Intel’s Kapur heads to TPG Ventures

Texas Pacific Group Ventures, the growth equity arm of San Francisco-based private equity firm Texas Pacific Group, has hired Varun Kapur, to join the firm as a partner, Texas Pacific said in a statement. Kapur, who will officially join TPG in February of 2007, will oversee early stage and middle market investments in India.

Varun Kapur: moving to TPG Ventures

“Mr. Kapur will be based in Mumbai and will lead the firm’s expansion stage, smaller buyouts and growth-oriented investments in India, with investments up to as much as US$75 million,” the statement said. Kapur will also contribute to the company’s ventures in Japan, Australia and Southeast Asia.

Kapur has had much experience in investing in those regions. He joins TPG from Intel Corporation, where he was on of two managing directors of the company’s investment unit, Intel Capital, in Asia, the statement said. At Intel Capital, the 37-year-old focused on investments in India, Japan, Southeast Asia and Australia.

Before joining Intel, Kapur spent four years at the Mumbai and Hong Kong offices of AIG Investment, a private equity firm in Asia, as director of direct investment. There he focused on investments in the infrastructure, telecommunications, manufacturing, retail, financial services and technology sectors.

Kapur’s appointment comes nearly 18 months after another high profile South Asian appointment at TPG. The firm hired Vivek Paul, formerly the president and chief executive officer of Wipro Technologies, a Bangalore, India-based software and outsourcing company, as a partner in June of 2005.

Founded in 1992, TPG Ventures focuses on the technology, biotechnology and consumer industries and uses venture capital, growth equity, leveraged buyouts and private investments, the statement said. It has approximately $30 billion under management.