Consumer
7 Days board agrees to PE-backed buyout
Chinese budget hotel chain 7 Days Group has accepted a take-private offer from its co-chairmen and three private equity investors that values the company at approximately $688 million. Two PE firms, The Carlyle Group and Sequoia Capital, were initially...
AID Partners buys HMV's Asia operations
AID Partners has bought music and movie retailer HMV's operations in Hong Kong and Singapore, plus all its licenses in mainland China, Macau and Taiwan.
Indonesian incubator Grupara invests in fashion site
Indonesian venture capital firm Grupara has invested in men's fashion e-commerce site Maskool.in for an undisclosed amount.
Morgan Stanley in control deal for Korean paper maker
Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia (MSPEA) has agreed to buy a majority stake in South Korean bathroom tissue producer Monalisa for KRW91.4 billion ($84.2 million). The seller is Kwang-ho Kim, the company’s CEO, who will also exit two unlisted entities...
Headland to take Malaysian Mamee overseas
As "official noodle sponsor" of English football team Manchester United, Malaysian snack and beverage firm Mamee Double Decker puts a lot of stock in the reputation of its brands. The challenge for Headland Capital Partners, which recently took a significant...
The perils of over-ambition
Asahi's acquisition of Independent Liquor came towards the end of a period of frenetic outbound activity among Japanese beverage giants. Kirin bought Australia’s Lion Nathan, took a minority stake in Singapore-based Fraser &Neave and then rounded it off...
CVC opts for partial exit from Matahari via public markets – report
CVC Capital Partners is expected to exit about 40% of its holding in Matahari Department Store through a public market sale that will raise up to $1.5 billion. The private equity firm, which controls the Indonesian retailer through a joint venture with...
China vacation homes rental start-up gets Series B funding - Update
Tujia.com, China’s first online vacation homes rental service, has secured a Series B round of financing led by GGV Capital. Lightspeed China Partners, CDH Investments, Qiming Venture Partners, CBC Capital also participated alongside strategic investors...
Asahi accuses Independent Liquor of 'channel stuffing'
Asahi claims that Pacific Equity Partners (PEP) and Unitas Capital resorted to “channel stuffing” – where companies supply retailers with more product than they are capable of selling to boost sales figures – to artificially inflate Independent Liquor’s...
Zhongpin delays take-private deal, drops go-shop provision
Zhongpin, the NASDAQ-listed Chinese pork producer that is subject to a PE-backed management buyout bid, has amended the deal to allow more time for completion and prevent directors from sourcing competing offers. The valuation of $502 million is unchanged....
Asahi, PE firms set for legal battle over Independent Liquor sale - update
Japanese beverage giant Asahi has taken legal action against private equity firms Pacific Equity Partners (PEP) and Unitas Capital over its acquisition of New Zealand firm Independent Liquor in 2011 for NZ$1.5 billion ($1.5 billion).
Paine-backed Costa to buy Adelaide Mushrooms
The Costa Group, an Australian fresh produce company backed by global private equity firm Paine & Partners, is to acquire Adelaide Mushrooms. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Headland invests in Malaysian snack foods brand
Headland Capital Partners has invested in Mamee-Double Decker Barhad, one of Malaysia's largest food and beverage firms. The details of the transaction were not disclosed.
RRJ Capital acquires kidswear brand Kingkow
RRJ Capital has acquired a 75% stake in Hong Kong-based children's wear retailer Kingkow.
Aditya Birla-backed V-Mart raises $2.6m from anchor investors
Aditya Birla-backed V Mart Retail, a budget Indian retailer, has raised INR141 million ($2.6 million) from anchor investors, after finalizing the allocation of 674,000 shares at INRR210 apiece.
Blackstone buys majority stake Maldives seaplane operator
The Blackstone Group has acquired a majority stake in two Maldives-based seaplane operators, Maldivian Air Taxi (MAT) and Tran Maldivian Airways (TMA).
NSR targets exit as India's Ortel files for IPO
New Silk Route (NSR) is set to exit Indian cable TV provider Ortel Communications with the company planning to raise as much as INR1 billion ($18.7 million) through an IPO. This is the second time Ortel has tried to go public, having pulled out of an...
Baring increases stake in HK-listed Magic Holdings
Baring Private Equity Asia (BPEA) has increased its stake in Hong Kong-listed beauty products retailer Magic Holdings, purchasing 7.34 million shares on the open market for HK$22.26 million ($2.9 million). It remains the largest individual investor in...
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...
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...
PE firms compete for Everstone's stake in VLCC – report
Several global and regional private equity firms are reportedly in the hunt for Everstone Capital’s 16% interest in Indian health and beauty treatment specialist VLCC.
Creador completes Indonesia food carve-out
Creador headed off an auction process to complete a carve-out of Indonesian cereals and snack foods producer Simba Indosnack Makmur from India’s Godrej Consumer Products.