Southeast Asia
Infrastructure: Big market, slow progress
Indonesia’s substandard infrastructure represents a huge investment opportunity and the government is taking steps to ensure foreign players can participate. However, returns will only come to those who wait
Macro: Indonesia’s growth story
Expanding by more than 6% per year, the Indonesian economy is already one of the best performers in Asia. But analysts say it has the capacity to match growth rates in China and India, reforms permitting
Indonesia investment: Uncharted territory
For all its attractions, Indonesia remains a difficult – and expensive – market for foreign private equity firms. Identifying value rests on building up local knowledge and expertise
Same fundamentals, better investment story
Indonesia has emerged as a priority destination for private equity managers in recent years. It is not difficult to understand the attraction. The country with a population of 250 million was unscathed by the recent financial crisis and boasts rising...
Aureos boosts NEP with $5m
Aureos South-East Asia Managers has injected $5 million in Malaysian water filtration company NEP to help expand its water filter rental scheme to China and throughout the ASEAN region.
Greenpark opens Hong Kong office; appoints Asia head
Mid-market private equity secondaries firm Greenpark Capital has launched a new office in Hong Kong which will be overseen by ex-Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BoAML) MD Chin Chin Teoh.
Columbia Capital invests $20m in Cloud Sherpas
US venture capital firm Columbia Capital has invested $20 million in Cloud Sherpas, a newly merged cloud computing solutions provider focused on Asia Pacific and the US.
Mekong Capital to launch $150m fund
Private equity firm Mekong Capital plans to launch a new fund with a target of $150 million to tap opportunities in Vietnam’s fast-growing consumer sector.
Axiom raises $1b for third Asia fund-of-funds
Singapore-headquartered independent fund-of-funds manager Axiom Asia Private Capital has reportedly raised more than $1 billion for its third fund.
EQT Partners invests in China Healthcare
EQT Partners has teamed up with the founder of China Healthcare and put in a cash offer to take the Singapore-listed company private. The deal values China Healthcare at S$80.4 million ($64 million).
Sequoia, Accel sell Amobee to SingTel
Sequoia Capital and Accel Partners have agreed to sell US-based mobile advertising start-up Amobee to SingTel, Southeast Asia’s largest cell phone company, for $321 million.
IREIFS Partners re-opens Bangkok office
Paris-based IREIFS Partners Private Equity is reopening its offices in Bangkok to tap opportunities in Thailand’s tourism industry, six years after withdrawing from the market.
Carlyle loses Southeast Asia MD
The Carlyle Group’s Southeast Asia managing director, Anand Balasubrahmanyan, has left the firm after four-and-a-half years, having struggled to source deals in the region. This was conspicuously the case in Indonesia, a market popular with private...
VinaCapital takes full control of BTS towers builder
Vietnam Infrastructure Limited (VNI), a VinaCapital closed-end fund trading on London Stock Exchange sub-market AIM, has increased its stake in in VNC-55 Infrastructure Investment to 100%. VNC-55 specializes in building and leasing Base Transceiver Station...
IFC provides $20m loan to Baring-backed GIIS
International Finance Corp. (IFC) has provided a loan of up to SGD25 million ($20 million) to Global Indian International School (GIIS), which is backed by Baring Private Equity Asia.
An Australian-Asian story
Australia is the exception in Asian private equity: a market in which buyouts are routine, leveraged finance is readily available and entry and exit activity is relatively transparent. It is, one is tempted to say, Japan without the intrigue and inscrutability.
IFC backs Saratoga-led investment in power producer
International Finance Corp. (IFC), the World Bank’s investment arm, has paid up to $25 million for an 11% stake in Indonesian electricity producer Medco Power International (MPI). It is part of a $112 million investment by a Saratoga Capital-led consortium...
MMI relies on US investors for $300m high-yield bond
KKR-owned MMI International successfully issued its $300 million high-yield bond, principally attracting interest from US investors due to their familiarity with the sector and the company’s customer base. The five-year non-call bond was priced at a...
Abraaj Capital buys Aureos to boost emerging markets exposure
Abraaj Capital has acquired Aureos Capital, creating an entity with approximately $7.5 billion in assets under management and 150 investment professionals across 30 countries. The purchase enables Dubai-headquartered Abraaj, which focuses on the Middle...
CyberAgent Ventures backs Vietnam game developer
CyberAgent Ventures has invested an undisclosed sum in Colorbox Software Corporation, a Vietnam company that develops smart phone games for the global market. This is the second investment made through CA Asia Internet Fund, which targets deals in Southeast...
Shaw Kwei in take-private deal for Singapore electronics firm
Shaw Kwei & Partners has delisted electronics manufacturer Beyonics Technology from the Singapore Stock Exchange. This follows a $110 million buyout by Channelview Investment, a subsidiary of the private equity firm.
Profile: Batavia's Patrick Alexander
Patrick Alexander has been in Asia longer than the private equity industry itself. His experiences in Indonesia span Suharto, the Asian financial crisis and the country’s gradual rebirth
Frontier markets: Investing around Asia’s edges
Private equity deal flow in Mongolia, Cambodia and Laos has gone from zero to a steady trickle. When can the region’s frontier markets turn this potential into real momentum?
CapAsia acquired by US hedge fund
Singapore-based private equity infrastructure investor CapAsia has been acquired by The Rohatyn Group (TRG), a US-based hedge fund focused on emerging markets.