Consumer
Niche funds: Finding an angle
China has seen a proliferation of niche funds in recent years as GPs try to stand out from the crowd with differentiated strategies. Are investors – institutions, individuals or governments – buying into the story?
New Zealand's Pencarrow acquires Bell Tea & Coffee
Pencarrow Private Equity has bought Bell Tea & Coffee Company (BTCC), New Zealand’s oldest tea enterprise, from supermarket chain Foodstuffs. Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) is coming in as a significant co-investor, while BTCC’s senior management...
Advent, CDIB, Mirae back The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
Advent International has joined Taiwan's CDIB Capital and Japan's Mirae Asset Private Equity to acquire a significant stake in International Coffee and Tea, the company behind US specialty coffee and tea retailer - The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. The largest...
Fosun buys 35% stake in Italian luxury menswear brand
Fosun International, China’s largest privately-owned conglomerate, has agreed to buy a 35% stake in Italian menswear brand Caruso. Much like Fosun’s investments in other foreign brands, the plan is to support Caruso’s expansion in China.
Nissay Capital invests $1.9m in towel company
Nissay Capital has invested JPY199 million ($1.9 million) in Japanese towel maker, Ikeuchi Towel. The size of the stake acquired was not disclosed.
Meridian Capital invests in China fashion app Ichuanyi
Meridian Capital has committed a Series A round of funding for Chinese fashion and clothing mobile app Ichuanyi.com. The investment size was not disclosed.
Navis in Australia demographics play
Australian politicians have long debated ways to enlarge the country’s tax base as they prepare for the economic ramifications of a spiraling dependency ratio. By 2050 there will be just 2.7 people of working age for each person aged 65 and over, compared...
COFCO PE unit to back Huishan Dairy IPO – report
The PE unit of Chinese food conglomerate COFCO will be among the cornerstone investors in milk producer China Huishan Dairy Holdings, which plans to list in Hong Kong in September.
CFIUS approves Shuanghui acquisition of Smithfield Foods
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) has cleared the way for PE-backed Chinese pork producer Shuanghui International to buy US counterpart Smithfield Foods, overcoming one of the biggest hurdles to the $4.7 billion deal.
Navis buys Australian childcare business from Wolseley
Navis Capital Partners has acquired Australian childcare services provider Guardian Early Learning Group from Wolseley Private Equity with a view to helping the 69-center chain double in size. The transaction value was not disclosed but sources indicate...
Carlyle, Milestone, Orchid Asia among cornerstones for China Tenwow IPO
The Carlyle Group, Milestone Partners and Orchid Asia will participate as cornerstone investors in the proposed Hong Kong IPO of Chinese packed food and beverage producer Tenwow International. The private equity investors will inject a combined of $92.3...
Grocery tycoon launches China retail fund
After selling his family business, Chinese hypermarket chain Home World Group, Yucun Du was on the lookout for a new project. Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised to learn that he set up a private equity firm.
Morningside, Jingdong invest in Chinese food delivery service Daojia
Existing backer Morningside Ventures and B2C e-commerce site Jingdong (formerly 360Buy) have led a Series C round of investment in Chinese online food ordering platform Daojia. The financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
L Capital Asia eyes bigger deals, mature markets for Fund II
Larger deals, including a few buyouts, are likely to feature more prominently in L Capital Asia’s second regional fund as the GP expands its attention to the more developed markets of Australia, Japan and South Korea, as well as bringing to bear the...
Quadrant backs City Farmers’ tech-based strategy
With a longstanding interest in Australia’s pet supplies industry, Quadrant Private Equity examined all the major independent players in search of a business suitable for rapid scaling up and expansion nationwide. In Perth-headquartered City Farmers,...
TPG-backed China Grand Auto plans $500m Hong Kong IPO – report
TPG Capital-backed China Grand Automotive Group reportedly plans to raise at least $500 million through a Hong Kong IPO early next year.
Morpheus Fund invests $6m in TVC Skyshop
India’s Morpheus Fund has invested INR420 million ($6.17 million) for an 8% stake in direct-to-consumer retailing platform, TVC Skyshop.
PE-backed Australian fashion retailer enters administration
Bleach Group, the Australian parent of fashion brands Insight, Something Else and Ksubi, has been placed into voluntary administration. The company received growth capital investment from US-based Breakwater Investment Management in late 2012.
Rabo, Proparco invest $21m in India’s Prabhat Dairy
Rabo Equity’s India Agribusiness Fund has invested another INR800 million ($12 million) in Prabhat Dairy, while French development finance institution Proparco has committed INR600 million to the company.
Billabong posts $777m loss, brand value drops to zero
Distressed Australian surfwear retailer Billabong International- which is currently negotiating a A$325 million ($290 million) refinancing deal with a consortium led by Altamont Capital Partners - has booked a net loss of A$860 million, while cutting...
JAFCO invests $3m in Japan online laundry service
JAFCO Ventures has invested JPY300 million ($3 million) in White Plus, the Japanese start-up behind Lenet, an online laundry delivery service.
KKR, TPG drop out of ParknShop bidding – report
KKR and a consortium featuring TPG Capital consortium have reportedly been dropped from the auction of ParknShop, the Hong Kong supermarket chain owned by Hutchison Whampoa.
Taiwan GPs: Cross-strait strategies
Taiwanese GPs are looking for investments in the higher growth markets of mainland China. But how do they differentiate themselves from Chinese private equity firms chasing similar deals?
SAIF Partners, Telescope hold first close on China retail growth fund
SAIF Partners and China Telescope Investments have reached a first close of RMB300 million ($49 million) on their China retail growth fund. The vehicle - Telescope Consumer Growth Fund I – will support the development of retail and consumer products,...