China
Caterpillar's China scandal draws attention to ex-PE asset IMM
International Mining Machinery (IMM), a Chinese mining equipment manufacturer acquired by Joy Global from private equity investors in 2011, has been thrust into the spotlight as a result of Caterpillar’s China accounting scandal.
Lunar Capital enters partnership with Pinco Pallino
Lunar Capital has entered into a partnership with Italian children's fashion brand "I Pinco Pallino" to expand its presence in China and East Asia. Under the agreement, Lunar and Pinco Pallino, which is owned by Italian private equity firm Opera, plan...
Portfolio: Lunar Capital and China's Joysun
When Lunar Capital invested in Sichuan Zhiqiang, the company’s Joysun brand was well known but lacked relevance with younger consumers. It is now seeking to redress the balance with a revamped product range
Orchid-backed Time Watch raises $105m in Hong Kong IPO
Time Watch Investments has raised HK$810 million ($105 million) in its Hong Kong IPO after pricing shares at the top end of the indicative range. Orchid Asia participated as a cornerstone investor, taking just over one quarter of the 600 million shares...
Lightspeed closes debut China fund at $168m
Lightspeed China Partners has reached a final close of $168 million on its debut China fund, exceeding the target size of $150 million. The fund, which includes an affiliated co-investment vehicle, will target early-stage investments in the internet,...
RMB funds: Beyond the hype
Last week AVCJ held its six-monthly media briefing at which we – joined by several industry participants – reviewed private equity activity in 2012 and offered views as to what 2013 might have in store. The data made for sober reading: Fundraising...
Goldman Sachs completes another partial exit from ICBC
Goldman Sachs has completed another partial exit from its holding in Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), selling $1 billion worth of H-shares. The investment bank's merchant banking division has offloaded ICBC shares at least four times prior...
CDH to reach $1b first close on Fund V by February
CDH Investments is expected to reach a first close of $1 billion on its latest fund by Chinese New Year. The Chinese GP has an overall target of $2 billion for CDH Fund V, which launched in September 2012.
PSERS to invest in Morgan Stanley PE Asia’s fourth fund
Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia (MSPEA) has received a commitment of up to $100 million for its fourth fund from Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS). The pension system previously invested in global funds launched by Morgan...
Commonfund promotes Beijing office head
Commonfund Capital has promoted Leenong Li, head of its Beijing office and wider Asian initiatives, to managing director. He joined the firm in 2010, having previously spent five years as managing director of Jerusalem Venture Partners’ Shanghai office...
Baird rebrands PE operations as Baird Capital
The private equity operations of Robert W. Baird & Co. have been consolidated under a single brand – Baird Capital.
PE-backed Chinese baby skincare brand bought by Johnson & Johnson
Private equity-backed Shanghai Elsker Mother & Baby, a Chinese manufacturer of natural baby skincare products, has been acquired by Johnson & Johnson. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed but the price is said to be around RMB650 million ($104...
China Media Capital forms partnership with The Raine Group
China Media Capital (CMC) has formed a strategic partnership with The Raine Group, a global merchant bank focused on entertainment, digital media and sports.
TPG-backed Li Ning to issue $241m in convertible securities
Li Ning, the Chinese sportswear retailer backed by Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) and TPG Capital, saw its stock drop 13.8% to HK$5.35 in Friday morning trading after announcing a plans to raise as much as HK$1.87 billion ($241 million)...
Blackstone buys China land parcel for $482m - report
The Blackstone Group has reportedly invested more than RMB3 billion ($482 million) for 600,000 square meters of land in China's Jiangsu province. The deal was finalized in October and has received approval from the Ministry of Commerce.
Asia PE fundraising drops by one third to $46.8b in 2012
Private equity fundraising in Asia Pacific slumped by more than one third to $46.8 billion in 2012 from $72.9 billion a year ago as capital committed to China-focused vehicles dropped off markedly over the course of the year. It is the lowest annual total...
Infinity and affiliate secure 4.7% of Anxin-China
Infinity Group, the Israel-based private equity firm created by China Development Bank and Israeli conglomerate IDB Group, has joined an affiliate in purchasing a 4.7% stake in Anxin-China Holdings for $30 million.
China cross-border deals: Inside out and outside in
Many mid-cap Western companies want to boost their China exposure, but lack the resources to address the market properly. Some – but not all – PE firms are able to pick apart broken strategies and build them anew
Bain-backed Sunac drops on share-sale plan
Sunac China Holdings, a Hong Kong-listed Chinese property developer backed by Bain Capital, suffered from the biggest drop since March after announcing plans to sell HK$2 billion ($248 million) worth of shares.
CBC leads $20m Series B investment in iPinYou
China Broadband Capital (CBC) has led a $20 million Series B financing round in Beijing iPinYou Information Technologies (iPinYou), a Chinese real-time bidding digital advertising platform. Japan’s Vangoo Investment Partners and existing investor Forward...
Century Bridge hires ex-PwC assurance executive
Century Bridge Capital has appointed Michael Yan as a director, tasked with providing strategic guidance on asset management and growth strategies. He was previously a senior manager in PricewaterhouseCoopers’ (PwC) assurance division.
KKR boosts Asia business by offering outbound deal access
Building relationships and generating deal flow in Asia doesn’t necessarily involve starting in Asia, according to Joe Bae, regional head of KKR. The private equity firm has made inroads in Japan, South Korea and China by providing local partners with...
Carlyle exits China Pacific with $4b profit
As a private equity investment, China Pacific Insurance stood out from the beginning. When The Carlyle Group paid approximately $400 million for a 24.98% stake in the firm’s life insurance subsidiary in 2005, it was comfortably the largest PE deal in...
Project Europe: China targets high-end manufacturing
Chinese strategic investors are bidding up manufacturing assets in Europe. There is room for PE players to participate, but they will generate value by identifying high-tech targets early in the value chain