Australia
Beijing Capital Group beats Carlyle to TPI’s New Zealand business
Beijing Capital Group, a Chinese state-owned enterprise principally involved in infrastructure, has outmuscled bidders including The Carlyle Group to buy Transpacific Industries Group’s (TPI) New Zealand waste management business for NZ$950 million...
Australia’s Quadrant in $758m quick-fire fundraise
Australian GP Quadrant Private Equity has closed its seventh fund at A$850 million ($758 million) after just over one month in the market. The vehicle was two times oversubscribed with interest from both domestic and offshore investors.
Carlyle vies with local, Chinese bidders for Transpacific NZ - report
The Carlyle Group is expected to face competition for Transpacific Industries Group's New Zealand waste management unit from a competing bid from a local consortium involving two Maori tribes.
Australia's CHAMP PE names John Haddock CEO
CHAMP Private Equity has appointed John Haddock as its first CEO. He will assume responsibility for the Australian GP’s investment program together with day-to-day management of the firm, while continuing the deal origination and portfolio management...
PE-invested mining services provider enters administration
The Anywhere Group (TAG), an Australian provider of temporary accommodation for the mining sector, has gone into administration owing Singapore-based PE firm Crest Capital Asia A$9.5 million ($8.4 million).
Q&A: HarbourVest's Sebastiaan van den Berg
Sebastiaan van den Berg, managing director and head of Asia at HarbourVest Partners, discusses his expectations for Australian deal flow, best practice for IPO exits, and co-investment opportunities
Australia buyouts: Patience is a virtue
Due to a combination of factors, not least the revival in Australia’s public markets, mid-market private equity deal flow was slower in 2013 than previous years. GPs are waiting for conditions to become more opportune
The IT crowd: Australia embraces crowdfunding
Australia has embraced crowdfunding as a supplement to an early-stage traditional VC market that has yet to regain its former strength. Industry participants are seeking differentiation and deregulation
Australia distress: Sifting the strain
The low-hanging fruit created by the post-global financial crisis troubles of highly-leveraged Australian companies has mostly been picked. Distress investors are looking in smaller and less obvious places
Australian pension funds: Indecent disclosure?
The Australian government is expected to halt and wind back superannuation fund disclosure requirements that go beyond global norms. Industry participants are hopeful for the best, but mindful of the worst
Q&A: HESTA's Andrew Major & QIC's Marcus Simpson
Andrew Major, general manager for investments at HESTA and Marcus Simpson, head of global private equity at QIC, share their views on PE performance and where the best investment opportunities lie
That was then, this is now
From 2006 or thereabouts, Australia suddenly became the destination in Asia for GPs focused on leveraged buyout deals. In the space of 12 months, private equity investment in the country jumped from $2.5 billion to more than $16 billion.
EQT buys restructured I-Med from hedge fund owners
Australian radiology provider I-Med Network Radiology is being sold by its hedge fund owners to a consortium led by EQT Partners.
Artesian launches Australian crowdfunding platform
Early-stage venture capital firm Artesian Venture Partners has launched its equity-based crowdfunding platform – VentureCrowd – in Australia with over 200 registered investors and 36 start-ups.
Quadrant nears IPOs for Burson Auto, iSentia - report
Two Quadrant Private Equity portfolio companies - Burson Auto Parts and iSentia - are said to be on course for IPOs.
Adveq buys into Australia’s king of crops
The term "real assets" doesn't generally conjure up images of almonds. And these assets aren’t widely available. California, Spain and Australia account for around 80% of a global almond market set to be worth $5 billion in 2013.
Investors eye Australian engineering carve-out
Australia-listed engineering firm UGL is weighing offers for its property service unit DTZ, just over two years after it bought the UK business from administrators in a GBP77.5 million (A$129.5 million) deal.
Israeli crowdfunding platform launches in Australia
OurCrowd, an Israeli equity crowd-funding platform set up by serial entrepreneur Jon Medved, has established operations in Australia.
Quadrant exits Australia, New Zealand home equity release assets
Quadrant Private Equity has agreed to sell Seniors Money International’s (SMI) New Zealand and Australian home equity release mortgage businesses to New Zealand’s Heartland Bank for NZ$87 million ($72.8 million).
Ex-PEP executive to lead Social Ventures Australia
Rob Koczkar, formerly a managing director at Pacific Equity Partners (PEP), has been appointed CEO of Social Ventures Australia (SVA), a non-profit organization that makes strategic investments designed to generate education and employment opportunities...
Adveq in $200m Australia almonds play
Adveq’s real assets division has completed the purchase of 18,000 hectares of almond orchards in Australia for A$211 million ($200 million) from commodities conglomerate Olam International. Municipal Employees’ Retirement System of Michigan and Danica...
Catalyst completes cool exit
Throughout last year's election campaign, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott pledged to repeal the country’s carbon tax on taking office. Five months on, he has yet to do it and the debate rumbles on as to whether the drop in emissions – 0.3% for...
Sunsuper acquires remaining holiday parks stake, PE exits
Sunsuper, the Australian superannuation fund, has acquired control of Discovery Holiday Parks, paving an exit for Next Capital, Allegro Funds and Macquarie Funds. The deal, which values the asset at A$240 million ($215 million), will see Sunsuper raise...
Halifax-backed Envision Pharma acquires Australia's ProScribe
Envision Pharma Group, a scientific communication company backed by US-based private equity firm The Halifax Group, has acquired Australian medical writing firm ProSribe in a move to expand its Asian footprint.