Bain & Company
Generative AI in due diligence: Crunching new numbers
Private equity is rediscovering artificial intelligence as a due diligence tool in the wake of ChatGPT. Data security, legal, and technical risks have curbed uptake somewhat, less so for venture
Japan M&A: Go digital, go global
Panasonic moved from hardware to software with the acquisition of Blue Yonder, a path that other Japanese corporates are expected to follow. PE investors can sell to them or work with them
Japan buyouts: Bucking the trend
Japan remains a private equity hotspot despite muted buyout activity elsewhere in Asia. Take-private and sponsor-to-sponsor opportunities make for a more textured local market
Asia GPs must get smarter on target selection, costs - Bain & Co
Careful target selection – based on geography and sector – and increased emphasis on cost controls during ownership will be critical factors for Asian private equity investors as the industry braces for a downturn, according to Bain & Company.
Southeast Asia VC: Drought survivors
As weaker sentiment for technology risk cools venture capital markets globally, Southeast Asia is lagging in limbo. Investors remain bullish but continue to hold their fire amidst questions around valuations
Value in adversity: Australia’s operational challenge
With Australia poised for a rarely-seen period of economic difficulty, the operational capabilities developed by domestic private equity firms will be put to the test
Bain & Co appoints new Asia PE practice co-head
Bain & Company has named Sebastien Lamy, who has been with the firm for over 20 years and most recently focused on Asia infrastructure investment, as co-head of its regional private equity practice.
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
Campbell Lutyens recruits Suvir Varma as Asia chairman
Suvir Varma, formerly head of Bain & Company’s financial investor practice in Asia Pacific, has been appointed chairman for Asia Pacific at placement agent Campbell Lutyens.
Taking PE in-house: Less limited partners
Institutional investors continue to pursue more active roles in private equity, even as a souring macro backdrop makes the game harder to play. Talent is always the key variable
Japan carve-outs: Improving the old
Private equity investors are keen to acquire mature but unloved assets from Japanese corporates and reposition them for growth. Execution is seldom straightforward, and size often means complexity
Asia PE firms must get smart, integrated on due diligence - Bain & Co
GPs must take a more comprehensive and integrated approach to due diligence in Asia if they are to find ways of driving operational improvement in companies and justify lofty entry valuations amid mounting economic uncertainty, according to Bain & Company.
Vision Fund: Big is beautiful?
Previously the sole elephant in Asia’s growth-stage technology space, SoftBank’s Vision Fund program is now one of a herd. Prevailing amid increased competition may prove its thesis once and for all
China biotech: Going global
A gradual shift in focus from sourcing assets from overseas for application in China to bringing China-made treatments to the world is challenging the notion of what constitutes a local biotech start-up
China beauty: Service with a smile
Beauty and wellness are at the vanguard of China’s fast-rising services sector. Investors see clear paths to growth, but size presents a plethora of problems in terms of standardizing service quality
China beauty: Traffic jam
The impact of China’s internet-oriented emerging consumer brands is arguably more pronounced in beauty than anywhere else. Gaining a foothold is one challenge, keeping it is another