Interview
Asia Awards: Firm of the Year – Bain Capital
In the past 12 months, Bain Capital has raised its second Asia fund, closed sizeable deals in Japan and India, and completed a strong China exit. Jonathan Zhu, a managing director at the PE firm, looks back and forward
Asia Awards: VC Professional of the Year – Sanjeev Aggarwal
SanjeevAggarwal, managing partner at Helion Venture Partners, reflects on a successful fundraise, the popularity of Indian venture capital, and a portfolio that is becoming increasingly international
Q&A: Everstone Capital's Sameer Sain
Sameer Sain, co-founder and managing partner of Everstone Capital, on exit channels, areas of interest for investments and taking foreign companies into India
AVCJ at 25: Turning points
To mark the 25th anniversary of Asian Venture Capital Journal, we highlight five key phases in the development of asset class in Asia and talk to the individuals involved. Two of the phases are births – of a sort – and the other three are crises,...
Q&A: EQT Partners' Martin Mok
Martin Mok, a Hong Kong-based partner at EQT Partners Asia, talks to AVCJ about what slowing economic growth and slowing public markets mean for private equity investors in China
Q&A: Unitas Capital's John Lewis
John Lewis, chief investment officer at Unitas Capital, talks to AVCJ about the importance of reputation in Asia from fundraising through post-deal value-add to exiting portfolio companies to multinational buyers
Q&A: L Capital Asia's Ravi Thakran
L Capital Asia, a private equity firm sponsored by LVMH, the world’s largest luxury goods company, was set up in 2008 and closed its first fund in 2010. Managing Partner Ravi Thakran tells AVCJ what makes the firm different
Profile: Founders Fund's Bruce Gibney
Founders Fund Partner Bruce Gibney became a multi-millionaire by investing in PayPal while still at university. He was later involved in the first angel investment made in Facebook
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
VIDEO: Jack Lange of Paul Weiss
Economic uncertainty makes private equity investors wary but weak public markets in China are also creating opportunities, says Jack Lange, a partner in the corporate department at Paul Weiss
Q&A: Paul Capital's Bryon Sheets
Bryon Sheets, a US-based partner with Paul Capital who leads secondary private equity coverage, talks to AVCJ about spinning out captive teams in North America and Europe, and the prospects for doing the same in Asia
LP interview: Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan
Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP) is arguably the most aggressive direct investor in Asia among the North American pension funds. The strategy is designed avert a funding shortfall at home
Profile: Leopard Capital's Douglas Clayton
Leopard Capital CEO Douglas Clayton refused to let gun-wielding Cambodians distract him from setting up the country’s first private equity fund. He prides himself on being first on the ground in frontier markets
VIDEO: CHAMP Private Equity's John Haddock
The rise of Asian strategic buyers is creating a new exit channel for Australian private equity firms, according to John Haddock, managing director at CHAMP Private Equity. The GP has direct exposure to this trend, having exited Manassen Foods to China’s...
LP interview: Allstate branches out
Unencumbered by the volatility that can restrict non-captive LPs, Allstate alters its PE portfolio to reflect fundamental changes in the market. It is scaling back on buyouts and scaling up on Asia
Q&A: Globis Capital Partners' Shinichi Takamiya
Shinichi Takamiya, a partner at Japanese VC firm Globis Capital Partners, discusses the prospects for domestic start-ups and how venture investment in Japan stacks up against global counterparts
VIDEO: Lunar Capital's Derek Sulger
The private equity landscape in China is broadening and this will see a wider variety of deals, including more control transactions, says Derek Sulger, managing partner at Lunar Capital
Profile: Unitas Capital's Jim Tsao
After years spent trouble-shooting as a grain trader, brewery exec and food company CEO, Jim Tsao became a partner at what is now Unitas Capital. He first discovered what PE was when headhunted for the role
VIDEO: Shearman & Sterling's Lorna Chen
Foreign-backed renminbi funds are likely to struggle to raise capital in China after the regulator decreed that such vehicles don’t qualify for local treatment for investment purposes, says Lorna Chen, a partner at Shearman & Sterling
LP interview: New York State Common Retirement Fund
New York State Common Retirement Fund has put scandals behind it and, buoyed by two years of positive performance and limited liabilities overhand, is looking to boost Asia private equity exposure
VIDEO: Archer Capital's Greg Minton
Australian fund managers need to go offshore to raise capital – but only if they are targeting large funds, says Greg Minton, managing director at Archer Capital. “In fund IV we got about A$740 million from the domestic market and about the same again...
Profile: Squadron Capital's Anand Prasanna
Anand Prasanna has gone from learning about business in the backwaters of southern India to working for Squadron Capital, one of Asia’s leading indigenous fund-of-funds. He also makes angel investments
VIDEO: Clifford Chance's Lee Taylor
Indonesia has aroused enormous interest among foreign investors but valuations remain an issue, according to Lee Taylor, a partner with Clifford Chance in Singapore. There have been huge dislocations between buyers and sellers generally since the global...
Q&A: Axiom Asia's Chihtsung Lam and Marc Lau
Chihtsung Lam (CL) and Marc Lau (ML), managing partner and partner, respectively, at Axiom Asia, discuss the relative merits of different markets in Southeast Asia and the fund strategies best suited to addressing them