KKR opens Shanghai office

KKR this week opened an office in Shanghai as it seeks to partner with more Chinese companies in their regional expansion.

Shanghai brings KKR’s Asia office count to eight after Hong Kong, Beijing, Mumbai, Seoul, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo.

“The addition of a Shanghai office — which complements our existing offices in Beijing and Hong Kong — better enables us to fulfill that goal in Greater China and underscores the importance we place on the Chinese market,” Joe Bae, co-president and co-chief operating officer of KKR, said in a statement.

China is a core focus within KKR’s Asia-Pacific strategy, the firm said. It is currently deploying the $9.3 billion. Asian Fund III, the largest pan-Asian vehicle raised to date.

The firm has invested more than $3 billion in Greater China since 2007 and completed 26 investments in asset classes ranging from private equity to real estate. Its current China portfolio includes pet food manufacturer Gambol Pet Group, electronics manufacturer Qingdao Haier and Hong Kong-listed developer Beijing Capital Juda.