Aquila Plans Asia, Agriculture Funds

Aquila Capital is readying a pair of new hedge funds for the new year.

The German firm is set to launch both an Asia-focused fund and an agriculture fund during the first half of next year. The new vehicles will help Aquila diversify its current range, which is heavily focused on Europe—and heavily impacted by the continent's debt crisis.

"The whole mess in Europe at the moment has increased demand for diversification products for the Asia market," CEO Roman Rosslenbroich told Reuters.

Aquila opened an office in Hong Kong in October and plans to hire a local fund manager to helm its Asian fund. Rosslenbroich said the planned US$150 million agriculture fund would also be focused on the Asia-Pacific region, investing in Australian and New Zealand farmland.

The agriculture fund will be marketed only to Asian investors.