China Everbright holds first close for global fund

China Everbright Limited has held a first close of $264 million on its CEL Global Investment Fund.

The fund, which launched in April 2016 and has a target of about $500 million, will invest in equities and equity-linked securities of US and European companies that are targeting China. It will target advanced agricultural products and technologies, as well as healthcare, manufacturing, advanced transportation equipment, consumer goods and media.

The firm expects to hold a final close by the end of 2017, according to a spokesperson.

Shengyan Fan, head and managing director of CEL’s Mergers & Acquisitions department, said the fund will enable overseas portfolio companies to bring their products and technologies to China to tap opportunities in the local market.

Investments from the fund include Michigan-based manufacturer Burke Porter Machinery, and London-headquartered precision surfacing solutions company Lapmaster Group Holdings.

China Everbright is also currently investing its $200 million China-Israel vehicle, Catalyst CEL Fund, which targets Israel-based growth stage companies seeking expansion in China. Two investments have been made so far from Catalyst CEL: $25 million in 3D printing company XJet and $10 million in precision engineering company Lamina Technologies.

Limited partners in CEL’s funds include Axiom Asia Private Capital, MinHang district of Shanghai Municipal Government, and Wuxi Guolian Development Group, according to PEI data.

CEL, which manages over $8.5 billion of assets, is a subsidiary of the state-owned conglomerate China Everbright Group. The group’s fund management business spans 31 funds across private equity, venture capital, mezzanine, and secondaries, with an AUM of more than $49 billion, according to CEL.