M&A
China tech M&A: Money to burn
Chinese technology firms are becoming increasingly acquisitive, with certain players snapping up assets within months of going public. What is driving this change?
Beijing Capital Group beats Carlyle to TPI's New Zealand business
Beijing Capital Group, a Chinese state-owned enterprise principally involved in infrastructure, has outmuscled bidders including The Carlyle Group to buy Transpacific Industries Group’s (TPI) New Zealand waste management business for NZ$950 million ($794...
Vipshop buys majority stake in VC-backed China cosmetics site
Chinese online retailer Vipshop Holdings, a DCM and Sequoia Capital portfolio company that went public in the US in 2012, has agreed to buy a 75% stake in cosmetics and fashion products site Lefeng.com for approximately $132.5 million.
China's Sungy Mobile buys VC-backed app store Getjar
Sungy Mobile, a VC-backed Chinese app developer that went public on NASDAQ last year, has acquired GetJar, a US-based mobile ad network. GetJar previously raised three rounds of VC funding, two led by Accel Partners and the third led by Tiger Global....
Alibaba seeks full acquisition of AutoNavi
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group has offered to buy the 72% of NASDAQ-listed AutoNavi Holdings that it doesn’t already own for $1.13 billion. The take-private deal would value the digital mapping and navigation firm, which has previously received...
PE-backed Thomas Cook India, Sterling Holiday to merge
Thomas Cook India, which was bought by Fairbridge Capital in 2012, has agreed to merge with Sterling Holding Resorts India, another private equity-backed enterprise, in a part-equity, part-cash deal worth INR8.7 billion ($140 million).
China-focused Infinity Group invests in US oil assets
Infinity Group, the Israel-based PE firm created by China Development Bank and local conglomerate IDB Group, has teamed up with oil technology firm Glori Energy to acquire oil-producing assets in Texas from Petro-Hunt for $40 million.
Halifax-backed Envision Pharma acquires Australia's ProScribe
Envision Pharma Group, a scientific communication company backed by US-based private equity firm The Halifax Group, has acquired Australian medical writing firm ProSribe in a move to expand its Asian footprint.
Strategic imperative: Chinese corporates embrace PE
Corporate private equity arms are catching on in China as companies beyond the tech space develop an appetite for investment. What does it mean for the industry’s independent incumbents?
Suning acquires VC-backed group buying site Manzuo
Suning Commerce, a Chinese home appliance retailer, has acquired group buying site Manzuo.com. Transaction terms were not disclosed but the investment was said to facilitate a full exit for VC backer KPCB China.
MSPEA-backed Feihe International buys Alf Beta Dairy
Feihe International, a Chinese infant formula and milk power producer backed by Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia (MSPEA), has acquired industry peer Jilin Alf Beta Dairy.
IMM to support T-Broad in cable TV battle
Thanks to the rapid emergence of internet protocol TV (IPTV), South Korea’s cable TV operators are expected to broadcast across the country regardless of regulatory hurdles.
LightInTheBox to buy VC-backed e-commerce player Ador
LightInTheBox, the venture capital-backed Chinese online retailer that went public in the US last year, has acquired US social e-commerce site Ador for an undisclosed sum.
Chinese investment in North America jumps in 2013 – study
Chinese outbound direct investment (ODI) reached $73 billion during the first three quarters of 2013, with the amount of capital deployed in North America rising nearly three-fold on a year-on-year basis, according to A Capital, a private equity firm...
Adding extra: China bolt-on acquisitions
Private equity firms are exploring various strategies to help Chinese companies expand overseas. Bolt-on acquisitions are a proven approach in some markets, but that doesn’t mean they work for corporate China
China Huace Media buys stakes in VC-backed Herun Media
Shenzhen-listed film and television producer Huace Media has picked up a 20% stake in Herun Media, a Beijing-based marketing specialist backed by several domestic VCs, for RMB104 million ($17 million).
Hitachi acquires Sequoia-backed Prizm
Hitachi will acquire all issued equity of India’s Prizm Payment Services from Sequoia Capital, Axis Bank and other shareholders. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
KKR-owned Bis Industries acquires Powertrans for $27m
KKR-held Australian mining logistics company Bis Industries is to acquire mining haulage systems operator Powertrans for A$30 million ($27.46 million).
Providence-owned Study Group buys Australian college
Study Group, an education services provider owned by Providence Equity Partners, has acquired ANU College from Australian National University. Financial details were not disclosed.
Alibaba buys VC-backed mobile app analytics operator
China e-commerce conglomerate Alibaba Group has purchased Umeng, a Beijing-based mobile app analytics service provider incubated by Innovation Works.
Central Asia oil producer sells Kazakh assets to China PE fund
Tethys Petroleum, a Central Asia and Caspian region-focused oil and gas producer, has agreed to sell half of its Kazakhstan oil and gas assets to Sino Oil and Gas Investment (SinoHan), a subsidiary owned by Beijing-based HanHong Private Equity Group....
Hony, Suning to take controlling stake in China's PPTV for $420m
Hony Capital and home appliance retailer Suning Commerce - also one of the PE firm's portfolio companies - will buy a controlling interest in Chinese online TV provider PPTV for $420 million. The deal, which values PPTV at approximately $568 million,...
India e-commerce: Sink or swim
India’s e-commerce sector is in the midst of consolidation. VC money continues to flow to the larger players but even they are examining their business models in a climate of higher operating costs
People's Daily to buy Sequoia-backed online literacy platform
People.cn, a Chinese online newspaper run by state-owned People’s Daily, intends to purchase a 69.25% stake in Kanshu.com, an online book reading platform backed by Sequoia Capital, for RMB249 million ($40.8 million).