SoftBank offers glimpse of the pain the private equity world is in
If exchange-traded funds are the fast food of investing, then private equity is the private kitchen. As the world spirals into a recession and the coronavirus pandemic batters your retirement accounts,...
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Guest Post |‘Nowcasting’ private equity in the coronavirus crisis
Private equity’s valuations might give it the appearance of a safe haven during the COVID-19 crisis, but portfolio companies may now be struggling under high levels of leverage. While the world has...
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Guest Post | This is how much harder it is to raise capital during a downturn
The recent coronavirus outbreak has shocked markets around the world and US equities, in particular, have dragged into bearish territory faster than any other tumble. But as an institution focused on...
View ArticleAnother 5b reasons for SoftBank to walk away from WeWork
SoftBank Group Corp. needs to cut and run on its entire WeWork investment, not just the shares. Covid-19 and the economics of a prolonged crisis necessitate strict pragmatism. As recently as two weeks...
View ArticleGuest Post | Coronavirus: Liquidity will come at a premium for VC asset class
While the final human toll of coronavirus is still to be determined, one thing is for certain: COVID-19 is leaving a deep mark on our economy and creating an abundance of fear. The Dow, S&P 500 had...
View ArticleSingapore’s data centre REITs are a happy lot as more people work from home
Singapore now has two types of landlords. The unhappy ones need folks to show up at offices, malls, hotels and factories, something that’s simply not going to happen in a hurry with the city-state’s...
View ArticleGuest Post | WhatsApp and Jio: The Super Platform
Earlier this week, Facebook came out with a huge announcement, that it was investing $5.7 billion into Jio Platforms Limited for a 10% stake in the company. Jio Platforms Limited is the parent company...
View ArticleGuest Post | Implications and second-order effects of Jio-Facebook deal
Last week, Facebook announced a $5.7-billion investment for a 9.9 per cent stake in Jio Platforms, an entity that owns Jio’s mobile service, the broadband internet service and a slew of apps and...
View ArticleFounders grappling to make startups recession-proof: Sequoia Capital
With the COVID-19 crisis impacting the startup ecosystem, Sequoia Capital India said that founders are grappling with difficult choices and increasingly looking for ways to make their organisations...
View ArticleRatan Tata says virus crisis will push entrepreneurs to adapt and create
Pointing out that even during earlier challenging times when entrepreneurs showed far-sightedness and creativity, industrialist Ratan Tata today said the coronavirus crisis will also force...
View ArticleIndonesia walks a fine line between bailouts and downgrades
Since surviving an IMF bailout and violent change of government during the Asian financial crisis, Indonesia has shown an uncanny resilience in bouncing back from global selloffs. As soon as the dust...
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Guest post | The founder’s guide to understanding down rounds
During the surge in VC activity and booming startup valuations in Southeast Asia, no one has needed to look at how down rounds work. The economic impact of Covid-19 may change that for startups in the...
View ArticleWhy SoftBank should take its Yahoo merger live with M17
Six months ago, a largely forgotten unit of SoftBank Group Corp. announced a complicated merger aimed at expanding its Japanese internet and e-commerce footprint. Z Holdings Corp., better known by its...
View ArticleReliance may break up in 3-4 years with IPOs of Jio, retail business: Bernstein
Reliance Industries may break up in the next three-four years after the initial public offering of its telecom and retail business segments, which should unlock additional shareholder value, said...
View ArticleHK-based Value Partners upbeat on China despite political uncertainties
Hong Kong-based Value Partners Group remains upbeat on the future development of the Chinese market in what its executive describes as “the dream opportunity” for the asset management industry, despite...
View ArticleBehind the optics: What India’s ban on Chinese apps is and isn’t
It happened during prime time. The Indian government’s penchant for the dramatic was reinforced when it announced that 59 apps had been banned just when debates on news channels kicked off. The...
View ArticleHow India’s digital winners will evolve cashing in on six hours a day screen...
Time will be the next frontier in India’s digital battlefield; dollars will follow the hours consumers spend online. India has left a void in their day by banning 59 Chinese apps after a border dispute...
View ArticleCan India’s Reliance take on Tencent, Huawei and Xiaomi?
With the $28 billion he’s raised working from home, India’s richest man wants to step into the breach created by the technology cold war between America and China. The two Silicon Valley tech giants...
View ArticleAlternative financing opportunities to emerge as economies show real COVID-19...
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to batter businesses around the world, alternative financing providers believe there is still time before opportunities in this crisis start to become evident....
View ArticleHow Ant & Lufax offerings will show China’s subprime consumers in COVID-19 era
The world’s largest fintech unicorns are preparing for their debutante balls. Billionaire Jack Ma’s Ant Group is seeking a valuation north of $200 billion in a landmark dual public listing in Hong Kong...
View ArticleIf Nadella can swing it, TikTok could be Microsoft’s deal of the decade
Let’s get something clear upfront: Microsoft Corp.’s purchase of TikTok isn’t worth $50 billion. That’s my opinion. But then again, it’s not my money. Some investors in its parent company, ByteDance...
