Sharon Lim

Japanese venture capital firm Japan Asia Investment Co and Malaysian bank Maybank are co-anchoring a private equity fund aimed at investment opportunities in five Southeast Asian countries.

US buyout group KKR has entered into its first investment in India in a big splash, acquiring the software business of Flextronic International for $900 million.

The Sydney-based private equity firm has created Manassen Foods from the acquisition of four Australian and New Zealand branded foods distributors.

3i takes minority stake in India’s Sonalika 2006-05-23 Sharon Lim <P>Global private equity firm <FONT color=#99926b>3i</FONT> has taken a 10 percent stake in the International <FONT color=#99926b>Tractors (ITC)</FONT> and <FONT color=#99926b>International Cars & Motors

London-listed private equity investor 3i has acquired minority stakes in two subsidiaries of Indian tractors and farm machines business Sonalika.

In the last month, Japan-headquartered venture capital firm JAFCO has listed two portfolio companies on Nasdaq and closed a third Asia technology fund on $168m.

London-listed mezzanine capital provider Intermediate Capital has closed its first Asia-focused mezzanine fund on $500m, exceeding an earlier $400m target.

India has attracted $1.4bn in private equity and venture capital investment in the first three months of the year – more than 3.5 times the amount committed in the same period last year.

UK-based private equity firm Actis has sold a Thai wholesaler and retailer of English-language publications to Malaysia’s Navis Capital Partners.

Japanese private equity firms Unison Capital and Polaris Principal Finance concluded a rare secondary deal in the sale and purchase of a controlling stake in Japanese drug store chain Eleven Holdings.