Regions
Fund focus: Lyfe attracts a diversified following for Fund II
Having been supported by fund-of-funds when raising its first China healthcare vehicle, Lyfe Capital has added pension funds, endowments and family offices to its $420 million second fund
PE-owned Samyang closes up on debut after $60m IPO
Korean camera lens manufacturer Samyang Optics ended its first day of trading on KOSDAQ at a slight premium to its IPO price, having raised KRW66.8 billion ($60 million) in the offering and enabled VIG Partners to make a partial exit.
Fairfax India ups Bangalore airport stake to 48%
Fairfax India Holdings will invest INR12.9 billion ($200 million) for a 10% stake in Bangalore International Airport (BIAL), raising its total holding to 48%.
Asia Alternatives gets $100m from Minnesota SBI
Minnesota State Board of Investment (SBI) has committed to $100 million to Asia Alternatives’ fifth fund-of-funds, having recently increased its exposure to the region through vehicles managed by Warburg Pincus and KKR.
China P2P site Tuandaiwang raises $262m
Chinese peer-to-peer (P2P) online lending platform Tuandaiwang confirmed it has raised a RMB1.8 million ($262 million) pre-IPO round led by China Minsheng Investment Group (CMIG).
Japan's Unison buys local bar and restaurant chain
Unison Capital has acquired Dinamix, an operator of Japanese-style bar and restaurants, for an undisclosed sum.
IFC, Tata Capital invest $31m in India's Tata Cleantech
Tata Capital and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) have invested INR2 billion ($31 million) in renewable energy-focused non-banking finance company (NBFC) Tata Cleantech Capital (TCCL).
OneVentures invests $7.4m in Australia’s Prota Therapeutics
Australia’s OneVentures has invested A$10 million ($7.4 million) in Prota Therapeutics, a domestic immunotherapy technology developer aiming to commercialize new peanut allergy treatments for children.
Korean culture plays: Sitting pretty?
Private equity is riding the 'Korean wave' by investing in cultural assets - from music to TV dramas to beauty products – that have international appeal. Success hinges on execution as much as macro trends
KKR closes third Asian fund at $9.3b
KKR has closed its third pan-regional fund at $9.3 billion, breaking its own record for the largest pool of private equity capital ever raised for deployment in Asia. The fundraising process took less than seven months and the vehicle is said to have...
PE-owned Australian childcare providers to merge
Camp Australia, an outside school hours care provider acquired by Bain Capital Private Equity in February, has agreed to merge with Junior Adventures Group (JAG), a similar business controlled by Advent Partners.
Chinese GPs set up semiconductor JV with Qualcomm
The two Chinese private equity firms that bought NXP Semiconductors’ standard products business in February have teamed up with Qualcomm – which subsequently bid for NXP outright – to manufacture chipsets for mass-market smart phones sold in China.
Future Venture Capital to buy All Nippon Entertainment
Future Venture Capital (FVC) has agreed to acquire Japanese media company All Nippon Entertainment Works (ANEW) from government-owned investor Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ).
Everbright-IDG joins Series C for Chinese electric car maker
Everbright-IDG Industrial Fund has invested an undisclosed sum in China-based smart electric car maker Nio - formerly known as NextEV - as part of a Series C round that is still in the process of being raised.
Singapore Exchange to lower barriers for tech IPOs
The Singapore Exchange (SGX) has partnered with Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), Singapore’s technology and media regulator, to help technology start-ups list in the territory.
Deal focus: Quadrant cashes in on Icon’s growth potential
Quadrant Private Equity agrees a $746 million exit from Icon Group, with new owners QIC, Goldman Sachs and Pagoda Investment keen to continue the cancer specialist's expansion in Asia
Deal focus: IMM seeks to ride the Korean wave
IMM Investment has become the latest private equity firm to buy into the Korean cosmetics story, paying $330 million for a majority stake in Able C&C through a tender offer and the acquisition of shares from the founder
LP interview: Ekuinas
Ekuinas represents a mixed bag, serving as GP and LP and pursuing social and economic objectives. CEO Syed Yasir Arafat Syed Abd Kadir explains how the group is making a difference in Malaysian private equity
Singtel Innov8 backs US, Singapore-based CounterTack
SingTel Innov8, the venture arm of Singapore telecom giant SingTel, has co-led a $20 million Series D round for US and Singapore-based cybersecurity company CoutnerTack alongside US-based SAP National Security Services.
Taiwan regulator nixes Carlyle's EBC exit
The Carlyle Group appears to have hit a wall in its latest attempt to exit Taiwan TV station Eastern Broadcasting (EBC) as the National Communication Commission (NBC) blocked a sale to Taiwan Optical Platform, a local telecom services provider.
OrbiMed leads $19m round for Sino-US drug developer
OrbiMed Asia Partners has led a $19 million Series B round of funding for InventisBio, a pharmaceutical developer based in Shanghai with operations in China and the US.
Temasek, Telstra back $149m Australian innovation push
IP Group, which specializes in commercializing intellectual property, has raised a new round of funding from investors including Temasek Holdings and Telstra Super, and pledged to invest A$200 million ($149 million) in Australia and New Zealand.
Placement agent First Avenue opens Korea office
Private funds and corporate placement agent First Avenue has opened an office in Seoul, adding to its existing Asia Pacific bases in Hong Kong and Sydney.
Deal focus: Chubao targets mass market appeal
Having built its business by licensing mobile software to smart phone manufacturers, China's Chubao has raised $100 million to bankroll a freemium model that will allow it to interact directly with users