Deal Desk
M&A deals, 18 October 2026
· 5 deals
Our view: sponsor and strategic buyers are paying for specialist businesses with their own assets, products or technology, so founders who can show a defensible platform and a clear role within a buyer's wider group should expect competitive interest.
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Singapore · Ports and logistics infrastructure
A.P. Moller Capital agrees to acquire Singapore port operator Portek International from Mitsui
A.P. Moller Capital has signed an agreement through its Emerging Markets Infrastructure Fund II to acquire 100% of Singapore-based port operator Portek International from Mitsui & Co. Portek holds interests in seven multipurpose terminals in Algeria, Gabon, Indonesia, Latvia, Malta and Vietnam, employs about 1,400 people, and completion is subject to customary closing conditions including regulatory and other third-party approvals.
The Growth Alliance Capital view
infrastructure funds are buying Singapore-headquartered platforms that run assets across several emerging markets, and a corporate owner exiting to a financial buyer is a well-trodden route to liquidity. Founders whose regional operations sit under a Singapore holding company with clean governance are well placed to attract this kind of buyer.
Source: Container News
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Asia · Banking and financial services · ₹52,878 crore
Fairfax Financial Holdings to acquire 60.72% of IDBI Bank
Fairfax Financial Holdings will acquire a 60.72% stake in IDBI Bank for ₹52,878 crore, which values the Mumbai-based lender at approximately ₹87,100 crore and represents an 11% discount to the bank's Wednesday closing share price of ₹90.40. The Government of India and LIC will retain a combined 34% stake, and Fairfax must merge or exit its 40% holding in CSB Bank within two years of signing the share purchase agreement.
The Growth Alliance Capital view
a control sale priced below market shows that buyers pay for control and for a credible plan to consolidate, not for the quoted share price. Founders should expect serious acquirers to bring an integration thesis and to price the deal around it.
Source: Free Press Journal
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Global · Food manufacturing
Bluegem to acquire Italian frozen foods group Rispo from Europe Capital Partners
Bluegem is to acquire Rispo Group, an Italian frozen foods maker, from Europe Capital Partners. Rispo's products include arancini, supplì and pinsa, made at four production sites in Italy.
The Growth Alliance Capital view
when one private equity house sells a branded food manufacturer to another, it confirms steady sponsor demand for niche consumer staples with their own production capacity. Southeast Asian food founders with defensible product lines and owned facilities should expect financial buyers, not only trade buyers, to compete for them.
Source: PE Hub
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Global · Nutritional ingredients
Gryphon's Vivify Specialty Ingredients acquires botanical extracts supplier AuNutra Industries
Vivify Specialty Ingredients, a Gryphon portfolio company, has acquired AuNutra Industries, a botanical extracts supplier based in Chino, California and founded in 2003. AuNutra supplies herb powders, vitamins, amino acids and other nutritional ingredients to the nutraceutical and supplement industries.
The Growth Alliance Capital view
this is a classic platform add-on, where a sponsor-backed group buys a founder-era specialist to widen its product range. Founder-led ingredient and supplement suppliers in the region should treat sponsor platforms as a live buyer group and present their customer base and product breadth with that buyer in mind.
Source: PE Hub
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Global · IoT connectivity
ECI Partners-backed CSL Group buys US IoT eSIM provider SIMPL Wireless
CSL Group, backed by ECI Partners, has acquired SIMPL Wireless, a Duluth, Georgia-based provider of IoT eSIM services. Through its Compass platform, SIMPL Wireless manages SIMs across more than 100 mobile network operators and lets customers add or switch carrier profiles over the air.
The Growth Alliance Capital view
sponsor-backed connectivity groups are buying specialist software layers to complete their platforms, which rewards proprietary technology over sheer scale. Southeast Asian founders in IoT and managed connectivity with their own platform IP may find cross-border strategic interest earlier than they expect.
Source: PE Hub
Deal Desk summarises publicly announced transactions from the sources linked. "The Growth Alliance Capital view" is our opinion, not investment advice, and implies no involvement in any transaction mentioned.