Australia
Australia's Potentia contests Nitro merger plan
Potentia Capital has appealed a decision by Australia’s Takeovers Panel not to intervene in a situation that has seen Nitro Software repeatedly rebuff acquisition proposals made by the private equity firm.
Reefknot leads Series A for Singapore logistics player Locad
Singapore-based logistics service provider Locad has raised USD 11m in Series A funding led by Reefknot Investments, which is supported by Temasek Holdings and supply chain giant Kuehne + Nagel.
4Q analysis: Who wants China?
Pan-regional GPs get traction by highlighting their Asia ex-China credentials; buyouts rebound as growth capital – and China – continue to recede; India impresses with bumper exit proceeds
Labour shortages: Tales from north and south
Australia and Japan are facing extreme labour shortages. In the former, GPs can survive on policy support and emergency manoeuvres. In the latter, fundamental strategy shifts are a more immediate imperative
Deal focus: Anchorage gets Aussie icon for a song
Anchorage Capital Partners has acquired David Jones, a longstanding and beloved Australian department store chain, for one-fourth the cost of recent renovation work at a single location
ICG invests in Korea's Big Mama Seafood
Intermediate Capital Group (ICG) has announced a second deal in three weeks from its fourth Asia fund – which closed last year on USD 1.1bn – with a commitment of undisclosed size to Korea-based Big Mama Seafood.
Australia's PEP ups target for latest secure assets fund
Pacific Equity Partners (PEP) has increased the target for its second Australia and New Zealand-focused secure assets fund to AUD 1.4bn (USD 949m), while pursuing a deal that would round off Fund I and fall into Fund II.
Australia's Potentia backs telecoms technology player
Australia’s Potentia Capital has paid AUD 66.3m (USD 44.9m) for a 25% stake in Soprano Design, a local mobile messaging technology provider that counts Telstra and AT&T as its carrier partners.
Quadrant buys Australian healthcare equipment supplier
Quadrant Private Equity has bought a majority interest in Aidacare, an Australia-based distributor of healthcare equipment, with a view to supporting domestic and international growth.
Anchorage buys Australian department store chain David Jones
Anchorage Capital Partners has agreed to buy Australian department store chain David Jones from South Africa-listed Woolworths Holdings (WHL).
Australia’s Heal Partners closes debut fund on $137m
Australia’s Heal Partners, a health, education, and lifestyle-focused venture capital firm, has closed its first fund on AUD 200m (USD 137m). The target was AUD 100m.
2023 preview: Australia PE
Market pressures on Australian businesses, including an increasingly serious labour shortage, are a challenge and opportunity for domestic private equity. So is China, but in less discernible ways
Australia's Potentia pursues two technology take-privates
Australia-based specialist B2B technology investor Potentia Capital appears to be continuing its pursuit of two listed companies – Nitro Software and Tyro Payments – despite several rejections.
Hillhouse buys Australia CRO George Clinical
Hillhouse Capital has agreed to buy George Clinical, an Australia-based clinical research organisation (CRO) with a global footprint, for an undisclosed sum.
Square Peg, Wellington back Australia's Rokt at $2.4b valuation
Square Peg Capital and Wellington Management have led a AUD 750m (USD 501m) investment in Australian e-commerce marketing technology provider Rokt at a valuation of USD 2.4bn.
LP appetite for Asia weakens - survey
Institutional investor interest in Asia has fallen significantly over the past two years, according to a survey conducted by Probitas Partners, with pan-regional funds, venture capital, and single country-focused funds among the least popular strategies...
Thoma Bravo raises $32b for deployment in software
Thoma Bravo, a specialist investor in software companies, has closed its latest set of buyout funds with more than USD 32.4bn in commitments. This compares to USD 22.8bn in the previous vintage.
Australian needle-free vaccine start-up raises $23m
OneVentures and UniQuest have led a AUD 34m (USD 23m) funding round for Vaxxas, an Australia-based biotechnology company running clinical programmes that include a needle-free COVID-19 vaccine candidate.
Deal focus: Prosperity7 widens mandate with Australia’s Vow
Prosperity7 Ventures has well and truly escaped its energy sector roots, leading a hefty early-stage round for Australia’s Vow, a company making cell-cultured meat with a twist
Superfunds top-up Series B for Australia's Morse Micro
Five Australian superannuation funds have backed a AUD 30m (USD 20.4m) investment in local Wi-Fi chipmaker Morse Micro, extending a recent Series B round to AUD 170m.
AirTree, Greycroft back Australia's FrankieOne
Australia’s AirTree Ventures and US-based Greycroft have led a AUD 23m (USD 15.5m) investment in Melbourne-based fraud prevention platform FrankieOne, lifting its Series A round to AUD 45.7m.
