When Alibaba, China’s leading digital platform and cloud-based services company, fails to acquire the US firm Moneygram, CEO Jack Ma decides to go it alone and develop a digital strategy using blockchain technology as the basis for a global remittance service, GCash, within its cloud services business.

The case describes how the Pro-invest Group – a boutique investment firm specialising in private equity real estate and real estate asset management – built its business and raised a first-time private equity fund.

Emerging markets are challenging and require special expertise. India in particular is known to be a tricky business environment. The case follows two senior executives from Alvarez & Marsal’s India practice as they deal with an urgent request from one of their US private equity clients, Sapphire Capital.

The Simplex Solutions multi-media decision scenario outlines the evolution of a software venture with a new technology that could find application in very diverse markets. The two co-founders (who have a technical background) decide to expand the entrepreneurial team by bringing in financial and marketing expertise to propel the venture to the next stage.