Region
IDG invests $4m in China Weipass Series A round
IDG Capital Partners has provided a $4 million round of Series A funding to China WeiPass, a smartphone app for payment verification.
Lumis, HDFC invest in India's PeopleStrong
Lumis Partners has teamed up with Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) to invest in PeopleStrong, an Indian human resources outsourcing company. The size of the equity commitment was not disclosed.
Motilal Oswal hires Sharad Mittal to head real estate
Motilal Oswal Private Equity (MOPE) has appointed Sharad Mittal as head of its real estate business. The firm is expected to launch an INR6 billion ($104 million) India real estate fund later this year.
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...
J-Star to close Fund II at $200m by end-June
Japanese mid-market GP J-Star will reach a final close on its JPY20 billion ($210 million) second fund by the end of this month, sources familiar with the matter told AVCJ.
Gree Ventures, MIC back $6m round for Japanese software firm
Gree Ventures and Mobile Internet Capital (MIC) have taken part in a JPY625 million ($6 million) investment round for Accounting SaaS Japan (A-SaaS), a developer of cloud-based accounting software.
John Brakey quits as head of PE at Australia's MLC
John Brakey has resigned as head of private equity at MLC, National Australia Bank's (NAB) wealth management division. His replacement is Natalie Meyenn, who moves up from her role as chief investment officer at the PE division.
India should simplify foreign investment rules, open more sectors to VC - committee
India should encourage investment by foreign portfolio investors by scaling back the regulatory apparatus used to register and monitor inbound capital flows, according to a high-level committee. It also recommended expanding the number of sector open...
Hony to set up China film fund with Shanghai Media Group
Hony Capital will team up with SMG Pictures to launch a joint film and television fund worth a reported RMB3 billion ($489 million).
CIC's head of PE sees opportunities in Europe
The challenging fundraising environment means it is a good time to target private markets, and Europe in particular, according to the head of China Investment Corporation's (CIC) private equity investment department.
Providence Equity loses Asia MD - report
The head of Providence Equity Partners' Hong Kong office, Patrick Corso, has reportedly resigned. It is the fourth senior departure from the firm's Asian operation since it was established in 2007.
Orix, Perigon to make partial exits from Air Asia X via IPO
Orix Corp. and Perigon Advisory will make partial exits from regional budget carrier AirAsia's long-haul subsidiary through an IPO that is targeting up to $370 million.
PAG agrees $150m investment in Chinese property developer
PAG’s absolute returns division will invest in China-focused shopping mall operator Zall Development Group through a $100 million convertible bond issue, with the option to subscribe to a further $50 million worth of bonds. Assuming full conversion, the...
Morgan Stanley-backed Hyundai Rotem gets green light for IPO
Hyundai Rotem, a South Korean railway vehicle manufacturer backed by Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia (MSPEA), has received approval to list on the Korea Stock Exchange. It will likely be the country’s largest share offering so far this year and the...
Oaktree Cap invests $20m Indian pharma packager
Oaktree Capital Management has bought a 60% stake in Cogent Glass for around INR1.2 billion ($20.6 million). As part of the deal, Cogent has signed an agreement with Oaktree portfolio company SGD for technology sharing as well as marketing and management...
Safety first: Investing in China's food supply chain
Driven by rising disposable incomes and lower confidence in food safety, Chinese consumers are willing to pay a premium for quality. PE firms have identified the opportunity, but taking it can be difficult
CapVent taps into Indian water market
Access to potable water is limited in India with groundwater in one-third of the country’s 600 districts tainted by high levels of fluoride, iron, salinity and arsenic. Meanwhile, tap water is mostly undrinkable.
Navis plugs into Southeast Asia energy demand
Southeast Asia's hunger for energy cannot be overstated. Of the region’s 600 million inhabitants, a staggering 160 million live without electricity. According to a report published last year by the National University of Singapore’s Energy Studies Institute,...
Angels say SE Asia ripe for 500 Durians
Dave McClure, Silicon Valley super angel and founding partner of 500 Startups, was on the road in Asia once again this month as part of his firm’s “Geeks on a Plane” (GOAP) tour. While this was not the first time the tech-focused venture capital firm...
Portfolio: India Value Fund Advisors and Meru Cabs
When India Value Fund Advisors launched Meru Cabs in Mumbai, it created a radio taxi service where none existed. Meru has overcome numerous difficulties to become the largest taxi company of its kind in India
China e-commerce logistics: The missing link
China’s fragmented logistics industry is a problem for e-commerce companies as they attempt to provide customers with a better quality service. Should they build competencies in house? Should PE help them?
China IPOs: Different this time
There are signs that the China listings logjam is gradually becoming unstuck, sowing seeds of hope for PE equity and VC investors fielding awkward questions from LPs about liquidity horizons. But markets are unlikely to bounce back to their former highs...
DEG invests $12m in Indian hospital chain
German Investment and Development (DEG), a development finance institution, has invested INR700 million ($12 million) in the Ivy Healthcare Group which runs a chain of super specialty hospitals in the north Indian state of Punjab.
Apollo exits Welspun Maxsteel stake to promoter
Apollo Global Management has sold a 12.5% stake in India’s Welspun Maxsteel Limited (WMSL) to parent company Welspun Corp at a 30% discount to the fair market value. It’s the second part of a larger INR22.5 billion ($502.9 million at the time) deal between...