East Asia

Chinese brokerages given greenlight for PE

The China Securities Regulatory Commission has given brokerages permission to raise private equity funds using third party capital, paving the way for further development of the industry in China.

Orchid Asia closes Fund V on $650m

Orchid Asia V attracted around 60 investors for a final close on hard-cap target of $650m just one year after its official launch in July 2010.

Partners Group joins RMB fund rush

The Swiss-headquartered alternatives firm is the latest global private equity player to launch an RMB-denominated fund.

GSR Ventures raises $350m

The China-focused venture capital firm has closed its fourth technology-focused vehicle after garnering support from investors including Horsley Bridge Partners.

Guardian expands into emerging markets

Guardian Life Insurance will invest in emerging markets through a $100m separate account with 57 Stars, says Guardian’s head of private equity David Turner.

TPG poaches Bain executive

Bain Capital's Jingsheng Huang is moving to join rival TPG's China office and will begin his new role in late August. TPG is currently raising two separate RMB funds in Chongqing and Shanghai.

Lexington collects record $7bn for secondaries

The firm has closed its seventh fund on $7bn and has raised an additional $650m for Lexington Middle Market Investors II, a complementary vehicle to invest in ‘young’ private equity interests.

The keys to retail success

Despite concern over consumer indebtedness and spending prospects, the retail sector continued to attract private equity investment during the economic downturn. Perhaps surprisingly, this is also true of the sluggish recovery period since the UK economy emerged from recession, writes Markus Golser, senior partner at Graphite Capital.

Pine Brook hires DE Shaw private equity co-head

The former co-head of hedge fund DE Shaw’s North American private equity team will be responsible for managing Pine Brook Road’s energy sector activities.

Buyers beware

The recent fraud allegations relating to Chinese companies listed overseas may force private equity investors to reassess how they buy and seek to influence investee businesses, writes Andy Thomson.