Analysis
Japan renewables: Policy play
Japan’s response to the Fukushima nuclear crisis has been to draw up plans for the world’s biggest alternative energy market. Foreign investors see solar power as the surest route to sustainable returns
Portfolio: CHAMP Ventures and H-E Parts
CHAMP Ventures invested in H-E Parts to support expansion in Australia. As the only independent after-market parts provider of scale, the company is targeting miners that want to reduce their maintenance costs
US regulation: Shot across the bow
Private equity has been put on notice by the US regulators - an alarming notion, yet one that was sufficiently well signposted that GPs could see it coming. How keenly will the rumblings be felt in Asia?
China VC: The virtuous circle
China’s VC market is evolving as funds started by or raised from founders of first-generation internet firms. Concerns about conflicts of interest must be addressed, but the influence of their ecosystems will grow
Chinese insurers and offshore PE: Tortoise, not hare
Foreign private equity firms see Chinese insurers as an untapped yet potentially lucrative LP market. But how soon might these institutions have the will and skill set to put capital to work?
China education investment: Competitive edge
Five months into 2014 and PE activity in China’s education sector is at its highest level in six years. Wary of the issues tied to creating a large footprint, investors are picking their segments and geographies carefully
Beyond the comfort zone: RMB GPs and US dollar funds
An increasing number of Chinese GPs that made their names in the renminbi space are looking to raise US-dollar funds. It requires a level of institutionalization that most have never seen before
China's OTC market: The shortcut
JD Capital has become the first Chinese private equity firm to list on the country’s over-the-counter platform. Is the New Third Board a viable exit option – for GPs or for portfolio companies?
Accelerator fundraising: Backing the batch
The start-up accelerator can offer attractive opportunities for early-stage investors but the business model is still in its infancy and educating potential backers can still be challenge
Early stage Japan: Accelerating Tokyo
The numbers suggest that early-stage investing is in the midst of a renaissance in Japan. While the emergence of incubators and angels is encouraging, the start-up community still lacks depth
Separate accounts: Special treatment
Separate accounts are a tailored and cost effective means through which large institutions can access portfolios of GPs. Though increasingly popular in Asia, they are not suitable, or appealing, to all
Portfolio: Standard Chartered and Navigat
Supported by Standard Chartered, Indonesia-based Navigat has evolved from a gas power equipment distributor into a fully-fledged independent power provider, serving geographies that others can’t reach
Taiwan: Integration imperative
Taiwan’s stand-off over the cross-strait services pact is an impediment to integration, but missing out on the Trans-Pacific Partnership would be worse. Regulators know they must do more, and PE should benefit
Wearable technology: Heart on your sleeve
Wearables promise to be the next disruptive technology, redefining our daily lives. Are venture capitalists right to be excited and are they getting excited about the right things?
Private equity platforms: Matchmakers
Several online platforms have been launched with a remit to make exchanges between GPs and LPs more transparent and convenient. Do they complement existing processes or is fundraising set for reinvention?
Australian agriculture: Mean fields?
The Australasian agricultural space is increasingly interesting to LPs that want an inflation hedge and a proxy to rising demand for quality food in emerging Asia, but local superannuation funds are slow to bite
Placement agents: Tapping tomorrow's investors
Asian LPs are a small but increasingly conspicuous part of the global institutional investor community. How can placement agents nurture pockets of growth in a potentially lucrative yet hugely imbalanced market?
China reverse mergers: In through the out door
With China IPOs still stuttering, a number of private equity investors in need of an exit have opted to go public through reverse mergers. Is the risk-reward good enough for this to become the normal?
1Q analysis: Big fish, small fish
Country fund stars, China VCs make their mark on fundraising; the trade sale spike won't be sustained and the IPO surge may falter too; South Korean buyouts continue to create headlines
Japan regulation: Taxing tactics
Investors are concerned about the potential repercussions for the economy – and their portfolio companies – of Japan’s staged consumer tax hike. Could it really derail the country’s fragile recovery?
China healthcare: Innovation issues
There is plenty of buzz about investment in Chinese healthcare but the pharmaceuticals segment has yet to fulfill its promise as an R&D hub. Should PE and VC investors be looking for different angles?
Portfolio: CDH, Mekong and Mobile World
Early investor Mekong Capital and recent addition CDH Investments have guided Mobile World through rapid growth and growing pains. Now the Vietnam-based mobile phone retailer is about to go public
India film funding: Bollywood bets
The rapid growth of India’s movie industry is drawing in private equity investors looking for exposure all along the value chain. Those unable to stomach the risk will aim for distribution rather than production
Singapore VC: Silicon dreams
Buoyed by government support and increasing private sector interest, Singapore has created a legion of tech start-ups that now require further investment. Can it become Southeast Asia’s answer to Silicon Valley?