Official Record
Tata fund leverages parent’s brand
The Tata Opportunities Fund (TOF) was launched in 2011 with a mandate to invest into Tata Group companies as well as outside Indian firms. The manager, Tata Capital, announced a final fund close at $600 million last week, making it the largest India-focused...
CNEI exits Liyuan despite metals price slump
Dragged down by gold prices, commodities of all flavors have seen sharp declines in the past month. But this did not derail China New Enterprise Investment’s (CNEI) full exit from Shenzhen-listed Jilin LiyuanAluminum. The private equity firm secured...
CITIC, CDH exit early days China SOE buyout
Two facts worth noting about Chinese private equity: first, there is almost always a willing strategic buyer for a well positioned domestic business; second, the vast majority of PE investments are for minority stakes so if the entrepreneur has set his...
Creador brews 2x return on OldTown
Malaysia's OldTown White Coffee has unusual origins. The brand came into existence in 1999 as a range of pre-mix instant beverages, offering creamer, coffee and sugar in a single sachet. It was only in 2005 that the company decided to venture into the...
CDIB ends two-year wait for Meilele deal
After two years spent following Meilele, during which several other venture capital firms jumped on board, Taiwan's CDIB Capital has finally invested in the Chinese online furniture retailer. It was a tough fight, with more than 10 bidders in the running...
CX banks on India ATM opportunity
WITH MORE THAN 90% OF RETAIL transactions carried out in cash, India's growing consumer classes are in need of ATMs. However, there are only around 90,000 machines nationwide, which equates to just 59 per million people.
Lunar takes the bull by the horns
Nothing transforms the fortunes of a start-up quite like a celebrity endorsement. Twenty-five years ago, former Chinese President Hu Jintao, then still a rising star in the Communist Party, visited Yonghong, a family-owned beef jerky producer based in...
Caspian makes debt breakthrough
After two funds and $120 million invested in equity stakes in small- and medium-sized Indian microfinance institutions (MFIs), Caspian Advisors has decided to change direction. It is launching the country's first pure debt multi-sector fund aimed at the...
JAIC spin-out seeks VC secondaries
Private equity secondary exits have seen a resurgence in Japan in the last two years, with more than $5.3 billion transacted. In only one year previously - 2007 - has deal value surpassed $1.3 billion. For two groups of industry participants, the prospects...
KKR kicks tires, buys Alliance
India is expected to see an increasing number of secondary buyouts in the next couple of years as GPs look for ways to monetize existing portfolios in the face of a difficult public market environment. While KKR's acquisition of Warburg Pincus' majority...
Capital Dynamics goes inside-out in China
After a decade spent exploring the possibilities, Capital Dynamic concluded that best way for a global fund-of-funds manager to properly penetrate the Chinese market was "inside-out" - work with people in Beijing who come from Beijing. This is the rational...
Quadria carries the Milestone-Religare torch
For Amit Varma, buying Indian GP Milestone Religare was never part of the plan. He left financial services group Religare last year to set up Quadria Capital with Abrar Mir, formerly of NBD Sana Capital. They recently launched a debut fund, targeting...
Unitas patches up Australian auto parts firm
It seems counter-intuitive for a private equity firm to invest in inventory - if anything, they are known in the West for cutting working capital post-buyout - but this is what Unitas Capital did on acquiring Exego, a car parts supplier that operates...
Mekong trims Mobile World stake, looks to IPO
Is Mobile World the next Masan Consumer Corp? The as yet unnamed private equity firm that picked up part of Mekong Capital’s stake in the Vietnamese mobile phone retailer is certainly hoping so.
Leopard backs cross-border kenaf play
When kenaf, an Asian plant known for its short growing cycle, high protein content and strong fibers, was put to practical use, the locals made ropes. Today, its applications are expanding to encompass a wide variety of industries.
TPG plucks chicken deal
TPG nearly missed out on acquiring Inghams Enterprises. When the Bob Ingham, the 81-year-old owner of Australia's top chicken producer, put the company on the block for A$1.5 billion ($1.5 billion) last July, the private equity firm came in with an offer...
Anacacia reap returns on Home Appliances
Family-owned businesses that have been built from the ground up often lack depth at management level. Founders who have proved themselves in the start-up phase might struggle once a company reaches a certain scale: they are wearing three hats - manager,...
PE, MFIs back Philippines rural lending initiative
When examining the driving forces of rural development, one fact continually rings true: the higher the proportion of people in possession of a bank account, the higher a country's GDP per capita. In Asia, two countries fall well below the trend line...
WestBridge renews commitment to Pathlabs
WestBridge Capital'S involvement with India's Dr. Lal Pathlabs goes back to 2005, when the private equity firm invested around $10 million through its debut vehicle, WestBridge Venture Fund I.
AID Partners makes bet on HMV
The rise of services like iTunes and Spotify are enough to make any record store business shudder. Factor in the proliferation of file-sharing services and online piracy, and it is inevitable former giants like the UK's HMV seem to be going the way of...
AGCA, secondary investors buy CS legacy assets
Three years after Credit Suisse's Asia private equity team spun out, the assets they were tasked with managing have followed suit. Supported by HarbourVest Partners and Axiom Asia, Asia Growth Capital Advisors (AGCA) has acquired a portfolio of eight...
Advent generates 2.5x on rationalization play
Locker Group Holdings, an Australian metal products manufacturer recently exited by Advent Private Capital to US-based Valmont, is an example of post-global financial crisis rationalization.
Headland to take Malaysian Mamee overseas
As "official noodle sponsor" of English football team Manchester United, Malaysian snack and beverage firm Mamee Double Decker puts a lot of stock in the reputation of its brands. The challenge for Headland Capital Partners, which recently took a significant...
Investors flock to CRC’s debut RMB fund
Renminbi fundraising weakened considerably over the course of 2012. Preliminary AVCJ figures showing that barely 20 vehicles attracted a total of $4.2 billion in the second half of the year, less than one third the amount raised in the previous six months.