Morgan Stanley
Korea Credit Data raises $75m, achieves unicorn status
Korea Credit Data (KCD), the operator of a super app aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), has raised KRW 100bn (USD 75.7m) at a valuation of KRW 1.3trn (USD 1bn).
FMO invests $24m in Suminter India Organics
Netherlands-based development finance institution FMO has agreed to invest USD 24.3m in Suminter India Organics, a company that helps farmers grow and process organic foods with ethical practices.
Australia's Main Sequence hits $305m first close on Fund III
Australian deep tech VC firm Main Sequence has reached a AUD 450m (USD 305m) first close on its third fund, bringing overall funds under management to about AUD 1bn.
BP, Morgan Stanley back India EV charging station provider
BP Ventures and Morgan Stanley Infrastructure have made a USD 22m equity investment in Magenta Mobility, an Indian electric vehicle (EV) charging station provider.
Q&A: Morgan Stanley Investment Management’s Patrick Reid
Patrick Reid, a UK-based managing director for alternatives distribution management at Morgan Stanley Investment Management, plots the future of themes around secondaries, longer holds, and hybrid approaches to PE
Infrastructure funds move towards software - Infralogic Forum
Software providers are set to become targets for infrastructure investors, provided companies can demonstrate sufficient customer stickiness to underpin consistent revenue streams, the Australia Infralogic Investors Forum heard.
CPE sells New Zealand shipping business to Morgan Stanley
Australian middle-market private equity firm CPE Capital has sold StraitNZ, a ferry and logistics operator that runs services across the Cook Strait between New Zealand’s North and South Islands, to Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners (MSIP).
India waste management software provider secures $22m
Recykal, a software provider for the waste management and recycling industries, has raised USD 22m in funding led by Morgan Stanley India Infrastructure.
Indonesia’s Alpha JWC closes Fund III at $433m
Indonesia’s Alpha JWC Ventures has closed its third fund at $433 million, beating a target of $250 million. It is said to be the largest early-stage VC fund targeting Southeast Asia.
KKR bids for Australia conveyancing business
KKR is seeking to become the largest shareholder in Pexa, an Australia-based electronic settlement network for property deals, having offered to take out Link Administration Holdings at an enterprise valuation of A$3 billion ($2.3 billion).
Morgan Stanley backs India logistics provider
Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Fund has invested INR1.8 billion ($25 million) in Leap India, a supply chain services provider focused on cost reduction through pallet pooling.
GL Ventures leads $58m Series B in China’s GemPharmatech
GemPharmatech, a Chinese company that provides genetically-modified mice for use in drug tests, has raised RMB400 million ($58.6 million) Series B led by GL Ventures, the VC arm of Hillhouse Capital.
Investors uncertain on Hong Kong's future as financial hub - M&A Forum
Recent unrest in Hong Kong has harmed the territory’s economy, but industry participants are unsure whether its status as a financial center is under threat, given the scale of the existing infrastructure.
Foreign divestments drive China deal flow - M&A Forum
Divestments by multinationals are expected to remain a key theme in China M&A as companies consider whether they still want direct exposure to a market in which growth is slowing and the competitive environment is increasingly complex.
China ESG: Societal shift
China’s ESG compliance drive reflects a long structural change for financial markets and an evolutionary process for local business culture. Many investment variables are unique
The crystal ball: Predictions for 2019
Industry participants share their outlooks on some of the biggest economic drivers of the day, including fast-growing sectors and shifting deal making factors across Asia’s varied markets
Chinese financial education business receives $115m Series C
Golden Education, which claims to be China’s largest professional financial education provider, has received RMB800 million ($115 million) in Series C funding led by Hillhouse Capital and Morgan Stanley.
Southeast Asia GPs: Judgment day
With nearly every Southeast Asia-focused GP set to spend some part of 2018 on the fundraising trail, LPs must once again deliberate on the optimal fund size, strategy, and geographic coverage for the region
Private equity AGMs: In the spotlight
The quality of a private equity firm’s AGM says a lot about the quality of the firm itself. LPs make their assessments based on informal conversations and observations as much as what happens on stage
China buyouts: Responsible owners
From privatizations to succession planning to corporate carve-outs, China-focused GPs are seeing an increasing number of control buyout opportunities. But are they positioned to take full advantage?
GPs in $90m round for China’s IMS New Media Group
IMS New Media Group, a Chinese social media marketing firm, has raised a RMB600 million ($90 million) Series C round of funding across two tranches, with participation by SAIF Partners, Morgan Stanley, and social media platform Sina Weibo.
PE consortium ups bid for Australia's Tatts
A consortium comprising Morgan Stanley Infrastructure, KKR, First State Super and Macquarie has increased its buyout offer for Australian lottery operator Tatts Group. It now values the company at A$7.6 billion ($5.7 billion).
Australia's Tatts rejects $5.4b bid from PE-backed consortium
Australian lottery operator Tatts Group has rejected a A$7.3 billion ($5.4 billion) buyout offer from a PE-backed consortium, saying the terms are inferior to those in a proposed merger with industry counterpart Tabcorp.