Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia VC still overlooked by global investors - AVCJ Forum
Southeast Asia is the region’s forgotten venture capital market despite some compelling fundamentals. Last month ASEAN overtook the US by internet users and at some point this month it will surpass the US in terms of the total number of 3G connections,...
ASEAN integration brings opportunities, challenges - AVCJ Forum
ASEAN integration is a game changer for companies from China and India as well as for those in Southeast Asia, but a lack of familiarity with private equity in more peripheral markets remains an obstacle, fund managers told the AVCJ Singapore forum.
HomeAway acquires VC-backed vacation rental startup Travelmob
US-based vacation rentals site HomeAway has bought a controlling stake in Singapore-based Travelmob in a bid to boost its online rental accommodations business in Asia. Early investors of the start-up include Accel Partners and Jungle Ventures, alongside...
First Reserve-backed KrisEnergy to raise $213m in IPO
Southeast Asia oil and gas exploration and production (E&P) company KrisEnergy, which counts First Reserve among its investors, is expected to raise S$270.8 million ($213 million) through its Singapore IPO.
Vietnam's Mekong Capital appoints new partner
Vietnam-focused GP Mekong Capital has named Chad Ovel as a partner. It is the first partner-level appointment since Chris Freund, Mekong’s founding partner, set up the firm in 2001.
Investors commit another $26m to Australia fashion site The Iconic
Australian fashion online retailer The Iconic has picked up A$28 million ($26 million) through a new round of funding led by Verlinvest, a Belgium-based investment firm set up by the founding families of Anheuser-Busch InBev. Existing shareholders Investment...
Indonesia mining: Swimming with sharks
Indonesia is resource rich and its mining sector is coveted by many foreign investors. But regulatory and legal uncertainty, plus concerns about local partners, is compelling them to sit on the sidelines
Southeast Asia oil and gas: Going solo
The relative scarcity of independent oil and gas exploration and production firms in Southeast Asia doesn’t reflect the region’s wealth of natural resources opportunities. Private equity firms are catching on
Ex Indonesia: Investing at SE Asia's edges
Indonesia is the poster child of Southeast Asian private equity but competition is intense and valuations are rising. What can investors expect from less-tapped markets such as Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam?
Q&A: Navis Capital Partners' Nick Bloy
Nick Bloy, managing partner at Navis Capital Partners, explains what ASEAN integration means for private equity and how valuation and sector issues should shape approaches to Indonesia
Southeast Asia's unloved
Southeast Asia is in vogue, seen by many as an increasingly credible alternative to China and India. Indonesia, as the region’s only market of scale, has naturally attracted the most interest. Virtually every regional and global private equity firm has...
Temasek's portfolio expands to $169b with greater focus on energy
Temasek Holdings saw its portfolio grow to S$215 billion ($169 billion) for the year ended March 2013, up 8.6% from the preceding 12 months.
Angels in Asia: Exporting Silicon Valley
Early-stage investors in the US are casting their eyes eastwards as they seek out new partnerships in Asia. But what can these angels offer the region’s start-up community?
Asia PE: Taking the temperature
AVCJ assembled a group of private equity industry leaders to share their views on the prospects for exits in Asia, changing expectations and approaches to China, and how to address LP interest in co-investment
Regional update: A time to invest?
Is now the time to invest in Asia? This is a question that keeps popping up in my conversations with limited partners. Obviously, the simple answer can always be “yes.” That is if these LPs are able to locate and gain access to the fund managers that...
Southern Capital raises $400m for Southeast Asia fund
Singapore-based Southern Capital Group (SCG) has raised approximately $400 million for its third buyout fund. Unlike SCG’s previous vehicles, which invested throughout the region, Southern Capital Fund III will focus on Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia....
Reebonz receives $39m from MediaCorp, VCs
Southeast Asia-focused online retailer Reebonz has received a S$50 million ($39 million) round of funding led by Singapore multimedia group MediaCorp. Existing investors Vertex Ventures, GGV Capital, Intel Capital and Matrix Partners China also participated....
Investors commit $100m to another Rocket Internet Asia retail start-up
Southeast Asian online retailer Lazada has raised $100 million through a new round of funding led by Verlinvest, a Beglium-based investment firm set up by the founding families of Anheuser-Busch InBev. Existing investors Holtzbrinck Ventures, Kinnevik...
SEAVI Advent reaches $125m first close on Fund VI
SEAVI Advent Private Equity, the Asian arm of Advent International, has reached a first close of $125 million on its six fund - SEAVI Advent Equity Fund VI. Commitments came from high net worth individuals, corporate institutions and family offices, while...
Orix, Perigon to make partial exits from Air Asia X via IPO
Orix Corp. and Perigon Advisory will make partial exits from regional budget carrier AirAsia's long-haul subsidiary through an IPO that is targeting up to $370 million.
Navis plugs into Southeast Asia energy demand
Southeast Asia's hunger for energy cannot be overstated. Of the region’s 600 million inhabitants, a staggering 160 million live without electricity. According to a report published last year by the National University of Singapore’s Energy Studies Institute,...
Angels say SE Asia ripe for 500 Durians
Dave McClure, Silicon Valley super angel and founding partner of 500 Startups, was on the road in Asia once again this month as part of his firm’s “Geeks on a Plane” (GOAP) tour. While this was not the first time the tech-focused venture capital firm...
Saratoga vehicle raises $151m in IPO, will invest with institutional fund
A vehicle containing legacy assets that predate Saratoga Capital’s institutional funds has raised $151 million through an IPO in Indonesia. Saratoga Investama Sedaya (SIS), which is controlled by the private equity firm’s founders, Sandiaga Uno and Edwin...
LPs to increase exposure to Malaysia, Indonesia - survey
Investors plan to boost their exposure to Indonesia and Malaysia over the next three years, according to the latest edition of Coller Capital’s Global Private Equity Barometer.