Australia
Deal focus: Airwallex plots Asia payments expansion
Airwallex recently became Australia's newest unicorn following a $100 million Series C round, but the company's growth is largely based on an understanding of Chinese demand. Regional expansion is now the priority
Fund focus: Hostplus' diversification drive
Australia's Hostplus partners with Natixis-backed Flexstone Partners for an investment program focused on backing middle-market US managers
Australia's Airwallex achieves unicorn status
Australian financial technology company Airwallex has received a $100 million Series C round led by DST Global at a valuation of more than $1 billion.
CHAMP PE buys Australian defense sector supplier
CHAMP Private Equity is set to become the first Australian GP to invest in a company with significant exposure to the local defense sector, following an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Marand Precision Engineering.
Australia's Hostplus establishes US emerging managers program
Australian superannuation fund Hostplus has launched an investment program focused on middle-market US private equity managers with Flexstone Partners, a PE unit of Natixis.
Australia's BGH closes in on Navitas buyout
Australian education services provider Navitas has agreed to a A$2.1 billion ($1.5 billion) buyout offer from BGH Capital, AustralianSuper, and Rod Jones, the company’s co-founder and CEO.
M12 leads Series B for Australian training platform
M12, the VC arm of Microsoft, has led an approximately $21 million Series B round for GO1, an Australian workforce services technology start-up focused on corporate training.
Australia's King River launches debut VC fund
Newly established Australian venture capital firm King River Capital has confirmed the launch of its debut fund and two initial investments.
UK-based CD Capital acquires Australia's Verdant Minerals
CD Capital, a natural resources and mining-focused private equity firm based in the UK, has agreed to acquire Australian mining operation Verdant Minerals in a deal that values the company at A$40.5 million ($28.6 million).
Australian LPs struggle to recruit PE talent - AVCJ Forum
Recruitment is the biggest challenge for Australian institutional investors as they look to deepen their participation in private equity, senior executives told the AVCJ Australia & New Zealand Forum.
Australian LPs strengthen GP ties through co-investment - AVCJ Forum
Australian LPs want to establish deep relationships with portfolio GPs – where they can play an additive role in the investment management process – and see co-investment as one of the best ways of achieving this.
Australia's Future Fund recruits Alicia Gregory as PE head
Australia’s Future Fund has appointed Alicia Gregory as its new head of private equity. She currently occupies the same position at MLC, operator of the country’s largest retail superannuation fund.
KKR-owned AVC backs Coles' Australia liquor retail business
KKR-owned hospitality venue operator AVC has agreed to invest A$200 million ($141 million) in a joint venture with the liquor business of Australia supermarket Coles.
Salesforce launches $50m Australia VC fund
US-based enterprise software giant Salesforce has launched a $50 million venture capital fund focused on Australian technology start-ups.
Australia cross-border: Fool me once
Asian markets continue to represent an attractive destination for Australian PE-backed companies, but investors will need to show increasingly skeptical buyers that their cross-border plans have borne fruit
Australia financial regulation: Compliance conundrum
Proposed reforms could redraw Australia’s financial services landscape as tougher regulatory requirements see banks back away from certain areas. PE investors want to pick up the pieces
Japanese strategic to buy Australia's Allied Pinnacle from PEP
Pacific Equity Partners (PEP) has exited Allied Pinnacle, an Australia-based roll-up of multiple bakery supply investments, to Japanese strategic Nisshin Foods.
Australia VC: Debutantes' ball
Long timeframes of incremental growth from a shallow base will test the staying power of a new generation of Australian venture capital funds. But confidence is running high
Q&A: Allegro Funds' Chester Moynihan
Chester Moynihan, founding partner of Australia-based turnaround specialist Allegro Funds, discusses deal sourcing, the impact of credit funds, and developing a coherent approach to operations
Australia co-investment: Too close for comfort?
Most Australian institutional investors want to participate in deals alongside private equity managers, but few have the bandwidth to do it effectively. Recruitment and risk controls are the key obstacles
Australia's Quadrant plans $215m growth fund
Quadrant Private Equity is planning to raise a A$300 million ($215 million) fund focused on growth equity investments in small and medium-sized enterprises in Australia.
Australia's Brambles offloads crates business to ADIA, Triton
Australian container supplier Brambles has agreed to sell its global reusable plastic crates (RPC) business to Europe-based GP Trion and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) for $2.5 billion.
Australia's Artesian launches $36m agtech fund
Australia’s Artesian Venture Partners and government-backed Grains Research & Development Corporation (GRDC) have launched a A$50 million ($36 million) agriculture technology VC fund.
Fund focus: EVP mines Australia's budding VC space
Driven by an existing portfolio that includes workforce management platform Deputy, Australia's EVP successfully tapped high net worth investors for its $25 million second fund