Global investment firm KKR has announced the final close of KKR Asian Fund IV, a $15 billion fund focused on investments in private equity transactions across the Asia Pacific region.
KKR will be investing approximately $1.3 billion in capital alongside fund investors through the Firm and its employees’ commitments, the company said in a statement.
“Over the last 16 years we have strategically built our Asia Pacific platform and diverse regional team to unlock what we believe are some of the most compelling investment opportunities in the world given Asia Pacific’s growth and dynamism,” said KKR Asia Pacific Head Ming Lu.
“Our new flagship private equity fund meaningfully adds to our multi-asset platform and strengthens our investment position across the region. We are grateful to our investors who have acknowledged the success of our Asia Pacific strategy and share our conviction in the tremendous potential that the region’s businesses hold,” he added.
The announcement builds on the momentum across KKR’s Asia Pacific platform. In January, the Firm announced the final closings of its inaugural pan-regional infrastructure and real estate funds – the $3.9 billion Asia Pacific Infrastructure Investors Fund and $1.7 billion Asia Real Estate Partners Fund.
KKR Co-Head of Asia Pacific Private Equity Hiro Hirano said, “The opportunity for private equity investment across Asia Pacific is phenomenal.”
“While each market is unique, the long-term fundamentals underpinning the region’s growth are consistent – the demand for consumption upgrades, a fast-growing middle class, rising urbanisation, and technological disruption,” Hirano added.
“Companies across Asia Pacific are recognising their potential to become not only national and regional champions but also global leaders in their industries,” said KKR Co-Head of Asia Pacific Private Equity Ashish Shastry.
“Today, with Asian Fund IV and KKR’s local-global partnership approach, we are better positioned than ever to support the expansion of the companies that fuel Asia Pacific’s economy, fund their innovation, and build technology leaders,” he added.
KKR’s Asia Pacific private equity platform takes a flexible investment approach with the ability to pivot across sectors and markets to pursue the most attractive risk-adjusted opportunities.
Through Asian Fund IV, KKR plans to pursue opportunities stemming from rising consumption and urbanisation trends, as well as corporate carve-outs, spin-offs, and consolidation as companies look to optimise their portfolios.
This strategy is led by a team of approximately 70 investment professionals based in eight offices across six major Asia Pacific markets. The team is supported by locally based operational and capital markets experts in KKR Capstone and KKR Capital Markets.
KKR Asian Fund IV is currently the largest private equity fund dedicated to investing in the Asia Pacific region. The Fund, which exceeded its target size to reach its hard cap for fund investors’ commitments, received strong support from a diverse group of new and existing global investors, including strong representation by Asia Pacific-based investors.
KKR launched its Asia Pacific platform in 2005, and today has over $30 billion in assets under management in the region across strategies, including private equity, infrastructure, real estate and credit.
KKR’s Asia Pacific Private Equity portfolio currently includes investments in approximately 60 companies in 11 countries across the region.
