Clare Burrows

As the debt market in India becomes increasingly popular with GPs, the development finance institutions have backed Au Financiers directly in a $60m funding round.

US dollar fund managers in China believe that RMB funds offer less competition for deals than before, but finding high-quality companies to invest in is becoming more challenging, according to a Bain & Company survey.

The development finance institution is ramping up its activity in Southeast Asia’s most popular market.

The recently rebranded firm, with a focus on mezzanine lending in China, expects to have raised $50m by the end of April for its latest $200m fund.

The Boston-based firm has established its second Asia presence after closing offices in Turkey and Italy last month.

Asiya Investments has launched a Hong Kong-based entity to manage its emerging Asia investments and recharge its private equity investment activities.

Eric Yiming, an executive with experience in consumer retail, will join the China-focused private equity firm as a partner.

The European fund of funds has made a full cooperation agreement with RMB fund of funds Diligence Capital in a move to access regional opportunities for their clients.

The global firm has poached the bank’s head of leveraged debt capital markets Diane Raposio as it gears up to close a $6bn Asia Pacific fund – the largest-ever raised for the region.

The struggling surf-wear retailer has extended its suspension of trading on the Australian Stock Exchange as it considers lowered bids from two private equity-backed groups.