Europe
Deal focus: JD.com plugs Farfetch into China
Having previously distanced itself from mainstream e-commerce players, luxury online fashion retailer Farfetch has received $397 million from JD.com with a view to entering the China market
GPs sell French crystal maker to Chinese investment group
Chinese investment group Fortune Fountain Capital has agreed to buy a controlling stake in French luxury crystal maker Baccarat from Starwood Capital and L Catterton Partners, in a deal worth EUR164 million ($184 million).
DBAG sells Romaco Group to Chinese strategic
German PE firm Deutsche Beteiligungs AG (DBAG) has agree to sell its entire stake in packaging and processing technology specialist Romaco Group to China-based mechanical engineering company Truking Group.
Italian PE unit backs Morrow Sodali's purchase of Australia's GPS
GPS, an Australia-based shareholder services and corporate governance consultancy, has been acquired by global counterpart Morrow Sodali in a deal supported by Italian government-controlled PE investment unit Simest.
Institutional investors and private equity: Cracks in the ice?
Competition is intense at the upper end of the global buyout space, with abundant dry powder and readily available debt pushing up valuations. LPs are keen to allocate to the asset class, but will they end up disappointed?
PAG, Meridian invest $225m in Food Union Group
PAG Asia Capital and Meridian Capital have invested a combined $225 million in Europe-based dairy and ice cream producer Food Union Group, with a view to expanding the business in China.
China Everbright reaches second close on global fund
China Everbright has reached a second close of $294 million on its cross-border investment fund.
Bridgepoint agrees sale of Nordic Cinema to Chinese strategic
AMC Entertainment, the US theatre chain controlled by China’s Dalian Wanda Group, will acquire Stockholm-based Nordic Cinema Group from PE firm Bridgepoint and Swedish media group Bonnier Holding for SEK8.25 billion ($929 million).
Japan's AGC Asahi Glass buys PE-owned CMC Biologics
Japanese glass, ceramic and chemicals maker AGC Asahi Glass has paid JPY60 billion ($510 million) for CMC Biologics, a Denmark-based biopharmaceutical manufacturer backed by several private equity firms.
ESG: Digging deeper
Comprehensive adoption of responsible investment protocols in private equity is being driven by a handful of players within the global LP community. They must continue to establish industry best practice
China sports M&A: They shoot, they score?
China wants to develop its sports industry, with football a priority, prompting numerous investors to look for overseas assets in the name of government policy. Their rationale is often divorced from reality
Thailand e-commerce platform secures Series B
German internet conglomerate Hubert Burda Media (HBM) has acquired a $24.9% stake in Thailand e-commerce company Priceza from Japan's CyberAgent Ventures as part of a Series B funding round.
Kerogen closes second energy fund at $830m
Kerogen Capital, a Hong Kong-headquartered GP specializing in international energy investments, has closed its second fund at $830 million.
China’s IDG to acquire 20% of France-based Olympique Lyonnais
China’s IDG Capital Partners has agreed to take a 20% stake in OL Groupe, the holding company of French football club Olympique Lyonnais, for a total of EUR100 million ($112 million).
AGIC to buy Italian robotics manufacturer
China-Europe cross-border private equity firm AGIC Capital has acquired a large majority stake in Gimatic, an Italian robotics supplier planning an Asian expansion.
China's Fujian Grand Chip offers $751m for Aixtron
Fujian Grand Chip Investment Fund (FGC), an investment vehicle controlled by Chinese entrepreneur Zhendong Liu, has offered to buy German semiconductor equipment maker Aixtron for EUR670 million ($751 million).
VIDEO: Doughty Hanson's Adam Black
When Adam Black joined Doughty Hanson & Co seven-and-a-half years ago as partner and head of sustainability, the firm received 5-6 questionnaires per year from LPs on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. That number has since quadrupled
Teutonic again: China targets German technology
The recent flood of Chinese strategic investment in Germany's industrial sector is reminiscent of the previous episode in 2012 - and the motivations are largely the same
KKR to support European solar player's Japan expansion plans
KKR has acquired a majority stake in Gestamp Solar, a Spain-based developer and operator of solar plants that is looking to expand its business in Japan. The deal values the business at approximately $1 billion.
Chinese consortium to buy browser provider Opera for $1.2b
A Chinese consortium featuring Qihoo 360 Technology – which recently agreed a $9.3 billion private equity-backed take-private – is poised to acquire Norway-headquartered internet browser developer Opera Software for $1.2 billion.
Beijing Enterprises to buy Germany's EEW from EQT for $1.6b
Chinese state-owned conglomerate Beijing Enterprises Holding (BEHL) has agreed to buy EEW Energy from Waste, a German waste management company, from EQT Partners for EUR1.44 billion ($1.6 billion).
Go Scale still committed to global deals, despite Lumileds setback
Go Scale Capital will continue to target international acquisitions, including in the US, despite the termination of a deal for Philips’ LED components and automotive lighting unit due to regulatory concerns.
Deal focus: Bain revives FCI in Asia
Bain Capital spent 10 years restructuring Europe-based FCI - more than returning its capital from divestments in the process - into an Asia-focused electronics business
China Cocoon Network launches $720m European tech fund
London-based Cocoon Networks, which is backed private equity firms China Equity Group and Hanxin Capital, has launched a GBP500 million ($720 million) venture fund to invest in UK and European technology start-ups.