VENTURE CAPITAL POST

According to a private equity official, the private equity industry in Sri Lanka is interested in backing small and mid-sized firms that have a winning business model and a plan for growth, the Lanka Business Online reported.

India's private equity industry is growing and fund managers are getting seasoned industry veterans to help manage their portfolios and add more value to their investments, The Financial Express reported.

According to Preqin, the number of new private equity companies introduced globally last year was at its lowest level in over a decade and a half, The Wall Street Journal blog Private Equity Beat reported.

The global private equity industry closed 2013 with "dry powder" amounting to $1.074 trillion, a figure much higher than the previous record high of $1.067 billion posted before the 2008 global financial crisis.

A report said the dearth of women in the leadership ranks of the private equity industry can be solved in the natural evolution of the private equity business model.

Lawyers working in the buyout industry say that the private equity industry is bracing itself for more scrutiny by US regulators, according to a report.

A report by Vivek Singla of The Economic Times compared the Indian private equity industry to a valiant warrior who is able to penetrate an enemy's circle of defense, but failed because he had no exit plan.

Florence Yip Chiu Kwai-fong, a member of the Financial Services Development Council, said the Hong Kong government needs to make changes in the law that will allow private equity funds to be set up as limited partnerships to enhance the city's fund industry.

At the SuperInvestor conference held in Paris, EQT Partner Managing Partner Conni Jonsson tackled the difficult issues faced by the private equity world, leading the industry to reflect on where it is headed.

Private equity firms are keeping more money for acquisitions, according to a report from the Financial Times. The "dry power" of private equity funds have risen to USD 789 billion this year.

The Wall Street Journal said private equity firms may soon be returning to Spain and Italy. The report cited data from Preqin and the information presented given by several sources.