Search

The article reports on the findings of the survey conducted by PriceweaterhouseCoopers and the Australian Venture Capital Association why Australian companies are resorting to private equity investment. Majority of the respondents said that private equity provided expertise in doing business, enabled the sharing of financial risk of growth, and fueled mergers and consolidation.

The article discusses the state of early-stage venture capital investment in Australia. Early stage venture capital market needs cultural change and less burdensome government restrictions if companies are to attract investment from local and overseas private-equity firms. Leading private-equity and venture capital specialists claim investors need to adopt American practices or they will lose out to Asia.

The article offers tips to get up-to-date with the changes to the regulation of Employee Share Schemes (ESS) in Australia, and to maximize the effectiveness of new and existing schemes. Topics discussed include the consistency of the ESS with the company's overall business strategy, the legal and compliance obligations of companies, and the tax consequences of implementing an ESS.

The article discusses how entrepreneurs can talk about the value of their company and the amount the investor should pay for equity. It is suggested that rather than arguing about the evaluation of the business concept, entrepreneurs should think about the value the investor is offering to bring and whether it is worth the equity requested. Entrepreneurs can also know the value of angel investors and venture capital by asking them about previous investments.

The article focuses on the 25 international stocks on the global equity fund of Natural Capital Funds Management. It states that the fund is open for investors with more than 2.5 million dollars net assets and those with an annual earning more than 250,000 dollars. It is the first fund produced by National Capital which screens possible investors by the use of three sustainability tests related to environment. However, it notes that the fund requires a minimum investment of 100,000 dollars.

The article presents the 2006 Global Venture Capital survey sponsored by Deloitte & Touche LLP which shows that private equity firms are embracing global investment more seriously than ever before. More than half of the 505 firms surveyed worldwide had funds under management ranging from less than $100 million to more than $1 billion. Firms are adopting an international focus in order to gain access to lower-cost locations in the Asia-Pacific region.