Asia
HQ raises $250m for Asia secondaries fund
HQ Capital has closed an Asia-focused secondaries fund at the hard cap of $250 million as part of an oversubscribed global fundraising drive that has received $674 million in third-party commitments.
Lilly Asia leads $25m round for US-based Avedro
Lilly Asia Ventures (LAV) has led a $25 million round for Avedro, a US-based ophthalmic pharmaceutical and medical devices company with a view to expanding in Asia.
CVC buys currency trading platform to support Asia expansion
CVC Capital Partners has agreed to acquire currency trading platform Oanda Global Corporation with a view to helping the company further develop its business in Asia.
EV in Asia: Easy riders
Higher scooter and motorcycle use rates in Asia suggest an opening for the region to take the lead in clean mobility. Early investors in electric two-wheelers have outlined the opportunity
CPPIB promotes Kim in Asia leadership reshuffle
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) has promoted Suyi Kim to the role of senior managing director and head of Asia Pacific, along with additional changes in the firm’s Asian leadership.
Valuation standards: Counting their blessings
Asian GPs’ portfolio valuation practices remain largely opaque, despite the value of standard frameworks. LP demand will be key to moving the industry in a more transparent direction
PAG targets $4.5b for third Asian fund
PAG Asia Capital is looking to raise $4.5 billion for its third pan-regional fund, reflecting the trend among Asia’s top-tier managers to push for ever larger pools of capital.
LP interview: Hermes GPE
Hermes GPE has fine-tuned its co-investment strategy since establishing a presence in Asia. Iesan Tsai, the group’s regional head, will work with portfolio GPs or fund-less sponsors in pursuit of the right deal
1Q analysis: The inevitable slow start
Traditional buyouts slip into the shade, allowing education and technology to shine; China IPOs and secondary buyouts stay strong in a weak exit market; fundraising suffers an early-year blip
Private equity AGMs: In the spotlight
The quality of a private equity firm’s AGM says a lot about the quality of the firm itself. LPs make their assessments based on informal conversations and observations as much as what happens on stage
Ryan Shelswell to replace Chris Heine as ICG's Asia head
Ryan Shelswell has been named head of Asia Pacific at Intermediate Capital Group (ICG), succeeding Chris Heine, who will retire from the company.
Temasek, Sailing lead $114m round for Impossible Foods
Singapore’s Temasek Holdings and China’s Sailing Capital have led a $114 million round for Impossible Foods, a US-based vegetarian food technology company currently expanding into Asia.
Macquarie closes Asia infra fund at $3.3b
Australia’s Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA) has achieved a final close for its second Asia-focused infrastructure fund at the hard cap of $3.3 billion.
Victory Park, IFC launch emerging markets fintech fund
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has committed $25 million to a fund that it will co-manage with US-based Victory Park Capital. The fund will improve access to debt capital for financial technology companies in emerging markets, including Asia.
Partners Group launches impact investment strategy
Partners Group has launched a dedicated impact investment strategy designed to achieve attractive risk-adjusted financial returns alongside measurable, positive social and environmental impact.
PAG sells GP stake to Blackstone fund
The Blackstone Group’s Strategic Capital Holdings Fund has acquired a minority interest in Asia-focused alternative investment firm PAG for an undisclosed sum.
Asia risk: Bullish on the brink
Investors appear to be discounting Asia risk in the face of rising political concerns, ranging from North Korea to Myanmar
VIDEO: The Carlyle Group's Daniel D'Aniello
Daniel D'Aniello, co-founder and chairman emeritus of The Carlyle Group, discusses the evolution of private equity
Secondaries: Holding patterns
Advisory firms focused on private equity secondaries are confident that Asia will fulfill its potential as an expansion market for their services. They will not be able to effectively seize the opportunity remotely
Impact agenda: Attracting institutional capital
Global PE firms are launching impact funds tailored to appeal to institutional investors that have so far largely ignored the space. There will be growing pains, but the benefits should be wide-ranging
HarbourVest closes flagship fund-of-funds at $1.7b
HarbourVest Partners has closed its latest fund-of-funds targeting European and Asian markets with $1.7 billion in commitments.
Asia GPs must spend more time, effort extracting value - survey
Asian PE investors must accustom themselves to longer holding periods and more aggressive value creation initiatives if they are to achieve their target returns in a pricey market, according to Bain & Company.
OTPP appoints Asia head
Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP) has appointed Datuk Ben Chan, formerly of Malaysia’s Khazanah Nasional, as regional managing director for Asia Pacific.
Augentius appoints new Asia head
Fund administrator Augentius has appointed Jimmy Leong as managing director for Asia following the departure of Alexander Traub to Alter Domus.