MENA
Q&A: Mubadala's Luca Molinari
An Abu Dhabi-headquartered sovereign investor Mubadala has a USD 276bn portfolio with interests across six continents. Luca Molinari, who leads Asia direct investments, outlines the regional strategy
Saudi fund invests $100m in China's Pony.ai
Saudi Arabia’s Neom Investment Fund, a strategic venture vehicle for the planned smart city of Neom, has made a USD 100m commitment to Chinese autonomous driving player Pony.ai.
Emerging LPs: Fingers in every pie
As more institutional investors dip their toes into private equity for the first time, managers must understand their motivations. Frontier sovereign wealth funds are an enticing wildcard
Singapore green hydrogen player gets $115m
Singapore-based InterContinental Energy, a company developing green hydrogen fuel projects in Australia and the Middle East, has raised USD 115m from GIC and specialist investor Hy24.
TPG Asia managing partner expands coverage to Middle East
Ganen Sarvananthan, an Asia managing partner at TPG, has been awarded an expanded brief that now includes the Middle East.
Mitsui Sumitomo VC unit backs Israel fusion start-up
Japan’s Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Venture Capital (MSIVC) has joined a Series A round for Israel-based nuclear fusion start-up NT-Tao that had raised USD 22m as of February.
QIA recruits Asia-focused portfolio manager from CPPIB
Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) has recruited Nicholas Low, previously an Asia-focused investment professional at Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), to work on its global venture and growth funds platform.
Gulf gambit: Asia GPs court Middle East LPs
As the Middle East becomes a focal point for private equity fundraising globally, Asia-based managers hope that macro trends work in their favour. Being the right size and the right strategic fit also helps
Saudi Arabia's PIF backs China e-sports platform
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has invested USD 265m in China’s VSPO, an e-sports broadcaster and events promoter formerly known as VSPN.
Alibaba-backed eWTP pursues $1bn in VC fundraise
EWTP Arabia Capital, an investment arm of the Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP) backed by Alibaba Group and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, has raised nearly USD 1bn for an Asia-Middle East fund.
Aramco backs Japan drone start-up
Saudi Arabia’s Aramco, the world’s largest oil company, has invested USD 14m in Japanese drone maker Terra Drone on the back of a JPY 8bn (USD 62m) Series B round.
Dalma Capital buys Singapore's Global CIO Office
Dalma Capital Group, a Dubai-headquartered alternative investment management platform, has agreed to buy The Global CIO Office, a Singapore-based outsourced CIO business that primarily serves family offices.
Korea's Bespin Global gets $100m Series D
Korea-headquartered cloud services company Bespin Global has raised a USD 100m Series D round led by a unit of Emirates Telecoms Group.
KKR, Mubadala form $1b Asia credit partnership
KKR and Mubadala Investment – a sovereign investor controlled by the government of Abu Dhabi – have established a partnership through which they will co-invest in performing credit opportunities across Asia Pacific.
Saudi Arabia's Sidra targets Asia, teams up with BlackRock
Sidra Capital, a Saudi Arabia-based alternative asset manager, has teamed up with BlackRock to offer shariah-compliant private equity opportunities in Asia Pacific.
Q&A: Gulf Capital's Richard Dallas & Shantanu Mukerji
Richard Dallas, a senior managing director at Gulf Capital, and newly appointed Asia head Shantanu Mukerji on using Singapore as a regional hub, cross-border expansion, and why a dedicated regional fund is unlikely
Gulf Capital opens Singapore office
Abu Dhabi-based Gulf Capital has opened a Singapore office and appointed Shantanu Mukerji as its first on-the-ground private equity managing director in Asia.
Korea's IMM leads $64m round for vertical farming company
Korea’s IMM Investment has led a $64.5 million round for Abu Dhabi-based vertical farming company Pure Harvest Smart Farms as part of an Asian expansion
Tiger Global leads $144m round for India's DealShare
Tiger Global Management has led a $144 million Series D round for Indian social e-commerce start-up DealShare.
China's Crystal Stream backs Egypt e-commerce platform
Chinese VC firm Crystal Stream Capital has doubled down on a Middle East and Africa strategy with participation in a $40 million investment in Egyptian logistics start-up MaxAB.
China's MSA Capital backs Saudi B2B start-up
China’s MSA Capital has joined a $30.5 million round for Saudi Arabian B2B services marketplace Sary as part of a deepening Asia-Middle East agenda.
Japan's Samurai Incubate raises Africa fund
Japanese venture capital firm Samurai Incubate has closed its second Africa-focused fund above target at just over JPY2.02 billion ($18.6 million).
India's PolicyBazaar raises $75m for Middle East expansion
PolicyBazaar, India’s largest insurance comparison portal, has raised $75 million from US-based Falcon Edge Capital for a Middle East expansion.
Shariah investors in PE: Tailored exposure
Employees Provident Fund’s $600 million shariah-compliant co-investment mandate suggests increasing institutional appetite for Islamic finance solutions in private equity. Is the industry ready?