Sectors
MBK no longer in running for Korea's Hi-Mart
MBK Partners is no longer the preferred bidder for South Korean electronics retailer Hi-Mart, having walked away from the auction after due diligence uncovered a worse than expected decline in the business.
AIF invests in Southeast Asian consumer packaging firm
AIF Capital has completed a $40 million investment in Pacific Plas, one of the largest participants in Southeast Asia’s resin distribution and consumer packaging markets. AIF is the first private equity investor in the Singapore-based family-owned company....
Gresham in talks to sell Witchery to Country Road
Australia-listed fashion and homeware retailer Country Road has confirmed it is in talks with Gresham Private Equity about the potential acquisition of clothing brands Witchery and Mimco.
Standard Chartered PE acquires 13.5% stake in Trikomsel
Hong Kong-based Standard Chartered Private Equity has acquired a 13.5% stake in Trikomsel Oke, an Indonesian retailer of mobile telecommunications devices.
Micron beats TPG, Hony to acquire Elpida
Micron Technology has beat potential investors including TPG Capital and Hony Capital to acquire Japan’s Elpida Memory for about $2.5 billion, in a move to compete against rivals in South Korea and Taiwan.
PE-backed China Yongda returns with scaled down IPO
China Yongda Automobile Services has re-launched its IPO a month after pulling out of the Hong Kong listing due to weak market demand. The company has reduced its price to HK$6.60 per share, down from a range of HK$7.60-10.80, and cut the size of the...
EB Private Equity abandons David Jones takeover bid
Little-known UK-based investor EB Private Equity has withdrawn its takeover bid for David Jones, Australia’s second-largest department store chain. The group initially submitted an offer of A$1.52 billion ($1.55 billion) in May and later increased it...
Sprint Capital backs Australian coal miner
Sprint Capital has invested A$36 million ($36.4 million) for a 25% stake in Australian mining company Stanmore Coal. Capital from the Hong Kong-based private equity firm, which specializes in mining and natural resources sector transactions, will go towards...
Translink, Vangoo back Chinese mobile ad platform with $12m
Silicon Valley-based Translink Capital and Japan’s Vangoo Investment Partners have led a $12 million Series B round of funding for Chinese mobile-based advertising platforms Adwo.
Opportunities abound in aerospace and defense - study
Private equity investment opportunities abound in Asia Pacific’s aerospace and defense industries, according to analysis by research and consulting firm Frost & Sullivan.
VIDEO: Sterling Partners' Eric Becker
Some private equity firms in emerging Asian markets still shirk at being labeled specialist, arguing that a narrow focus risks missing out on a wealth of growth opportunities. The US, several decades down the line in terms of the private equity development...
Groupon's China business to merge with Tencent
Group-buying website Groupon is merging its China operations, known as Gaopeng, with a similar site owned by domestic internet company Tencent Holdings. Gaopeng was created in late 2010 as a joint venture between Groupon and Tencent. The Tencent Collaboration...
Sequoia, SAP Ventures back Just Dial after IPO pulled
Sequoia Capital and SAP Ventures have invested INR3.27 billion ($57 million) in Indian listings provider Just Dial after the company’s IPO, scheduled for this month, was delayed until 2013.
CNEI secures 9.4x return on partial exit from Liyuan Aluminum
China New Enterprise Investment (CNEI) has completed a partial exit from Jilin Liyuan Aluminum, one of the country’s leading aluminum extrusion product manufacturers, securing a 9.4x gross return.
KKR takes majority stake in Australia's GenesisCare
KKR has picked up a 63% interest in Australia’s GenesisCare, which provides services to patients with cancer and cardiovascular disease. It represents the latest in a string of healthcare sector deals by private equity firms, with TPG Capital and The...
General Mobile gets $5m from Singtel Innov8, Mitsui
SingTel Innov8 and Japan’s Mitsui & Co. have led a $5 million round of funding for General Mobile, a company that provides mobile internet services to customers in emerging markets. Existing investors in General Mobile include Taiwan-based MediaTek, a...
CVC buys into C.Banner's organic growth story
Over the course of 17 years, C.Banner Holdings has become China’s third-largest ladies footwear retailer, building up a network of more than 1,800 outlets and four self-developed brands. Growth has been entirely organic: Chinese retailers habitually engage...
Hopu sees slim return on Mengniu investment
Four years on from the tainted milk scandal that cost the lives of six infants and hospitalized hundreds more, the memories still loom large over the dairy industry.
Indian deal values increase in first quarter - PwC
The value of private equity deals in India jumped 57% during the first three months of this year compared to the fourth quarter of 2011, according to a new report. The number of deals decreased 24% over the same period, however.
India embraces e-payment
With established market leaders in India’s mainstream e-payment space, VCs are targeting opportunities in the unbanked and mobile payment markets
Indian microfinance: Back from the brink
The dust is finally starting to settle on the suicide scandals that rocked Indian microfinance in late 2010. Is the industry still an attractive proposition for private equity?
MineralTree in $6.3m round led by Fidelity India
Fidelity Growth Partners India has led a $6.3 financing round for Boston-based MineralTree, which provides cloud-based secure payments services for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Existing investor .406 Ventures also participated.
Morgan Stanley invests $210m in Continuum Wind Energy
Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners has agreed to buy a majority stake in Continuum Wind Energy for INR12 billion ($210 million). The Singapore-based company, which was set up Essar Group executive Vikas Saraf and investment banker Arvind Bansal, runs...
Billabong poised for takeover as share price tumbles
Australian surfwear retailer Billabong International saw its stock slump 36% when it resumed trading on Monday following a heavily discounted $225 million rights issue. The company is now worth less than one third of the value of TPG Capital’s A$841 million...