Private equity firm Warburg Pincus has invested $200m in China Auto Rental, said to be the country’s largest car rental network in terms of revenue and two years after computer group Legend’s corporate venturing unit’s RMB1bn strategic investment.
David Li, managing director of Warburg Pincus, credited Legend Capital, the investment arm of Legend Holdings, for identifying the potential of China’s car rental industry and supporting the build-out of China Auto Rental’s fleet and service network.
China’s other main rental company in China is Goldman Sachs-backed EHi Auto Services, which raised $70m in August 2010 after a previous $95m round. In March, the parent company of Enterprise, the world’s largest car rental company in terms of revenue and fleet, announced it had reached a global affiliation agreement with eHi. The deal, which included a 15% stake in the Shanghai-based company, gives Enterprise representation on the board of directors, marking the US company’s entry into China.