority stake in Ansett Aviation Centre
CHAMP Ventures has taken a majority interest in Ansett Aviation Centre, a training facility bought from administrators in 2004 following the collapse of Ansett Australia, the country’s second-largest carrier. It is the third investment out of CHAMP...
Australia’s Gresham PE in $180m Witchery Group exit
Gresham Private Equity has agreed to sell fashion retailer Witchery Group to Country Road for A$172 million ($180.2 million). The deal will see Witchery CEO Ian Nairn replace Howard Goldberg as head of Country Road, which is majority-owned by South Africa’s...