Australasia
New Zealand’s Waterman buys 20% of Manuka Health
New Zealand-based Waterman Capital has acquired a 20% stake in natural health brand Manuka Health.
Starfish Ventures invests $2m in gaming start-up Scalify
Starfish Ventures has invested $2 million into Melbourne-based gaming start-up Scalify for an undisclosed stake. The capital will primarily be used for sales and marketing.
VIDEO: HarbourVest Partners' Sebastiaan van den Berg
It is a well established trend that Australian LPs are increasingly looking to internationalize their private equity exposure, arguably at the expense of domestic GPs. Foreign investors looking to enter Australia are not deterred. Sebastiaan van den Berg,...
Goldman exits NZ retirement villages to Metlifecare
Goldman Sachs has exited its majority stake in New Zealand retirement village operator Vision Senior Living to Metlifecare. The acquisition – which includes Private Life Care Holdings as well as Vision – will be financed through Metlifecare issuing...
Archer, CHAMP among bidders for CVC’s Mantra - report
Archer Capital and CHAMP Private Equity are reportedly among the PE firms bidding for Australia’s Mantra Group, which CVC Asia Pacific put up for auction in March.
PAG buys portfolio companies from Harmony Capital
PAG has taken full ownership of Harmony Investment Fund, and its associated portfolio companies, from Singapore-based Harmony Capital Management, sources familiar with the development told AVCJ.
PEP finally seals $752m Spotless buyout
Australian cleaning and catering contractor Spotless Group has accepted an A$720 million ($752 million) buyout offer from Pacific Equity Partners (PEP). The total consideration of A$2.71 per share is higher than the private equity firm’s original bid...
Maui Capital appeals to the masses
Between now and the end of May, around 900 New Zealand investors are expected to sign up as LPs in Maui Capital’s new fund. With commitments ranging from NZ$100,000 ($81,000) to NZ$20 million, they are only expected to account for around two thirds...
Profile: Vickers Capital's Finian Tan
One of the men who bet on Baidu before anyone knew what it was, Vickers Capital founder Finian Tan worked as a counselor, university don, oil trader and politician before settling on venture capital
Spotless suspends shares ahead of news on PEP buyout bid
Spotless Group has suspended trading of its shares ahead of an announcement regarding Pacific Equity Partners’ (PEP) buyout offer for the cleaning services company. The private equity firm has reportedly improved its bid to A$745 million ($766.7 million)...
Thakral board likely to reject Brookfield’s $424m buyout offer
The board of Thakral Holdings, the Australian hotel, retail and commercial property investor, is expected to reject a A$409.8 million ($424.2 million) takeover bid from Brookfield Asset Management. The Canadian private equity firm already owns a substantial...
Australia’s Hyperion to enter the private equity space
Australian hedge fund manager Hyperion Asset Management plans to enter the private equity space with the launch of A$200 million ($208 million) fund. It will seek minority positions in businesses with an EBITDA of around A$5 million, which rank second...
Maui Capital raises one third of capital for new fund
New Zealand’s Maui Capital has so far received commitments of NZ$92 million ($75.5 million) from institutional investors for its latest fund, which has a target of NZ$250 million. The vehicle is the same size as its predecessor, the 2008 vintage Maui...
VIDEO: Pacific Equity Partners' Anthony Kerwick
The challenge facing private equity investors globally is twofold, says Anthony Kerwick, managing director at Australian GP Pacific Equity Partners. First, the operating environment today is very different from that of five years ago, which means the...
Wolseley-backed Nextmedia acquires magazines from CVC's ACP
Nextmedia, the Australian magazine publisher owned by Wolseley Private Equity, has acquired two publications from ACP Magazines, the magazine division of CVC Asia Pacific-backed Nine Entertainment.
Blackstone pays $770m for Dexus Property assets
The Blackstone Group has paid $770 million for 65 US industrial assets owned by Australia’s Dexus Property Group. Investing via affiliates of Blackstone Real Estate Partners VII, the firm will acquire properties including three warehouses leased to...
Anacacia Capital sets $156m target for second fund
Australia’s Anacacia Capital is seeking to raise up to A$150 million ($156 million) for its second fund, more than twice the size of its debut vehicle. Jeremy Samuel, the private equity firm’s founder and managing director, nevertheless described...
Mount Kellett raises $4b for second special situations fund
Mount Kellett Capital Management, the private equity firm started by former Goldman Sachs executive Mark McGoldrick, has closed its second fund at $4 billion. The vehicle, which targets special situation and opportunistic investments, is $1 billion larger...
CHAMP Private Equity exits IES to McAleese Group
CHAMP Private Equity has sold International Energy Services (IES), a logistics firm that specializes in the transportation of fuel products and hazardous chemicals, to McAleese Group. It is further confirmation of trade sales as the preferred exit channel...
Direct investment: Silent partners?
Limited partners are attracted by the low costs and potentially high returns of direct investment opportunities in Asia. Those with a finger on the market’s pulse are likely to prevail, provided they don’t get too greedy
Telstra appoints China private equity executive to its board
Telstra, the Australian telecom operator part-owned by Future Fund, has appointed GL Capital Group’s Tim Chen to its board as a non-executive director. The Beijing-based partner at the international private equity firm is expected to support Telstra’s...
Lazard-backed 2XU acquires Sports Multiplied
Australian technical sports apparel brand 2XU, which is backed by Lazard Private Equity, has acquired its US-based distributor Sports Multiplied, in a move to expand across the globe.
Helmsman Capital seeks $211m for third fund - update
Helmsman Capital is currently seeking A$200 million ($211 million) for its third vehicle, Helmsman Capital Fund III.
Valar Ventures unveils $32m NZ fund
Valar Ventures, the venture capital firm run by PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, has raised NZ$40 million ($32 million) for a vehicle launched in partnership with the New Zealand Venture Investment Fund (NZVIF).