North America
Tencent leads $150m financing round for Fab.com
Chinese internet group Tencent has led a $150m round of investment for US online design store Fab.com, in a fourth round of financing which is yet to close. The deal values the company at $1 billion, not including new capital raised.
Fidelity leads Series B round for India's Cloudbyte
Fidelity Growth Partners India has led a $4 million Series B round of investment in Cloudbyte, a company which provides cloud-storage solutions for online applications. Existing investors Nexus Venture Partners and Kae Capital also participated.
CalPERS CIO Joseph Dear scales back responsibilities
Joseph Dear, chief investment officer at California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), has given up some of his duties at the pension fund as he undergoes treatment for prostate cancer.
Oregon Investment Council backs Morgan Stanley, RRJ funds
Oregon Investment Council (OIC) has committed $75 million to Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia’s (MSPEA) fourth pan-regional fund. The vehicle, which reached a first close of $750 million towards the end of last year after less than six months in the...
Japan's Marubeni scales back deal for PE-owned Gavilon
Marubeni has scaled back its offer for General Atlantic-owned US grain trader Gavilon by $1 billion after cutting the company's energy trading arm out of the deal.
TEL Venture Capital invests in MIOX Corporation
TEL Venture Capital, the investment arm of Japanese semiconductor maker Tokyo Electron, has invested in US water technology company MOIX Corp. The details of the transaction were not disclosed.
Australia’s QIC enters US retail property market
Australian institutional investment manager QIC has made its first direct investment into the US property market after taking a position in eight regional retail malls worth $2.05 billion. QIC’s global real estate division will put in $435.6 million...
Australia’s PEP eyes US debt financing market
Pacific Equity Partners (PEP) is considering US refinancing options for several of its portfolio companies after a well received debt offering for movie theater chain Hoyts in May. The Australian GP is one of several to opt for US over domestic debt markets,...
500 Startups to launch Southeast Asia fund
The founder of Silicon Valley early-stage investor 500 Startups, David McClure, is looking to launch a $10 million micro fund targeting Southeast Asia.
CITIC PE to launch offshore energy fund with Canadian asset manager
CITIC Private Equity has entered into a joint venture with Canadian asset manager Sprott to set up an offshore global resources fund. The vehicle fits in with China’s strategic interest in acquiring overseas energy assets required to sustain economic...
CDH, Goldman-backed Chinese pork producer bids for Smithfield
Shuanghui International, a Chinese pork producer that counts CDH Investments and Goldman Sachs among its investors, has offered $4.7 billion in cash for US-based Smithfield Foods. The proposed deal, which values Smithfield at $7.1 billion including debt,...
PE-owned Australian power producer targets US debt issue – report
Alinta Energy, the Australian power producer controlled by TPG Capital, is said to be planning to raise at least $1 billion through a debt offering in the US. It joins a growing list of private equity-owned companies that are looking outside of Australia...
Warburg Pincus raises $11.2b for global fund
Warburg Pincus has reached a final close of $11.2 billion on its latest global fund, one of the largest private equity vehicles raised since the global financial crisis. The firm fell short of its $12 billion target – as well as the $15 billion amassed...
CPPIB, GE Capital launch Tokyo property co-invest program
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) and General Electric Capital Real Estate (GECRE) have formed a joint venture targeting investments in mid-size Class A-B offices in key central business district sub-markets in Tokyo.
Sequoia’s Shen remains top Asia VC in Midas List
Seven Asia-based investors have made it on to the 2013 Forbes Midas List of leading global venture capitalists. This compares to 10 last year, although an increasing number of US resident members are known for backing Chinese and Indian start-ups.
Temasek-invested US drug developer targets IPO
Portola Pharmaceuticals, a US-based drug developer whose largest shareholder is Temasek Holdings, plans to raise $127 million through a NASDAQ IPO. The other backers include MPM Capital, Prospect Venture Partners, Brookside Capital, Sutter Hill Ventures,...
Singapore’s GIC backs BMC Software take-private
Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) is participating in the $6.9 billion take-private of US enterprise software provider BMC Software, led by Bain Capital and Golden Gate Capital. It is the third-largest global PE deal announced so far...
Baring Asia-owned Nord Anglia completes WCL bolt-on
Nord Anglia Education, an international schools operator owned by Baring Private Equity Asia, has completed the bolt-on acquisition of WCL Group for $222 million. The deal strengthens Nord Anglia’s presence in North America and the Middle East, taking...
Chinese IPOs in the US: Green shoots
Online retailer LightInTheBox is seeking to become only the third Chinese company to list in the US in more than a year. But has investor sentiment emerged from its long winter?
CITIC, Vector see 3x return on RAE Systems trade sale
CITIC Capital Partners and Vector Capital have exited gas detection equipment manufacturer RAE Systems through a $340 million trade sale to Honeywell. The China-focused GP came in as a co-investor on US-based Vector’s privatization of the company in...
SEAF, Sarona invest in India's Khyati Foods
Canada-based Sarona Asset Management has invested in India's Khyati Foods, alongside SEAF Agribusiness India Fund. The details of the transaction were not disclosed.
Profile: American Capital's Paul Hanrahan
After 20 years at energy and infrastructure specialist AES Corporation, Paul Hanrahan now covers a similar beat for PE firm American Capital. He reflects on what has changed and what hasn't
CalSTRS commits to FountainVest, Bain Asia funds
The California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) committed $120 million to Asia-focused GPs during the final three quarters of 2012, according to a recent disclosure. The pension system also revealed that its private equity portfolio delivered...
Formation 8 raises $448m, eyes US-Asia VC opportunities
Formation 8, a start-up venture capital firm that targets US businesses with the potential to expand into Asia, has raised $448 million for its debut fund. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, the firm has eight operating professionals based out of offices...