Analysis
3Q analysis: India advances
India technology investment continues to ramp up as China flatlines; international payments M&A drives Asia trade sale revival, but IPOs slump; fundraising remains slow
China in six trends
Key themes in China private equity fundraising, investment, and exits
China biotech: Going global
A gradual shift in focus from sourcing assets from overseas for application in China to bringing China-made treatments to the world is challenging the notion of what constitutes a local biotech start-up
China SaaS: Path to profitability
COVID-19 has driven enterprise uptake of software-as-a-service solutions in China, but paying customers are still relatively few. Other markets offer some pointers on monetization
Australia PE: Brave new world
As Australia contemplates opening its tightly controlled borders and finding a way to live with COVID-19, private equity probes an opportunity set in transition yet surprisingly stable
GP profile: Advent Partners
Having spent the first half of the last decade undergoing a renewal in terms of leadership and strategy, Australia’s Advent Partners believes it has emerged stronger, smarter, and more focused on the future
ESG best practice: From global to granular
The value creation-driven PE playbook on ESG in Asia converts marginal gains into big picture policy wins – provided investors focus on the right areas and the flow of information isn’t stymied
Virtual reporting: Lost in translation
GP-LP reporting in the age of remote portfolio assessments and stilted video catchups leaves much to be desired. Both sides are trying to bridge the divide, but no best-practice approach has emerged
Australia private wealth: Choosing channels
The swelling bank balances of Australia’s high net worth individuals and family offices are an attractive target for private equity. Access is becoming increasingly formalized across the spectrum
China take-privates: Holding pattern
Pressure is mounting on Chinese companies listed in New York, from domestic and US regulators. Is another wave of PE-backed take-privates imminent?
Secondaries: Straight outta Asia
The growing secondaries opportunity in Asia is attracting more global capital, but managers with strategies dedicated to the region are few. This is changing, albeit gradually
GP profile: China Renaissance
China Renaissance’s technology-focused investment business has grown from nothing to $9.5 billion in seven years. The firm wants to remain a boutique operator rather than embrace all stages and strategies
Asia fintech: Platform plays
Expansion is the dominant theme in financial technology as start-ups leverage existing assets to enter new verticals, typically in lending. Which ones will become Asia’s preeminent platforms?
Blockchain: Going mainstream
The most disruptive technology in financial services is also the most esoteric and misunderstood. As a long, speculative uptake phase unfolds, investors are coming to terms with the future
NFTs: Spirits in an invisible world
The use of blockchain to create digital assets has evolved from the mass circulation of ethereal, volatile, and interchangeable tokens into something that feels much more real
Corporate VC: Appetite for disruption
Banks across Asia are leveraging their capital and domain expertise to stay ahead of the curve on financial technology. Each aspect of the corporate VC ecosystem engages with start-ups in different ways
India family offices: Tech exposure
Demand for technology exposure among India’s most affluent is intensifying. Family offices may vary in profile, experience, and mode of access, but they all want a piece of the latest hot start-up
China education: Opportunity erased?
Private equity investors have pumped billions of dollars into Chinese online education platforms, notably in the K-12 space. A regulatory crackdown has left them wondering how they can get their money back
Southeast Asia fundraising: Indecision time
Southeast Asian GPs jockey for global attention with mixed results as the largest LPs continue to hesitate to commit to the region. A trickle of investment fuels theories about how to get more
India IPOs: A pleasant surprise
The lack of a reliable IPO channel is a longstanding exit obstacle for venture capital investors in India. Domestic listings may, unexpectedly, prove to be the answer
China beauty: Service with a smile
Beauty and wellness are at the vanguard of China’s fast-rising services sector. Investors see clear paths to growth, but size presents a plethora of problems in terms of standardizing service quality
Australia LPs: Revert to the mean
Engagement, efficiency, and accountability are the driving forces behind reforms to Australia’s superannuation system. But could private equity lose out in a race to the middle on returns?