Analysis
Taiwan VC: Marginal gains
Taiwan’s government has announced a slew of measures to encourage global venture capital funds to invest in local start-ups. Is it doing enough to create a robust VC ecosystem?
China-Taiwan M&A: Strait deals
For the past six years, capital has flowed relatively freely from Taiwan to China while deals going in the opposite direction have faced close regulatory scrutiny. Can wider economic realities redress the balance?
Taiwan consumer: Dining out
Various PE firms have found success supporting Taiwan consumer brands in mainland China. But the food and beverage segment is an example of how picking the team, theme and time can make all the difference
Family office fundraising: Face to face
Dealing with a family office can be uniquely challenging for GPs. Managers who want success have to be able to handle the unique dynamics of this situation
Evergreen funds: The long hold
The notion of patient or permanent capital draws interest from both GPs and LPs, but evergreen funds are rare in the US and even rarer in Asia. This state of affairs is unlikely to change any time soon
Southeast Asia cleantech: Shifting priorities?
Cleantech has struggled to establish itself in Southeast Asia due to lack of prioritization from both the public and private sectors. But investors can make headway if the projects appeal on a pragmatic basis
China exits: Open to alternatives
With China’s public markets still dogged by uncertainty – and, at time of writing, new share offerings suspended – PE investors are looking at other options. Trades in particular are getting more traction
Asia O2O services: The long tail
From taxi journeys to pedicures, online-to-offline services are changing consumption channels in Asia’s emerging markets. Some leaders have emerged, but much of the sector is still up for grabs
The billion-dollar club: Asia's tech unicorns
Asia accounts for one fifth of the global tech sector’s unicorn population as companies raise larger rounds at ever higher valuations. But as investor sentiment weakens, some of these behemoths should be concerned
Fundraising and co-investment: Friends with benefits
Co-investment is becoming more sophisticated as managers sharpen fundraising strategies and respond to the needs of large investors. It points to an increasingly customized and complicated GP-LP relationship
China shadow lending: In from the dark
China’s shadow lenders are an often-misunderstood part of the private debt sector. Investors say these unregulated institutions are not necessarily a threat, but they are hard to account for
Australian LPs and domestic VC: Toe in the water
Australian super funds are showing renewed interests in domestic venture capital, supporting firms that offer flexible structures with co-investment opportunities. Can this approach work for all GPs?
3Q analysis: Digital dreamers
Early- and growth-stage technology deals dominate the China investment charts; middle market fundraising enjoys a rebound; private equity investors turn to trade sales as the public markets flounder
Media-for-equity: Outside the box
Media-for-equity investing has become a well-established niche market in Europe. To take hold in Asia, the model requires the right investors and the right customers
Asia PE recruitment: Building blocks
As private equity continues to evolve in Asia, GPs want to recruit people with a wider array of talents – but industry participants are split on what skills these new hires should focus upon, and where to find them
Portfolio: LanzaTech and its VC network
New Zealand-based LanzaTech decided to monetize its anti-pollution technology by recruiting investors in target geographies. Local regulations remain a challenge, but the company is now beginning to scale
ESG in infrastructure: Laying the groundwork
Environmental regulations in Asia are not keeping track with the needs of local markets. PE professionals say investors can take the lead in developing and enforcing necessary standards
The long game: Merchant banking-style PE
Ascendent Capital Partners’ China strategy involves advising companies first and raising the prospect of investment second, perhaps with a sizeable gap in between. Does this signal change in the middle market?
Going green: PE's environmental value-add
The private equity industry's approach to environmental value-add is evolving. The Environmental Defense Fund, KKR and The Carlyle Group discuss the various partnerships that underpin these efforts
Social and governance: A good neighbor
Social and governance issues may not command the same level of attention as environmental factors, but GPs are nevertheless highly aware of their importance - before and after making an investment
Public markets and ESG: The bourse bites back
With regulators toughening their stance on compliance, PE investors in Asia may have to place as much emphasis on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues for public market exits as they do for trade sales
PE and ESG: More than a box check
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues have traditionally featured in pre-deal due diligence to mitigate risk, but GPs are increasingly called upon to weave these considerations into strategic thinking
US tech firms in China: Out of the comfort zone
The likes of Uber and Airbnb are looking for strategic partners to help them enter the China market. Can they do better than eBay and Amazon a decade ago, both of which were swamped by local competition
Asia secondaries: Worth the wait?
A host of pure-play and multi-strategy managers have allocated more resources to Asia in recent years to capture the nascent secondaries opportunity. The region if offering more but has yet to reach full maturity