China
Chinese insurers to outsource investment management
The China Insurance Regulatory Commission (CIRC) will allow insurance companies to outsource their investment management businesses to brokerages and fund houses as part of efforts to diversify investment channels.
Carlyle raises $738m in latest China Pacific sell-down
The Carlyle Group has sold $723 million of shares in China Pacific Insurance (CPIC) through a block trade, marking the private equity firm's fifth partial exit from the company since December 2010. Total returns are in excess of $4 billion, putting Carlyle...
Warburg sues Titan Petrochemicals in Hong Kong
Warburg Pincus has sued portfolio company Titan Petrochemicals Group and some of its executives in Hong Kong’s High Court, citing misrepresentation and breaches of contract. This comes as the debt-laden shipping and oil storage firm continues talks with...
US-China start-up incubator launches accelerator program
InnoSpring, Silicon Valley’s first US-China technology start-up incubator, has launched a six-month accelerator program targeting companies in mobile internet, cleantech and healthcare IT industries.
A Capital backs Bang & Olufsen for China growth
A Capital has teamed up with Chinese luxury goods distributor Sparkle Roll to pay $30 million for a 7.71% stake in Denmark's Bang & Olufsen (B&O). The electronics manufacturer is looking to increase sales in China to offset weak demand in Europe and the...
Zhenrong Energy makes offer for Warburg-invested Titan
Guangdong Zhenrong Energy has offered to pay HK$150-200 million ($19.3-25.8 million) for at least 51% of Titan Petrochemicals, the debt-laden shipping and oil storage firm against which Warburg Pincus has asked a court to launch liquidation proceedings....
China to buy LP interests from GM pension plan
The Chinese government has agreed to buy stakes in a string of private equity funds, including vehicles managed by The Carlyle Group, The Blackstone Group and CVC Capital Partners, from General Motors’ (GM) pension plan.
Hony bets on China convertibility experiment
Hony Capital is set to become the first private equity player to enter the Shenzhen-Qianhai new business zone, a pilot project for greater renminbi convertibility. John Zhao, Hony’s CEO, said the company may raise its next renminbi-denominated fund in...
Carlyle sees value in mid-market hotels
Marriott to Hilton to Shangri-La, international hotel brands are buys expanding their footprints in China. Among the country’s 600 five-star hotels, more than 500 are still under construction, and average occupancy rates are barely 60%, the lowest in...
Warburg Pincus in China car hire play
Two months ago, China Auto Rental was preparing to list on NASDAQ. The car hire provider set a target of $138 million for what would be only the second IPO by a Chinese company in the US this year. The experiences of the first did not bode well: VC-backed...
China secondaries: Fresh start or false start?
China’s PE Secondary Market Development Alliance is meant to facilitate the trading of LP interests in renminbi funds. The absence of local expertise, portfolio transparency and mature LPs are obstacles to this.
Plotting the future of China cleantech
Cleantech funds and investment strategies are often difficult to define in China. Some industry participants won’t touch IT, others love it. Some remain wedded to the idea of export-oriented manufacturing, while others loathe it.
Munich Private Equity Partners opens office in Shanghai
Munich Private Equity Partners (MPEP) has opened an office in Shanghai as it looks to increase investment allocations to Asian markets.
Goldman, CDH-backed Himin Solar terminates IPO plan
Himin Solar, a Chinese solar water heater company backed by CDH Investments and Goldman Sachs, has suspended plans to list in Shanghai amid speculation about involvement in a corruption scandal that has already seen the removal of a leading politician...
CDH Investments to raise $350m VC fund - report
CDH Investments is reportedly in the process of raising a new venture capital fund worth $300-350 million. The fundraising is expected to reach a final close by the end of this year.
Titan considers stake sale as Warburg takes legal action
Titan Petrochemicals, the Hong Kong-listed shipping and oil storage firm, is in talks to sell a controlling stake to an unnamed third-party investor. The announcement comes as the company faces a winding up lawsuit filed by Warburg Pincus.
GSR Ventures leads $84m round in Protean Electric
GSR Ventures has led an $84 million funding round in US-based Protean Electric, a developer of in-wheel electric drive systems. The capital will be used to set up manufacturing facilities in Liyang, Jiangsu province, bringing Protean's electric drive...
TPG buys China packaging firm HCP for $600m - report
TPG Capital has reportedly acquired Chinese packaging company HCP Holdings for around $600 million through a leveraged buyout. The news comes after an earlier attempt by Morgan Stanley's Asia private equity arm to purchase 80% of the company for around...
TA, Qiming, Ignition invest in Chinese online game developer
TA Associates, Qiming Venture Partners and Ignition Capital Partners have purchased a significant minority stake in Chinese online gaming company Forgame Tech. Terms of the investment were not disclosed.
TPG backs $176m ShangPharma MBO
TPG Capital is backing a management buyout (MBO) bid for ShangPharma, a Chinese pharmaceutical and biotech research outsourcing firm listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Michael Hui, ShangPharma’s chairman and CEO, and affiliates of TPG have offered...
Warburg Pincus commits $200m to China Auto Rental
Warburg Pincus has invested $200 million in China Auto Rental, said to be the country’s largest car rental network in terms of revenue. It is the largest equity financing the industry has seen since Legend Holdings made a RMB1 billion strategic investment...
Loeb & Loeb expands Beijing office
Roger C. Peng has joined Loeb & Loeb’s as a partner in the firm's Beijing office. He joins from Paul Hastings, having previously worked for Hogan Hartson (now Hogan Lovells).
Hao Capital forms healthcare JV with TCL Group
China-focused private equity firm Hao Capital has formed a joint venture with the TCL Group, one of the leading consumer electronics companies in China, to provide diagnostic imaging products and services.
TPG partner brought in to help turn around Li Ning
TPG Capital's Jin-goon Kim has been named executive vice-chairman of Li Ning as the private equity firm tries to stabilize the struggling Chinese sports retailer. The appointment comes as Li Ning searches for a replacement for CEO Zhiyong Zhang, who has...