diversity & inclusion (D&I)
PayPal backs Quona, Sweef impact funds
PayPal has confirmed LP commitments of undisclosed size to funds managed by financial inclusion-focused Quona Capital and women-led businesses specialist Sweef Capital.
Exacta seeks $350m for SE Asia fund, wins ADB support
Singapore’s Exacta Capital Partners, a PE firm affiliated with Mizuho Asia Partners, has received USD 25m from Asian Development Bank (ADB) for its latest fund. The target is USD 350m.
Team diversity impacts fundraising prospects - AVCJ Forum
Asia-based managers are slower to implement diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies than their peers in other markets, but LPs told the AVCJ Diversity & Inclusion Forum that action on this issue is increasingly important to fundraising.
LPs' ESG checklists get ever more intricate – AVCJ Forum
LPs want more nuanced emissions measurement from their portfolio managers, the AVCJ ESG Forum heard.
ESG in M&A: Eloquent exits
Private equity firms are increasingly presenting portfolio companies’ sustainability credentials in a prepared and formal way in trade sale situations. It appears to be worth the trouble
India blockchain player raises $100m Series A
India’s 5ire, a one-year-old blockchain infrastructure provider focused on promoting sustainable crypto-relate practices, has raised USD 100m in Series A funding at a valuation of USD 1.5bn.
Q&A: Sweef Capital's Jennifer Buckley
Jennifer Buckley spun out the Southeast Asian gender-lens investment unit of impact private equity firm SEAF last year, forming Sweef Capital. Adding to the complexity, it happened mid-fundraise
Aavishkaar hits $130m first close on latest India impact fund
Aavishkaar Capital has reached a first close of INR 10bn (USD 130m) on its latest India impact fund. It is reportedly targeting a final close of USD 200m.
Diversity & inclusion: Acting with intent
GPs are looking to build teams representing different genders, ethnicities, and backgrounds as stakeholders call for more diversity and studies suggest it leads to better decision making
Diversity, inclusion agendas require patience - AVCJ Forum
Executing a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) agenda in private equity requires intentionality, multiple areas of focus, and above all time, given the apprenticeship nature of the industry, the AVCJ Diversity & Inclusion Forum heard.
Investors get tough on diversity - AVCJ Forum
Investors are pressing GPs and portfolio companies to do more on gender and cultural diversity, pointing to evidence that greater parity boosts performance, the AVCJ ESG Forum heard.
Baring Asia creates sustainability-linked credit facility
Baring Private Equity Asia (BPEA) has secured a $3.2 billion loan to support its private equity platform with interest rate reductions linked to performance against a series of sustainability metrics.
Deal focus: EmergeVest turns to Lucy for financial inclusion
EmergeVest has made a seed investment in Lucy, a Singapore-based neobank that focuses on home-based micro-entrepreneurs and Southeast Asia’s legions of foreign domestic workers
Q&A: Office of New York City Comptroller's Wendy Garcia
Wendy Garcia, chief diversity officer for the Office of New York City Comptroller discusses her team’s diversity and inclusion objectives and what this means for GPs seeking allocations from city’s pension funds
SEAF hits first close on Southeast Asia women's fund
The Southeast Asia division of US-headquartered impact private equity firm SEAF has reached a first close of at least $16 million for a women’s economic empowerment fund.
Diversity & inclusion: The right questions
With diversity and inclusion becoming a priority for institutional investors, GPs are being asked to demonstrate a willingness to take meaningful action. The challenge is often knowing where to start
COVID-19 flexibility can exacerbate PE gender issues
Working from home has been a mixed experience for women in private equity, with greater flexibility counterbalanced by heightened feelings of isolation in environments that are already dominated by men.