USA
KKR boosts Asia business by offering outbound deal access
Building relationships and generating deal flow in Asia doesn’t necessarily involve starting in Asia, according to Joe Bae, regional head of KKR. The private equity firm has made inroads in Japan, South Korea and China by providing local partners with...
Massachusetts pension fund appoints PE head
The Massachusetts Pension Reserves Investment Board (MassPRIM) has appointed Michael Bailey as senior investment officer and director of private equity. The post was previously held by Wayne Smith, who departed in July 2011.
EMPEA's Alexander to join Abraaj
Sarah Alexander, CEO of the Emerging Markets Private Equity Association (EMPEA), has agreed to join The Abraaj Group as a managing director. EMPEA’s executive committee has recommended that Jennifer Choi, currently vice president of industry and external...
Wanxiang-backed fund exits D&R to strategic buyer
Summit Strategic Investments, a private equity fund controlled by Chinese auto parts manufacturer Wanxiang Group, has exited US-based D&R Technology to CTS Corporation.
Texas County & District invests $50m in RRJ's second fund
Texas County & District Retirement System (TCDRS) has committed $50 million to RRJ Capital’s second fund, which is targeting up to $5 billion. The private equity firm is run by Richard Ong, who previously co-founded China-focused Hopu Investment Management,...
Abax, chairman complete $364m Fushi Copperweld take-private
Abax Global Capital has finally completed its management buyout of NASDAQ-listed Chinese wire manufacturer Fushi Copperweld more than two years after the initial bid was submitted. The transaction, staged in conjunction with Li Fu, Fushi’s chairman and...
ShangPhama board agrees to TPG-backed buyout
ShangPharma Corporation, a Chinese pharmaceutical and biotech research outsourcing firm listed on the New York Stock Exchange, has agreed to management buyout by Michael Hui, the firm’s chairman and CEO, and TPG Capital. The transaction values the company...
Primus co-founder in aircraft leasing club deal
During a week in which it emerged that Primus Financial Holdings was no more, two of its co-founders reemerged in new guises. First, Dexia announced that it was in exclusive negotiations with GCS Capital, a financial services-focused PE firm run by GuocangHuan,...
PE-backed Chinese consortium to buy AIG's aircraft leasing business
A Chinese consortium including a fund run by Wing-fai Ng, one of the co-founders of now-defunct Primus Financial Holdings, has agreed to buy up to 90% of International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) from American International Group (AIG). It is the...
US, India-focused Naya reaches first close on VC fund
Naya Ventures, a US-based VC firm that also invests in India, has reached a first close of $50 million on a fund targeting the mobile and cloud markets. Its approach involves providing capital and industry expertise to early-stage companies with a view...
Fenox VC invests in Japan's Dream Link Entertainment
Silicon Valley-based Fenox VC has invested in Japanese flash animation studio Dream Link Entertainment (DLE).
Sinagpore's Ventrillion invests $15m in Clean Coal
Singapore’s Ventrillion Management has agreed to invest up to $15 million in US-listed Clean Coal Technologies. The company, which holds patents for technology that converts raw coal into a cleaner burning fuel, will use the proceeds to complete its pilot...
New York Life Capital is renamed GoldPoint
New York Life Capital Partners, the boutique investment arm of New York Life, has renamed itself GoldPoint Partners. The exercise is intended to create a distinct identity for the firm; it doesn’t involve any change in ownership, management personnel...
Chinese pork producer Zhongpin agrees PE-backed take-private
NASDAQ-listed Chinese pork producer Zhongpin has agreed to a private equity-backed management buyout by its chairman and CEO, Xianfu Zhu. The deal values the company at $502 million.
VC-backed China tech firm YY jumps 7% on NASDAQ debut
Shares in venture capital-backed social networking platform YY climbed 7.7% on their NASDAQ trading debut after the company completed the first IPO by a Chinese firm in the US in seven months.
IDG-Accel China in take-private bid for US-listed Memsic
IDG-Accel China has submitted a takeover bid for NASDAQ-listed Memsic that values the semiconductor manufacturer at $96.8 million. The prospective investor would like to work with Yang Zhao, Memsic’s founder and CEO, to formulate a definitive proposal...
Pension plans unsure about VC commitments
North American pension plans are exhibiting mixed feelings towards venture capital funds – some find GPs that were once refused to take meetings are now opening up to a wider range of investors while others are backing off from the asset class, blaming...
LPs wary about raising Asia PE allocations above 10% - AVCJ Forum
Institutional investors are generally happy to deploy 10% of their private equity allocation in Asia, but they say it is difficult to justify increasing this portion until risk factors ease and local managers build up stable teams and more substantive...
Asia fundraising: In Volcker's shadow
With the Volcker Rule and Basel III compliance forcing US financial institutions to pull back from private equity, some Asian GPs are in a state of flux. New fundraising strategies are required
VIDEO: Thomas H. Lee of Lee Equity Partners
Thomas H. Lee, managing partner of Lee Equity Partners, talks to AVCJ TV about the evolution of the US private equity industry, his decision to leave buyouts for growth capital, how investors can identify good managers, and his expectations for China...
FLAG buys Asian fund-of-funds Squadron Capital
Asia-focused fund-of-funds Squadron Capital has been sold to FLAG Capital Management. The acquisition will take US-based FLAG’s assets under management to $6 billion, up from $4.5 billion, and broaden its product offering across private equity, venture...
Morgan Stanley supports Feihe International MBO bid
Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia (MSPEA) has teamed up with the chairman and CEO of Feihe International to make a buyout offer for the US-listed Chinese company. The transaction values Feihe, a leading producer of infant formula and milk powder, at...
Alibaba in bumper Yahoo buyback
New and existing private equity investors acquire much-sought-after stakes in Alibaba Group as the e-commerce firm repurchases part of Yahoo’s stake in a $7.6 billion deal
China, India companies beat PE to Digital Domain assets
China’s Galloping Horse Film and India’s PE-backed Reliance MediaWorks have teamed up to acquire assets from Digital Domain Media Group, the distressed Hollywood special effects company, for $30.2 million. The Sino-Indian joint venture easily outmatched...