Sharon Lim

Asahi Tec Corporation, a Japanese auto parts marker controlled by US buyout firm Ripplewood, is acquiring its US rival in a $1.2 billion transaction.

Nikko Principal Investments Australia is acquiring a vehicle leasing business in its first transaction since the private equity arm of Nikko Cordial, a Japanese financial group, was set up in May.

Goldman Sachs is reportedly back to raise $10 billion for a new private equity fund after closing GS Capital Partners V last year on $8.5 billion.

Affinity Equity Partners has raised its unsolicited offer for Colorado Group which has dropped its call for shareholders reject the hostile takeover.

H&Q Asia Pacific, an Asia-focused private equity firm, has sold its controlling stake in MTV Japan to MTV Networks.

Softbank Investments, the venture capital arm of a Japanese financial group, is launching a fund in India with a local partner, SBI Capital Markets, a subsidiary of State Bank of India.

ARCH Capital, a new fund manager in Hong Kong, has linked up with Ayala Land, a Filipino property developer, to raise a new real estate private equity fund with a $200 million target.

Clearstone Venture Partners, a US venture capital firm, has set up an office in Mumbai, to be headed by Rahul Khanna who has relocated from Silicon Valley.

Singapore’s Temasek Holdings and Newbridge Capital, which together hold a combined 38 percent stake in India’s Matrix Laboratories, stand to make about 100 percent return on the pharmaceutical bet they made in May 2004.

The private equity arm of CITIC Capital, which is part of China’s largest financial group, is leading the buyout of Narumi China Corp, a Japanese branded tableware company.