Founders of Asia's family-owned companies seek private equity exit

Publicly listed family firms in Asia have a market capitalisation of more than $5.56 trillion; analysts say change in their ownership could be seismic.

Dealmakers across Asia are busy fielding calls from company founders who are mulling letting go of their life’s work as the Covid-19 pandemic has upended how global business is done.

After riding the region’s rise over the past decades, family firms that dominate the economic landscape are now also looking for bigger partners, help to modernize management teams and in succession planning, according to consultants, bankers and private equity firms.

“We’ve seen founders, particularly the older entrepreneurs, saying there are more challenges in the world now and that they’re thinking about succession issues and management issues,” said Ed Huang, co-head