North America
US regulator gets access to Chinese audits
The threat of delisting that has haunted Chinese companies that trade on US exchanges appears to have receded after the US regulators announced they had gained full access to the audits of these companies for the first time.
Square Peg, Wellington back Australia's Rokt at $2.4b valuation
Square Peg Capital and Wellington Management have led a AUD 750m (USD 501m) investment in Australian e-commerce marketing technology provider Rokt at a valuation of USD 2.4bn.
Thoma Bravo raises $32b for deployment in software
Thoma Bravo, a specialist investor in software companies, has closed its latest set of buyout funds with more than USD 32.4bn in commitments. This compares to USD 22.8bn in the previous vintage.
Fund focus: Southeast Asia piques Silicon Valley interest
Singapore’s Iterative is dazzling its entrepreneurial friends in the US with tales of seed-stage success in Southeast Asia and channelling that interest into a sophomore fund
Chinese investors sell international assets of condom maker LifeStyles
A Chinese investor group featuring several private equity firms has sold the non-China assets of LifeStyles Healthcare, a global sexual health and wellness platform best known for the Lifestyles condom brand, to US-based Linden Capital Partners.
FTX: Crypto dismisses another deathblow
An emerging technology giant has imploded. Regulations are set to tighten. Investors hit pause but remain confident about the long-term outlook. Business as usual in crypto
Fund focus: Panacea defies biotech downturn
Having raised its second fund amid weakening investor sentiment for biotech, Panacea Venture expects deployment to be guided by a widening valuation gap between the US and China
ACE Equity-backed SPAC acquires US electronics player
ACE Convergence Acquisition Corp, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) sponsored by Korean PE firm ACE Equity Partners, has completed a merger with US-based electronics manufacturer Tempo Automation. The equity valuation of the business was cut...
Apollo’s Rowan tips alternatives allocations to top 50% - AVCJ Forum
Marc Rowan, CEO of Apollo Global Management, told the AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum that he expects most investors to have an alternatives allocation of at least 50% within five years.
Panacea closes second healthcare fund on $276m
Panacea Venture, a healthcare-focused investment firm established by James Huang, formerly a partner at KPCB China, has closed its second fund with approximately USD 276m in commitments.
TPG's Coulter calls for patience, perspective amid 'great reset' - AVCJ Forum
James Coulter, executive chairman and founding partner of TPG, told the AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum that the current “great reset” represents one of the most interesting periods in his career, although he advised investors to look beyond immediate...
Q&A: Northwestern University’s Tianhao Wu
Tianhao Wu, a managing director in the investment team at Northwestern University’s endowment, on adding new GP relationships, addressing China risk, and pursuing geographic diversification in Asia
Q&A: CPPIB’s Suyi Kim
Suyi Kim, global head of private equity at Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, on investing amid uncertainty, finding alignment with partners of all types, and the evolution of direct investment
Sport investment: Into the value chain
Investors are increasingly drawn to the structural nuances, sticky customer bases, and long tail of ancillary opportunities that exist around professional sports. Asia’s role is small but growing
Taking PE in-house: Less limited partners
Institutional investors continue to pursue more active roles in private equity, even as a souring macro backdrop makes the game harder to play. Talent is always the key variable
US logistics AI start-up gets $100m for Asia entry
US-based Altana Technologies, an artificial intelligence (AI) and analytics provider for the logistics industry, has raised USD 100m in Series B funding with plans to open a Singapore office in early 2023.
GP selection: Discriminating customers
Sizeable LPs are hardening their criteria for fund commitments in reaction to a tougher investing environment. But going with fewer, deeper relationships is an uphill climb
Deal focus: GPs pile into US-India tech corridor
US and India-based Accion Labs continues to collect private equity backers as it further globalises its IT services offering. Incoming investors don’t want to shake up the winning formula
Brookfield commits $500m to carbon recycling specialist LanzaTech
Brookfield Renewable, a business controlled by Brookfield Asset Management, has agreed to invest USD 500m in LanzaTech, a US carbon recycling specialist with a significant Asia presence.
China's Neushen Therapeutics gets $20m pre-Series A
China’s Neushen Therapeutics, a biotech developer focused on central nervous system (CNS) disorders, has raised USD 20m in pre-Series A funding led by local VC firm Lapam Capital.
India's True North buys stake in TA-backed Accion Labs
Indian middle market private equity firm True North has acquired a significant minority position in US and India-based IT provider Accion Labs from TA Associates for USD 93m.
China semiconductor: Casualties of war
Private equity investment in China’s semiconductor industry continues unabated despite intensifying US regulatory action. While start-ups are not explicitly targeted, many are feeling the heat
Bessemer closes latest global VC fund on $3.85b
US-based Bessemer Venture Partners, which is currently expanding a longstanding presence in India, has closed its latest global VC fund with USD 3.85m in commitments.
Q&A: Unitus Ventures’ Surya Mantha
Indian returns-focused impact investor Unitus Ventures is sharpening its thesis around jobs as it celebrates its 10-year anniversary. Surya Mantha, a managing partner at the firm, traces the evolution
