Region
China banking reform: Share the wealth
China's first step in interest rate liberalization might herald a series of reforms that make financial services more market-oriented. But where does shadow banking fit into it?
Australia mining: Swings and roundabouts
The end of the commodities super-cycle in Australia has impacted both mining companies and the businesses that serves them. Private equity can benefit, but only if it digs deep
Deal focus: Affinity agrees chaebol restructuring carve-out
Apple iTunes store has a library of more than 26 million songs, a presence in 119 countries and revenues of $12.9 billion in 2012. Its US market share is around 63%.
VCs back India SME group-buying service
Despite there being around 47 million small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in India, the segment has not yet participated in the country's e-commerce boom. While 51% of online SMEs use the internet to advertise, a mere 27% use it for trade, according...
PE and China's financial sector flaws
The liquidity squeeze engineered by China's central bank in June, which temporarily made it more expensive for commercial banks to lend money to one another, was generally regarded as an effort to remind said banks about the importance of solid asset...
Portfolio: CLSA Capital Partners and Indonesia's Sari Wangi
Sari Wangi is Indonesia's largest private tea player. CLSA Capital Partners invested not so much for exposure to the crop as what the company offers as a platform for distributing agricultural technology.
Blackstone downbeat on India prospects
The Blackstone Group has turned cautious about opportunities in India, where it says “serious governance issues” threaten to erode investor returns. The firm, which earlier this month bought a majority stake in auto parts maker Agile Electric for $56...
PE-backed OzForex considers IPO - report
OzForex, an Australian online foreign exchange platform backed by The Carlyle Group, Accel Partners and Macquarie Group, is said to be considering an IPO that could raise around A$500 million ($643 million).
China Molybdenum beats strategics, PE to Rio Tinto copper mine stake
China Molybdenum (CMOC) has fought off competition from PE and strategic investors to acquire an 80% stake in Rio Tinto's Northparkes copper mine in Australia for $820 million.
Malaysia's Khazanah in Turkish insurance buyout, Abraaj exits
Malaysian sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional has agreed to pay $252 million for a 90% stake in Turkish health insurer Acibadem Sigorta. The investment facilitates the exit of The Abraaj Group, which held a 50% stake in the business.
China CYTS Tours buys back Wuzhen stake from IDG
IDG Capital Partners has existed Tongxiang Wuzhen Tourism Development to the investee’s parent company, China CYTS Tours Holding, for $67.5 million. The PE firm bought about a 16% stake for $6.47 million in 2009, implying a 10.4x return on its investment....
Mahindra Lifespace, Standard Chartered form real estate JV
Mahindra Lifespace Developers (MLD), an Indian real estate and infrastructure developer, and SCM Real Estate (SCM), a Singapore-based investment arm of Standard Chartered bank, have formed a joint venture to develop residential projects in India. The...
CIC returns to profit in 2012 on back of equities boost
China Investment Corp. (CIC) has returned to profit, reporting an annual return of 10.6% on its overseas investments last year thanks to a rally in global equities. The sovereign wealth fund saw a cumulative annualized return of 5.02% for 2012, up from...
China's Baifendian secures $10m Series B round
Baifendian, a Chinese recommendation engine that tracks user tastes and predicts how they might rate items, has received $10 million in Series B financing from Zhejiang Shinkansen Media Investment via its Eastern Starry Sky Culture Fund.
Zennon, New World invest $25m in China games developer CMGE
Zennon Capital Partners and New World Strategic Investment (NWSI) have invested $25 million in NASDAQ-listed China Mobile Games and Entertainment Group (CMGE).
CLSA Capital backs India's Luminous Water Technologies
CLSA Capital Partners (CLSACP) has invested INR 550 million ($9.2 million) in water-purifier maker Luminous Water Technologies (LWT) from its ARIA Investment Partners IV fund.
Nissay Capital backs Japanese online ad platform Dennoo
Nissay Capital has invested $1.1 million in Japanese online ad platform, Dennoo. The investment brings the start-up's total amount of venture capital funding to $3.1 million.
Japan's Meiji Yasuda beats PE to Thai Life stake
Japan’s Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance has agreed to buy a 15% stake in Thai Life Insurance for an undisclosed sum, thought to be in the region of $750 million. Other participants in the auction reportedly included the Carlyle Group, KKR and CVC Capital...
Asia Pacific Capital completes $25m Series C round for Ciris Energy
Hong Kong-based Asia Pacific Capital (APC) has invested $15 million in Ciris Energy, a US company that converts coal to natural gas, concluding a $25 million Series C round of investment.
Kroll boosts China investigations practice
Kroll Advisory Solutions has hired Peter Glanville as an associate managing director in its Greater China investigations and disputes practice. He joins from Deloitte where he was a senior member of the forensic accounting team.
DCM targets $250m for China VC fund
DCM is seeking $250 million for its latest China-focused fund. The target for Venture China Fund VII is less than the $400 million raised for DCM's previous vehicle, which invests in China, the US and Japan.
Multiples buys ICICI Venture's stake in Vikram Hospital
Multiples Alternate Asset Management has bought a 64% stake in Bangalore-based Vikram Hospital from ICICI Venture Funds Management, and also infused direct capital for debt repayment.
Femto invests $1m in Japanese restaurant app startup
Japanese venture capital firm Femto has committed JPY100 million ($1 million) of seed funding in Toreta, a start-up developing apps for the food service industry.
Revolution Growth invests $40m in Australia's Bigcommerce
US venture capital firm Revolution Growth has invested $40 million in Australian tech start-up Bigcommerce. The company sells e-commerce software for online retailers covering website design, store management, marketing and electronic payments.