Chinese consortium buys S.F. Express stake

The Chinese private equity company plans to help the Jiangsu-based facility management firm it is buying expand organically and via M&A.

The firm’s fourth buyout fund is backed by the likes of CPPIB. It is already steadily deploying the capital despite rising trade tensions and China's economic slowdown.

Disruption caused by the fractious relationship between the world’s two biggest economies spells opportunity for the nimblest investors. Funds are looking to potentially bridge gaps in broken supply chains, take companies private and carve out Chinese units from MNCs.

Citic Capital Partners has acquired a controlling stake in Chinese mattress maker and retailer King Koil Shanghai Sleep System.

The Chinese buyout fund’s latest acquisition is the start of an M&A rollup strategy with a focus on bringing niche brands to the increasingly affluent and brand-conscious China market.

The buyout firm’s acquisition of New Zealand-based Trilogy is on trend with global consumer shift towards natural products but out of fashion in age of born-digital upstarts and single brand VC-investments.