Asia
Asia PE fundraising falls 28% in 2019
Capital committed to Asia-focused private equity managers fell 28% year-on-year to $104.4 billion in 2019, largely due to a drop-off in activity in the pan-regional buyout and venture capital segments. Investments and exits were also down on the previous...
GPs need more than just an ESG mindset
Private equity firms must move beyond approaching investments simply with an ESG mindset and cultivate a more results-driven approach to environment, social and governance issues, industry participants told the Hong Kong Venture Capital & Private Equity...
To pastures new: Asia PE people moves
A selection of the transfers, promotions, arrivals and departures in the private equity community in 2019
Timeline: 2019 by numbers
A selection of the key fundraising, investment and exit events - presented in chronological order - from the past 12 months
Q&A: Permira's Kurt Bjorklund
Kurt Bjorklund, a co-managing partner at Permira, explains how a sector-focused investment style is becoming indispensable in Asia’s competitive and disruption-prone markets
Asia edges developed markets on PE performance - study
Private markets investors in Asia have outperformed their developed markets peers in four out of the last six years in terms of IRR, with the once substantial gap in median distributions also narrowing, according to analysis by Hamilton Lane.
PE industry associations: The advocates
Private equity’s increasing politicization globally and its expanding role in economies across Asia has put pressure on industry networking associations to do more in terms of public engagement
KKR announces eight promotions in Asia
Chung Ho Park, a member of KKR’s private equity team and co-head of the firm’s Korea business, has been promoted to partner level. A further seven Asia-based professionals, across different strategies, were named managing directors.
LPs and secondaries: Subliminal stimulation
Global economic and political themes are exerting an almost invisible undertow on LP participation in the secondaries market. The boom in Asia will be touched but not redirected
MBK sets $6.5b hard cap for fifth North Asia fund
MBK Partners is looking to become the sixth pan-Asian private equity manager to cross the $6 billion threshold, having set the hard cap for its fifth fund at $6.5 billion.
Impact investment: Gray areas
The notion of delivering measurable positive social and environmental impact while simultaneously generating risk-adjusted financial returns has struck a chord with many LPs. But impact strategies can still be a tough sell
Baring Asia to buy Lumenis from XIO for $1b
Baring Private Equity Asia has agreed to buy Lumenis, an Israel-headquartered medical devices manufacturer that counts Asia as its largest market, from XIO Group for a valuation of $1 billion.
Hamilton Lane appoints Asia investment heads
Hamilton Lane has named Mingchen Xia (pictured) and Collwyn Tan as co-heads of the firm’s investment business in Asia. They already cover fund investments and co-investments, respectively, in the region.
KKR targets $12.5b for fourth pan-Asian fund
KKR is looking to raise $12.5 billion for its fourth pan-Asian fund. It is likely to be the largest-ever Asia-focused, US dollar-denominated fundraise, surpassing Hillhouse Capital’s $10.6 billion close last year.
NewQuest collects $1b for Asia secondaries fund
NewQuest Capital Partners has closed its fourth secondaries fund at the revised hard cap of $1 billion, comfortably exceeding the $540 million raised in the previous vintage.
Uncertain times: The outlook for Asia
Private equity activity is lagging in Asia across fundraising, investment and exits as a result of political and economic headwinds. But there is still appetite for new managers and strategies
LPs going direct 'not a front of mind issue' in Asia - AVCJ Forum
Large institutional investors pursuing direct deals on a solo basis represents a logical evolution of the private equity industry and shouldn’t necessarily be regarded as a threat, Asia-focused buyout managers told the AVCJ Forum.
Fundraising gap impedes mid-market exits – AVCJ Forum
Polarization in fundraising has left middle-market investors with difficult options for realizing exits, according to industry participants at the AVCJ Forum.
GPs see specialization as antidote to challenging market - AVCJ Forum
Investors at the AVCJ Forum offered optimistic outlooks for 2020 but said tighter deal markets would demand specialization in defensive sectors and a closer watch on valuations.
Asian outposts: LPs see value in a local presence
Few institutional investors have the scale, resources or mandate to establish private markets platforms within Asia. Those that do are looking to make it pay off through co-investment
LPs rank attitude higher than policy in ESG – AVCJ Forum
Investing with an environmental, social, and governance (ESG) mindset in Asia is more important than having an ESG policy, LPs told the AVCJ ESG Forum.
Due diligence & psychology: Internal audit
PE investors – whether they are putting money into companies or funds – must apply more psychologically informed tactics to remain competitive. It is the industry’s most intellectual frontier
Investcorp backs $500m Asia food fund
Investcorp has teamed up with China Resources and Fung Investments, the private investment arm of the founding family of Hong Kong consumer goods and supply chain conglomerate Fung Group, to raise a $500 million Asia food fund.
Q&A: TPG's Jon Winkelried
Jon Winkelried, co-CEO of TPG, on taking the helm at a founder-led firm, finding growth opportunities in complementary strategies, and negotiating a difficult year for the Rise Fund