North America
FLAG buys Asian fund-of-funds Squadron Capital
Asia-focused fund-of-funds Squadron Capital has been sold to FLAG Capital Management. The acquisition will take US-based FLAG’s assets under management to $6 billion, up from $4.5 billion, and broaden its product offering across private equity, venture...
PE-backed Hawker Beechcraft sees China sale collapse
Negotiations over the sale of PE-backed corporate jet business Hawker Beechcraft to China’s Superior Aviation Beijing have collapsed.
LP interview: Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan
Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP) is arguably the most aggressive direct investor in Asia among the North American pension funds. The strategy is designed avert a funding shortfall at home
PE consortium in $330m take-private bid for China's Yongye
Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia (MSPEA) and Abax Global Capital are backing a $330 million bid by the chairman of Yongye International to take private the US-listed Chinese animal and plant feed maker.
Hong Kong PE firm backs heart failure treatment
Hong Kong-based Themes Investment Partners has led a $20 million equity financing round in LoneStar Heart, a California-based biomedical company developing new therapies for patients with heart failure.
Morgan Stanley supports Feihe International MBO bid
Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia (MSPEA) has teamed up with the chairman and CEO of Feihe International to make a buyout offer for the US-listed Chinese company. The transaction values Feihe, a leading producer of infant formula and milk powder, at...
China, India companies beat PE to Digital Domain assets
China’s Galloping Horse Film and India’s PE-backed Reliance MediaWorks have teamed up to acquire assets from Digital Domain Media Group, the distressed Hollywood special effects company, for $30.2 million. The Sino-Indian joint venture easily outmatched...
Carlyle cautious on China prospects
William Conway, co-CEO of The Carlyle Group, has said the private equity firm is less confident about its prospects in China due to slowing economic growth and increased competition.
PE firms, sovereign funds support Alibaba’s Yahoo buyback
China Investment Corporation (CIC), Boyu Capital, CITIC Capital and CDB Capital participated in a $3.9 billion equity issue by Alibaba Group alongside existing investors including Silver Lake, DST Global and Temasek Holdings. The financing was used to...
Tsinghua’s TEEC raises $1.4m for US-China angel fund
Tsinghua Entrepreneurs & Executive Club (TEEC), a group set up by VC-oriented alumni of China’s Tsinghua University, has raised $1.4 million for its second angel investment fund. The vehicle launched in June and has a final target of $8 million.
CITIC PE backs $331m take-private bid for China’s 3SBio
CITIC Private Equity is supporting a $331 million management buyout offer for NASDAQ-listed Chinese pharmaceuticals company 3SBio. It is the latest in a string of attempted take-private deals for US-traded Chinese firms that for a variety of reasons are...
Private equity tax strategies probed by US authorities
A host of leading private equity firms has been subpoenaed by the New York attorney general as part of an investigation into whether they have engaged in tax evasion strategies.
CIC trims financials exposure with partial exit from BlackRock
China Investment Corporation (CIC) has exited most of its holding in asset manager BlackRock as part of a wider effort to reduce its exposure to international financial institutions.
Fidelity Growth invests $20m in US-based AbsolutData
Fidelity Growth Partners India has committed $20 million to AbsolutData, a San Francisco-based data analytics services provider. The investment will be used to scale up its global delivery footprint.
GGV reaches final close at $625m on fourth fund
GGV has reached a final close on its fourth fund at $625 million. The US- and China-focused venture capital firm, formerly known as Granite Global Ventures, has added RMB650 million ($105 million) to the $520 million already raised from US investors.
GGV receives commitments of $509m for fund IV
GGV Capital, the US and China-focused venture capital investor, has raised $508.9 million for its fourth fund. In addition to the main fund, the VC firm has attracted $10.8 million for a side vehicle known as GGV Capital IV Entrepreneurs Fund.
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.
LP interview: New York State Common Retirement Fund
New York State Common Retirement Fund has put scandals behind it and, buoyed by two years of positive performance and limited liabilities overhand, is looking to boost Asia private equity exposure
China’s PiYi Investment to fund US companies
PiYi Investment Management, a Chinese private equity manager for high-net worth investors, has teamed up with Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) in the US to invest $100 million in Wisconsin companies.
US-China start-up incubator launches accelerator program
InnoSpring, Silicon Valley’s first US-China technology start-up incubator, has launched a six-month accelerator program targeting companies in mobile internet, cleantech and healthcare IT industries.
Blackstone names Baratta head of global private equity
The Blackstone Group has promoted Joe Baratta to head of global private equity. He currently leads the firm's European private equity operations.
CBC backs US-based power solutions provider
China Broadband Capital (CBC) has participated in a $22 million funding round for IntelliBatt, a US-based power solutions provider of power supply and battery monitoring systems. The round was led by Columbia Capital.
Leopard Capital reaches $20m first close on Haiti fund
Southeast Asia-focused frontier investor Leopard Capital has reached a first close of $20 million on the first dedicated Haiti fund raised since the 2010 earthquake. The final target is $40-75 million.
TPG backs $176m ShangPharma MBO
TPG Capital is backing a management buyout (MBO) bid for ShangPharma, a Chinese pharmaceutical and biotech research outsourcing firm listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Michael Hui, ShangPharma’s chairman and CEO, and affiliates of TPG have offered...