View ArticleSea has opportunity to ride pandemic surge to make bold acquisitions
A doubling of revenue coupled with a 263% surge in Sea Ltd.’s shares aren’t enough to make the Southeast Asian internet company profitable, but they do provide something almost as important:...
View ArticleThe math doesn’t add up on TikTok’s deal with Oracle and Walmart
The TikTok sale saga reached an apparent conclusion over the weekend when President Donald Trump approved a deal. The agreement would allow Oracle Corp. and Walmart Inc. to buy a minority stake in a...
View ArticleIndia’s digital capital will give it an advantage over peers, says Mukesh Ambani
Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) chairman Mukesh Ambani on Monday said data is a vital national resource that will act as raw material for artificial intelligence (AI)-led development. He said India will...
View ArticleDalio says ‘time is on China’s side’ in power struggle with US
Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio said China has an advantage over the U.S. on a range of issues. “Time is on China’s side and it’s not on the United States’ side, for various developments,”...
View ArticleChina’s financial sector, yuan’s reserve status catching up with US, says Ray...
While China’s financial sector and the yuan’s reserve status are still lagging behind the U.S., this is changing rapidly, said Ray Dalio, founder and co-chairman of global hedge fund giant Bridgewater...
View ArticleGlobal investors likely to retain appetite for SE Asian deals despite COVID
Investors’ appetite for emerging market opportunities in Southeast Asia is expected to retain, as many of them attempt to “hedge risks” brought by the COVID-19 pandemic by investing in businesses with...
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Guest Post: Why Alibaba, Pinduoduo and Meituan are keen on community group...
A version of this article originally appeared in Lillian Li’s new long-form tech newsletter, Chinese Characteristics. Lillian recently returned to China after working at Salesforce Ventures and Eight...
View ArticleIndonesia’s new sovereign wealth fund may feel ripples from Malaysia’s 1MDB...
Indonesia will need to step out of the shadows of neighbouring Malaysia’s 1MDB scandal to convince investors that its new wealth fund won’t fall prey to corruption. Nusantara Investment Authority will...
View ArticleGuest Post | 2020 – The gale of disruptive transformation for venture investing?
As the new year approaches, it is perhaps timely to reflect on 2020. The past year has indeed been a whirlwind. While some may call it disruptive, others deem it truly transformational.Continue reading...
View ArticleChina’s 3 big mistakes in 2020: Ant IPO, K-shaped rebound & mishandling defaults
Even if you resent China for being the epicenter of Covid-19, you’ve got to admire Beijing’s leadership skills. Less than a year after the pandemic erupted, life is back to normal, while Europe and the...
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Guest Post | The Indus Valley Playbook
On the evolution of the Indian startup ecosystem, or Indus Valley, and the distinct set of hacks and business models that have evolved to help Indian startups win – The Indus Valley playbook. About...
View ArticleTwists and turns in DHFL bankruptcy shows pain involved in India’s banking...
After years of trying, making India’s broken banks whole is still very much like pulling teeth. The twists and turns in the $12 billion bankruptcy of a housing finance company show how challenging it...
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Guest Post | How India created a digital blueprint for the economies of the...
Authors’ preface: We have always been drawn to bold, ambitious ideas that aim to leverage technology to improve the world. Unsurprisingly, we were inexorably sucked in by the gravity of...
View ArticleBlackstone’s Schwarzman says new US administration to take ‘softer tone’...
Blackstone Group Inc Chairman Stephen Schwarzman said on Tuesday that the new U.S. administration was going to take a “softer tone” towards China, and that he expected lower tensions between the two...
View ArticleGuest Post: What India’s Budget holds for healthcare-focused global investors
India’s annual budget 2021-22 has been widely received with cheer and hope, at least for the most sections of the society and businesses. With an economy facing enormous headwinds thanks to COVID-19...
View ArticleGuest Post: Asian VCs must consider small funding rounds with earnout structures
The FAANMG companies — Facebook, Apple, Amazon.com, Netflix, Microsoft, and Google — are known for their massive global reach and market valuations that outstrip the economies of some nations. However,...
View ArticleThe 395% surge in the shares of Sea Ltd. last year makes Tesla look cheap
Sea Ltd. is one of those companies you either know, or you’ve never heard of. And investors the world over will be kicking themselves for missing the massive run-up in its stock. But don’t feel sorry...
View ArticleEditor’s take: The week that was – March 8-13
Deal-making by China-focused private equity and venture capital firms slowed for a second consecutive month in February, amid the week-long Lunar New Year holidays on the Mainland. There were 122 PE-VC...
View ArticleSequoia tells portfolio firms to “accelerate” plans amid signs of recovery
Sequoia Capital has asked its portfolio companies to gear up with their expansion plans as it sees “an important window of opportunity opening right now.” In a note addressed to founders and management...
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