Dawson Partners is opening a Hong Kong office as the investment manager looks to expand its private markets platform into Asia.
The new office is intended to function as a regional base focused on investor engagement and capital-raising activity, the firm wrote in a press release.
The firm is the latest asset manager to look towards the Asia-Pacific region as an area of opportunity for private credit.
KKR & Co. (NYSE:KKR) and Capital Group are working on the launch of a public-private credit fund, which will be launched in Asia this year.
Meanwhile, private equity firm EQT has raised $15.6 billion for its private equity Asia Fund, as investors seek diversification across both asset classes and regions.
Both Blackstone and Bain Capital have also recently raised billions of dollars in their Asia funds, adding $12 billion and $10.5 billion, respectively.
Dawson Partners has hired Rachel Guan as senior principal and head of Asia Institutional. In her role, Guan will be responsible for leading the firm's relationships with existing and prospective investors across Asia-Pacific.
Guan most recently served as partner and head of Asia at a global placement agent and advisory firm, where she focused on capital raising across institutional investors in the region.
Yulhee Kim will relocate to Hong Kong to support Guan and help build out local investor coverage.
"Dawson has built a global platform recognized for its innovation in structured solutions across private markets. We have seen sustained interest from Asia-Pacific investors over time, and expanding our presence in the region allows us to more consistently engage with that demand and further strengthen our long-term partnerships," said Partner Giorgio Riva.
Josh Booth, partner, commented: "Building a truly global capital raising platform has been a priority for the Firm. With Rachel's leadership and Yulhee's experience, we believe we are well-positioned to deepen our relationships across Asia-Pacific, while continuing to scale our investor base in a disciplined and consistent way."
Founded in 2015, Dawson Partners is a global alternative asset manager focused on structured solutions for private markets. The firm manages more than $25 billion in assets under management, and has invested more than $30 billion across more than 300 transactions.
The firm employs more than 250 people across Toronto, New York, London, and Hong Kong.
Approximately 60 Asia-Pacific-focused funds with target sizes greater than $1 billion remain in the market, a report from Bain & Company stated. Together, these funds represent more than 10% of global fundraising targets. That’s well above the region's 5% share of recently closed funds.
This gap suggests a possible rebound in 2026 while also highlighting intensified competition for capital as limited partners remain selective in allocating to the region. Early commitments to several large funds, however, provide an encouraging signal that fundraising will begin to recover in 2026, the report stated.
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