Official Record
Lashou ups ante for group-buying niche
Chinese group-purchasing website Lashou.com received $110 million in a Series C financing round, bringing its total funding raised by VC to $166 million – the most capital any group-purchasing company in China has received, Lashou claims, coming as...
KKR inks largest-ever PE deal in Vietnam
Vietnam's status as a rising star in Asia’s private equity landscape was validated this week when KKR brokered the largest-ever PE deal in the market, acquiring a 10% stake in Masan Consumer Corporation for $159 million.
Goldman buys into major Chinese insurer
One year after the private equity arm of Goldman Sachs set its sights on a sizable minority stake in Chinese insurance major Taikang Life Insurance, Goldmans PIA has finally closed the deal, thus marking its latest foray into the PRC’s booming sector.
KKR’s Yageo offer reflects Taiwan's strength
KKR Asia, with company Chairman Pierre Chen, has offered $1.6 billion for Taiwanese electronic components manufacturer Yageo Corporation in a show of force that gives gravitas to a market that has largely lost its luster to regional private equity managers.
Second Oz retailer heads into receivership
Australian clothing and footwear retailer Colorado Group, controlled by Affinity Equity Partners, has been taken into receivership, marking the second Australian big-name PE-backed brand, after Pacific Equity Partners’ REDgroup Retail, to go down the...
MSPE Asia sees returns with China Shanshui
In a further testament to the opportunities surrounding China’s booming infrastructure sector, Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia has fully exited its investment in Hong Kong-listed China Shanshui Cement, selling its final block of shares for $222 million....
Ant Capital sees 60% IRR on VarioSecure exit
Japanese private equity firm Ant Capital Partners has completed the JPY6.7 billion ($79.7 million) sale of its fully owned portfolio company VarioSecure Networks Inc., a provider of network security services. The sale to PE-backed 1st Holdings Inc., translates...
D.E. Shaw joins forces with Indian billionaire
In the first three months of 2011, India has fully showcased its clout as a destination for growth and transactions, with top financial services deals dominating headlines, including Reliance Life's stake sale to Japan's Nippon Life and Standard Chartered's...
VisionChina goes after VC firms in US courts
In February, the former shareholders of Digital Media Group (DMG) (Shareholder Representative Services, Oak Investment Partners XII, Gobi Partners, Inc., Gobi Fund, Inc., and Gobi Fund II, L.P.) filed a counter suit against VisionChina Media, one of China’s...
Indian infra sees international activity
In the last week, both foreign and domestic firms have made significant moves dedicated to the Indian infrastructure space. UK headquartered private 3i has participated in the build-operate-and-transfer (BOT) road projects operated by KMC Constructions,...
Japan regulators offer flexibility for stability
To date, the Japanese government has estimated that damage from the interconnected natural disasters is likely to reach at least $198 billion, and it has pegged the possible economic loss at between JPY16 trillion ($196 billion) and JPY25 trillion ($306...
AVCJ India report shows PE making strides
The themes common to any discussion on Indian private equity are still there today, but instead of debate, the 2011 AVCJ India Private Equity and Venture Capital report showed steady progress and lessons learned. PIPEs are down by nearly two-thirds –...
CITIC closes second Japan fund
CITIC Capital Partners, the private equity arm of CITIC Capital Holdings Limited, has closed its second buyout fund dedicated to Japan with commitments of over JPY 18 billion ($217 million) – a similar size to its first fund.
CapAsia goes to Pakistan for wind energy
CapAsia, a joint venture private equity fund manager between CIMB Group and Standard Bank Group, has announced a $20.5 million investment into two wind parks in Pakistan. The capital will be deployed from its Islamic Infrastructure Fund (IIF). The assets...
A Capital launches first outbound RMB fund
In the latest move by the Chinese government to promote the PRC’s burgeoning private equity sector, Hong Kong-based PE firm A Capital has partnered with the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Financial Work to launch an reminbi-denominated outbound PE fund.
IFC champions microsavings offerings
As more Indian banks look to expand their services to the growing middle class and the increasing number of high net worth individuals, the World Bank’s investment arm, International Finance Corporation (IFC), has made a case for microsavings in a new...
Axis PE’s Gupta, Knight quit captive fund
Axis Bank, India's third largest lender has made no secret of its intentions of leaving the private equity industry. Over the last year, it has entertained a management buyout offer for Axis Private Equity (which has a INR600 crore ($133 million) infrastructure...
PE to buy Japanese restaurant chain
US private equity firm Bain Capital has emerged as a potential buyer for Skylark Co, a restaurant chain operator in Japan, which is being sold by Nomura Principal Finance, the investment arm of Japanese securities group Nomura Holdings, which currently...
Marunouchi buys Japanese supermarkets
Tokyo-based Marunouchi Capital, a joint venture equally owned by Japanese conglomerate Mitsubishi Corp and Mitsubishi UFJ Securities, has announced it will take over the entire share capital of Seijo Ishii Co., a high-end supermarket operator in Tokyo...
Aetos Capital takes remainder of Simplex
Aetos Capital, a US-based private equity and real estate investment firm, will boost its 50% stake in Japanese real estate asset manager Simplex Investment Advisors to 100% ownership by acquiring the 50% stake currently held by a Goldman Sachs.
CHAMP Ventures exits TSmarine
CHAMP Ventures, the mid-market PE specialist that is part of Castle Harlan Australian Mezzanine Partners (CHAMP) Group, successfully completed its first foray into the gas and oil sector official on March 3, finalizing the sale of TSM Group Holdings Pty...
Carlyle gets its bearings in Japan
US-based private equity major The Carlyle Group is to acquire 96.56% of all outstanding shares in Japanese bearing parts maker Tsubaki Nakashima Co. from Nomura Principal Finance Co. (NPF), in what now holds the title as the largest private equity deal...
Corporate tech VC funds launch in China
Chinese internet powerhouses Tencent and Alibaba are to launch separate private investment vehicles aimed at financing third-party developers in hopes of adopting new technologies – a model in line with overseas corporations that have since proven to...
Carlyle takes 15% stake in Qube Logistics
Qube Logistics has announced that it has reached an agreement with Carlyle Infrastructure Partners (CIP), a unit of the international private equity giant Carlyle Group, through which the fund will subscribe to up to 91,388,476 shares – or about 15%...