Analysis
Singapore start-ups: Touching greatness
At least four Singapore-headquartered start-ups have four years of operations behind them and are worth at least $100 million. Which businesses have the skill and scale to be the next big thing?
Trade sales in Southeast Asia: Expansion imperative
Companies from within and outside Southeast Asia are scouring the region for M&A opportunities as they seek to capitalize on regional growth. It means a wider variety of trade sale options for PE investors
FATCA compliance: A ticking clock
As of July 1, PE firms were supposed to have taken the first step towards compliance with the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). Few in Asia can exist beyond the regulatory web
China-US VC: Beyond borders
Chinese tech companies are interested in making investments in the US, while start-ups are targeting Sino-US or global markets from the outset. How can VC investors make money in this melting pot?
China PE in the US: From theory to practice
Chinese private equity firms’ growing interest in US acquisitions has yet to translate into meaningful deal flow. These relatively new arrivals need time to familiarize themselves with a competitive market
Secondaries: Choice cuts
Secondary fundraising has reached new highs over the past year, signaling greater investor appetite for the asset class. What is driving the demand and who is likely to benefit?
China logistics: Filling the gap
Spurred by a lack of high-quality supply and rising demand from retail customers, private capital is flooding into China’s logistics sector. The fundamentals are strong, but investors and operators must be disciplined
Japan's public pension funds: Sleeping giants
Following concerns about performance and a government review of asset allocations, Japan’s public pension funds are prepping to enter private equity. But when will it happen and who stands to benefit?
Japan outbound investment: Playing away
Emboldened by ample financing and the need to develop demand bases beyond a stagnating domestic market, Japanese companies are investing more overseas. Are they partner or competitor for private equity?
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?