Philippines
PE, MFIs back Philippines rural lending initiative
When examining the driving forces of rural development, one fact continually rings true: the higher the proportion of people in possession of a bank account, the higher a country's GDP per capita. In Asia, two countries fall well below the trend line...
Bamboo Finance, DFIs back Philippines financial services start-up
Bamboo Finance has teamed up with a group of non-profit investors to commit $24 million to Bridge, a Philippines-based financial services start-up dedicated to improving rural banking. The participants include microfinance pioneer Accion and two development...
CVC agrees Philippines' BPO carve-out
The Philippines has supplanted India in recent years to become the call center capital of the world as its business process outsourcing (BPO) sector recorded massive growth. Revenues are expected to more than double in the next five years, reaching $25...
CVC in largest-ever Philippines buyout - update
CVC Capital Partners has agreed to buy an 80% stake in SPi Global Holdings, a business process outsourcing (BPO) unit of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), in what is the Philippines' largest-ever buyout deal. The transaction values SPi...
Philippines infrastructure: Hole in the road
Still massively underserved, the Philippines infrastructure sector is finally on private equity investors’ radar. Partnering with a credible local partner could be the first step to success
CVC in talks to buy Philippines BPO asset – report
CVC Capital Partners is reportedly in exclusive talks to buy a majority stake in SPi Global Holdings from Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT). The deal is worth about $320 million including debt.
Great expectations: Buyout firms in Southeast Asia
Global buyout firms are deploying more resources in Southeast Asia and expect to see stronger deal flow. But are there enough mid- to large-size transactions to go around, and will they come at reasonable prices?
Clove sees 20x return on Philippines oil deal
The Philippines has long been perceived as a black hole for private equity. Clove Capital, which spun out from EMP Daiwa Capital Asia, begs to differ and now it has evidence to support its case: a 20x return on an investment in Philippines oil exploration...
Clove Capital achieves over 20x from Energy Best exit
Clove Capital has achieved a cash multiple of more than 20x through its divestment of Philippines-based oil company Energy Best to Peak Oil and Gas, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ASX-listed Raisama Energy.
Philippines launches first infra fund
The decision to become the first-ever Philippines-dedicated infrastructure fund can’t have been easy one. As with any vehicle, a number of criteria needed to be in place to ensure the success of the Philippine Investment Alliance for Infrastructure...
NTT Investment Partners backs Philippines’ Migo
NTT Investment Partners, the corporate venture capital arm of Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp, has committed $2 million to Migo Entertainment, a Philippines-based digital content distributor.
Macquarie raises $625m for Philippines’ first infra fund
Macquarie Group has announced a first and final close on $625 million for its Philippine Investment Alliance for Infrastructure (PINAI). It is the first-ever Philippines-dedicated infrastructure fund.
Q&A: Axiom Asia's Chihtsung Lam and Marc Lau
Chihtsung Lam (CL) and Marc Lau (ML), managing partner and partner, respectively, at Axiom Asia, discuss the relative merits of different markets in Southeast Asia and the fund strategies best suited to addressing them
SE Asia media peaks PE’s interest
A year ago, global private equity firms stopped ignoring Southeast Asia’s media industry and put the sector on their priority list. What changed?
Columbia Capital invests $20m in Cloud Sherpas
US venture capital firm Columbia Capital has invested $20 million in Cloud Sherpas, a newly merged cloud computing solutions provider focused on Asia Pacific and the US.
Political risk tempers LP appetite for Southeast Asia
Insurgent groups and corrupt governments are every investor’s worst nightmare. For those private equity firms operating in the Philippines and Indonesia, they’re also a reality.
Aureos invests in Filipino cosmetics retailer HBC
Aureos South East Asia Fund II has purchased a 33% stake in Filipino cosmetics retailer HBC Inc. for $7 million.