Sectors
KKR acquires Panasonic healthcare unit for $1.67b
KKR has agreed to acquire an 80% stake in Panasonic Healthcare, a unit of the Japanese electronics giant, for JPY165 billion ($1.67 billion) - the buyout firm's biggest deal in the country to date.
Malaysia’s Khazanah invests in Beijing Enterprises Water Group
Mount Reskit Investments, a wholly-owned unit owned by Malaysian sovereign fund Khazanah Nasional, plans to invest HK$1.18 billion ($152 million) in Beijing Enterprises Water Group. Upon completion, it will hold a 4.95% stake in the state-owned water...
Australia’s Wolseley exits magazine publisher to trade buyer
Wolseley Private Equity has completed its second exit in a month with the sale of Australian magazine publisher nextmedia to Forum Media Group.
KPCB, IPV back Singapore stock market app Series A round
Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers (KPCB) and IPV Capital have together led a $10 million Series A round for MyHero, the Singapore-based start-up behind the stock market simulation app TradeHero.
VC-backed Montage raises $71m in US IPO, closes up on first day trading
Montage Technology Group, a China-based semiconductor manufacturer backed by AsiaVest Partners and Intel Capital, saw its stock jump 28% to close at $12.80 on its first day of trading on NASDAQ. It is the second PE-invested Chinese company to go public...
HK’s Shining Capital leads $40m JustFab Series C round
Hong Kong-based Shining Capital Management has led a $40 million Series C round of funding for US-based fashion subscription e-commerce retailer JustFab. Existing backers Matrix Partners, Rho Ventures, Technology Crossover Ventures and Intelligent Beauty...
Fosun, Axa's Club Med takeover delayed
Axa Private Equity and China’s Fosun International have suffered a setback in their takeover of France-based vacation resort operator Club Méditerranée (Club Med), as French regulators decided not to rule on shareholder opposition to the deal before...
Alibaba acquires VC-backed cloud computing Kanbox
Alibaba Group has agreed to buy Kanbox, a Chinese cloud storage service provider backed by Susquehanna Asia Investment and DCM. The value of the deal was not disclosed.
Japan's Lixil acquires TPG-backed faucet maker Grohe
Lixil Group, a Japanese toilet manufacturer, has agreed to acquire Grohe, a German maker of faucets backed by TPG Capital and the private equity arm of Credit Suisse (formerly CSFB Private Equity), for JPY400 billion ($4 billion).
Japan's KDDI, Cisco lead $10m Series A for Moxtra
Japanese telecom firm KDDI Corp and US tech giant Cisco Systems have led a $10 million Series A round of investment for Silicon Valley-based app developer Moxtra. Other investors include China's Innovation Works and Starwood Capital's Barry Sternlicht.
Ant Capital invests $11m in construction software firm Kozo Keikaku
Japanese private equity firm Ant Capital Partners has agreed to acquire a 30.4% stake in Japan-listed construction software developer Kozo Keikaku Engineering from existing shareholders for JPY1.15 billion ($11 million).
TPG exits China leasing business to Haitong Securities for $715m
TPG Capital has agreed to sell Chinese financial leasing business UT Capital Group to Haitong International Holdings for approximately $715 million. It brings to an end a five-year ownership period during which UT Capital has expanded its activity from...
Horizons Ventures backs Zoom Video Series B round
Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-Shing’s Horizons Ventures, which is known for investments in Facebook and Skype, has led a $6.5 million Series B funding round for Zoom Video Communication, a California-based cloud conferencing operator.
PE-backed Cheniere Energy Partners files for $690m IPO
Cheniere Energy Partners (CEP) - a subsidiary of Cheniere Energy, a US liquefied natural gas (LNG) company backed by Hong Kong's RRJ Capital and Blackstone credit arm GSO Capital - hopes to raise as much as $690million through an IPO on the New York Stock...
CIC takes 12% stake in Russian potash producer
China Investment Corp. (CIC) is now the second largest shareholder in Russia's Uralkali - the world's biggest potash producer - after it converted bond holdings into equity equivalent to a 12.5% stake.
Shareholders approve Shuanghui's $4.7b acquisition of Smithfield Foods
Shareholders of US pork producer Smithfield Foods have approved the company's $4.7 billion acquisition by its PE-backed Chinese counterpart Shuanghui International.
Malaysia launches $100m clean tech fund
Malaysia has teamed up with Japan-based Asian Energy Investments to form a $100 million venture capital fund to invest in clean technology in South East Asia.
Q&A: Standard Chartered Bank's Andrew Yee
Andrew Yee, global head of infrastructure at Standard Chartered Bank's principal finance division, gives his views on investment opportunities across Asia, where private equity must work in and around large corporates
Indonesia: Infrastructure gridlock
There is substantial demand for infrastructure investment in Indonesia and plenty of opportunities to participate, yet progress is slow. Does the does the sector still hold promise for private equity?
China cleantech: Addressing overcapacity
China's cleantech sector was the factory to the world, churning out solar panels and wind turbines for export. After the bottom fell out of the market, domestic demand took center stage - how is PE responding?
India cleantech: Expansion time
PE-backed companies have carved out a sizable share of India's nascent renewable power production sector, particularly in the wind space. The quickest to scale up will gain a competitive advantage
The Asia real assets story
It is difficult to tell whether Asia is at the beginning of a real assets story or negotiating a transition phase somewhere around the middle. "Real assets" is such an all-encompassing term, taking in everything from forestry to energy to real estate,...
MSPEA-backed privatization of Yongye wins board approval
A $339 million management buyout offer for Yongye International, supported by Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia (MSPEA), has won board approval. The US-listed Chinese animal and plant feed maker is now set to be taken private, pending a shareholder vote.
KKR, CDH invest in $140m China dairy farm joint venture
KKR has completed its first majority investment in China, partnering with CDH Investments and China Modern Dairy in a $140 million greenfield farming joint venture that will deliver premium raw milk to domestic consumers.