Official Record
PAG Asia bets $250m on Chinese pharmco
China is entering a new era, with its new model for growth powered by technology and innovation rather than a focus on cheap manufacturing. Biotechnology, as one of the seven “strategic emerging industries” in the 12th Five-Year plan, is experiencing...
Abraaj acquires emerging markets SME specialist Aureos
When Omar Lodhi took charge of Abraaj Capital’s Asia business, the idea was to pursue organic growth. The private equity firm opened an office in Singapore early last year and then one in India, where it already had a joint venture with Sabre Capital...
Catalyst identifies proxy for resources boom
With investment in Australian natural resources soaring, miners are being dispatched to work on resources in locations so remote that just a few years ago extraction wasn’t deemed economically viable. Morris Corporation provides somewhere for them to...
IDG bets on potential e-commerce consolidator
Survival of the fittest is a concept that applies to almost every ambit and rings particularly true in the field of Indian e-commerce of late. Last week Flipkart.com, the country’s largest online retailer, backed by Tiger Global Management and Accel...
Wolseley exits Freshmax to Maui Capital
From cattle ranchers to fruit and vegetable farmers, PE interest in Australasia’s agricultural space is wide-ranging. In each case, investors are seeking to leverage the perception, particularly in Asia, that produce from Australia and New Zealand is...
Holm plans to tap Indonesia’s rich
There is no shortage of Indonesia-focused funds seeking capital. Of the established players, Northstar Pacific has already completed fundraising and Saratoga is on course for a final close this year. At least five other first-time GPs are currently in...
TPG faces a challenge in Li Ning
TPG Capital worked its magic on women’s shoe retailer Daphne three years ago, but can it do the same for beleaguered Chinese sportswear chain Li Ning? Investors clearly hoped as much, with the Hong Kong-listed company’s stock rising 20% in response...
Kerogen backs sub-Saharan energy player
To the uninitiated, oil and gas assets in Congo-Brazzaville and Kurdistan might seem too risky for private equity. Energy-focused investor Kerogen Capital, however, takes a different view. The Hong Kong-based firm invested $125 million to become the largest...
Baring backs China’s Ambow Education
Baring Private Equity Asia is no newcomer to the education sector. The private equity firm’s portfolio currently includes four assets in the private tutoring space and it added a fifth last week following the purchase of a stake in Ambow Education Holding...
Dunkin’ Donuts exit reflects consumer appeal
Fast food is a popular commodity among private equity investors in Southeast Asia who are drawn to any asset that could be interpreted a play on rising regional consumption.
‘Sweat equity’ wins Lunar $100m Yeehoo deal
China-focused private equity firm Lunar Capital has backed the management buyout of babywear company China Yeehoo Apparel for an enterprise value in excess of $100 million.
Big money deal for big data giant Mu Sigma
The amount of data in the world doubles every 18 months. Thanks to social networking, internet-enabled mobile phones and government surveillance, five times more digital information will be created this year than in 2008, according to market intelligence...
Nomura enters China’s PE space
Nomura Holdings has become the first Japanese financial services company to invest in Chinese private equity, after agreeing to participate as an LP in the Shanghai-based Jiu You Quan Xing Equity Investment Fund. The vehicle, which is managed by Jiu You...
Archer secures $1.5b for fifth fund
Projections for Archer Capital's fifth fund continued to increase even as the capital-raising environment in Australia got tougher. A target of A$1.2 billion ($1.2 billion) soon became A$1.4 billion and finally A$1.5 billion, which is where it closed...
MediaWorks is latest Oz debt-to-equity target
The phenomenon is known as “loan to own.” Investors buy up companies’ debt on the secondary market and negotiate with the boards to secure what are in effect controlling positions.
Saratoga bets on Indonesian energy
Overseas private equity funds often attribute Indonesia’s rising-star status in Asia to its explosive consumer growth story. Many domestic players, however, have gravitated toward resource plays, and energy in particular.
CHAMP PE approved for oOh!media buyout
CHAMP Private Equity has received unanimous approval by the board of directors of Australian out-of-home advertising firm oOh!media to purchase the company for A$163 million ($163 million), capping off the firm’s 2011 on a high and marking its first...
BVP India invests in Indian dialysis clinics
Many entrepreneurs within growth-stage firms claim to live and breathe their business propositions. One company founder, Kamah Shah, takes this adage to the next level, however, as his reliance on kidney dialysis machines sees him undergoing the treatment...
Warburg becomes an investor in Haitong IPO
Warburg Pincus Private Equity has become a cornerstone investor in the IPO of Chinese brokerage Haitong Securities, buying $210 million worth of shares as part of a potential $1.7 billion raise by the company.
Primavera Capital invests $51m into China XLX
Urea might not be the most glamorous investment proposition, but China’s Primavera Capital seems more than satisfied with its latest deal, which marks its first foray into the Chinese agriculture space.
Bain sells offs Chinese chemical companies
With Bain Capital poised to announce a first close on its second Asia fund, the private equity firm has secured the first full exit from an investment made through its debut regional vehicle. The sale of Hipro Polymers and Casda Biomaterials to French...
Trade Sale of the Year – Beijing Leader & Harvest
Conventional wisdom states that foreign private equity firms will struggle to do buyouts in China. If an owner is willing to sell – and few private entrepreneurs are, while anything with state ties is off limits – the regulators might not be willing...
Private Equity Professional of the Year – Peter Wiggs
“It's been quite a year,” Peter Wiggs reflected as he collected the prize for Private Equity Professional of the Year at the 2011 Asian Private Equity & Venture Capital Awards.
Archer, Ironbridge achieve iNova exit
It may have taken longer than expected, but Archer Capital and Ironbridge Capital have finally exited Australian portfolio company iNova Pharmaceuticals to a Canadian trade buyer two years after launching an auction for the company. A healthy return on...