Regions
Affinity secures first Indonesia deal
Regional buyout firms have struggled to gain traction in Indonesia. In some cases, private equity investors have opened offices in Jakarta or Singapore and, years later, still haven’t a deal to their name. Affinity Equity Partners is no longer part...
Great expectations: Buyout firms in Southeast Asia
Global buyout firms are deploying more resources in Southeast Asia and expect to see stronger deal flow. But are there enough mid- to large-size transactions to go around, and will they come at reasonable prices?
Asian private equity: Education never ends
It is common knowledge that Asian private equity has been going from strength to strength, generating returns that compare increasingly favorably to those of Western Europe and the US. Indeed, recent figures published by Cambridge Associates suggest that...
VCs invest $1.2m in Japanese website Retty
GREE ventures, NTT investment Partners and Mitsubishi UFJ Capital have jointly invested JPY100 million ($1.2 million) into Retty, a Japanese social restaurant guide.
New Zealand, Taiwan ink $200m co-investment pact
New Zealand Venture Investment Fund (NZVIF) and Taiwan’s National Development Fund (NDF) have formed a co-investment partnership which aims to commit up to $200 million into venture capital funds in the two nations.
Singapore PE fund in $600m deal to buy Next Media assets
A Singaporean private equity fund is part of a consortium looking to pay NT$17.5 billion ($600 million) for various Taiwanese media assets owned by Hong Kong-listed Next Media.
CVC-backed Nine avoids receivership as lenders reach agreement
Lenders to CVC Capital Partners-backed Nine Entertainment, the beleaguered Australian TV network, have reached an agreement to save the company from being put into administration.
IFC to anchor Fosun Pharma’s Hong Kong IPO
International Finance Corporation (IFC), the investment arm of the World Bank, is expected to anchor Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical’s Hong Kong IPO alongside Prudential Financial. The total cornerstone commitment is $75 million out of a targeted $600...
Australia’s Kaz Capital to launch venture fund
Australian boutique financial advisor Kaz Capital is planning a venture fund that will support small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in need of expansion capital. The company claims to have received conditional regulatory approval to establish an...
PE-backed Samhi invests in Accor-owned Indian hotel chain
Samhi Investments has acquired a 60% stake in Barque Hotels, the company that owns 15 Formule 1 hotels in India, from French hospitality group Accor.
China Private Equity restructures Australia securities platform investment
China Private Equity Investment Holdings (CPE), an AIM-listed vehicle that claims to offer European investors exposure to Chinese private equity without the limitations imposed by closed-end funds, has restructured its investment in Australian online...
TPG, Affinity-backed UTAC seeks to refinance debt – report
United Test & Assembly Center (UTAC), the Singapore precision engineering firm owned by TPG Capital and Affinity Equity Partners, is said to be seeking to refinance a portion of its debt through a $600 million bond issue.
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.
Japan’s J-Star sees 3x return on Apo Plus Station
Mid-market Japanese GP J-Star has sold its majority stake in the pharma-focused contract sales company Apo Plus Station (APS) to Qol, a Tokyo-based pharmaceutical firm.
Norton Rose nabs Lucas from Baker & McKenzie
International law firm Norton Rose has appointed Andrew Lucas as a partner in its corporate team based in Bangkok. He joins from Baker & Mackenzie’s Beijing office, where he was also a partner.
SAIF Partners to launch China hedge fund – report
China-focused private equity firm SAIF Partners is reportedly planning to launch a Greater China hedge fund, which would make it the first major Chinese PE player to attempt such a move.
Shares in Baring-backed Courts up 7.1% following IPO
Shares in Baring Private Equity Asia (BPEA) portfolio company Courts Asia rose by more than 7% following its Singapore IPO last Monday.
Panorama leads Series D round for Skyfire’s Asia expansion
Panorama Capital has led a $10 million Series D round of funding for Skyfire, intended help the mobile video optimization and cloud solutions company expand in Asia.
CITIC Securities targets up to $1.6b for RMB fund
CITIC Securities is targeting RMB5-10 billion ($798 million to $1.6 billion) for its first private equity fund, most of which will come from Chinese institutions, including government agencies. The vehicle will buy stakes in companies involved in M&A...
INCJ-led consortium to complete $2.5b Renesas rescue - report
A consortium led by Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) is said to be nearing a JPY200 billion ($2.55 billion) deal to buy ailing Japanese chipmaker Renesas Electronic Corp.
Ten Network denies concerns over Eye sale to CHAMP
Ten Network has denied reports that proceeds from the sale of its Eye Corp subsidiary to CHAMP Private Equity’s oOh!media will be lower than expected due to concerns about the outdoor advertising business’ financial performance.
INCJ backs $35m venture investment in US green energy company
Japanese state-sponsored fund Innovation Network Corp of Japan (INCJ) has teamed up with a Japanese corporation to lead a $35 million Series E funding round for Transphorm, a US provider of energy-saving devices.
Affinity completes debut Indonesia deal
Affinity Equity Partners has completed its first Indonesian investment, securing a significant minority stake in local auto services group Mitra Pinasthika Mustika (MPM) for about $100 million.
Everstone invests $38m in educational publisher S Chand
Everstone Capital has announced the acquisition of a minority stake in long-established Indian publisher, S Chand Group, for INR2 billion ($38 million).