London-based staffing firm Empresaria Group PLC acquired a 60% stake in Intelligence HR Consultants, a China- and Singapore-based engineering staffing firm. Intelligence HR's founder, Michael Yang, will retain 40% of the firm.

Intelligence HR began in 2003 and industries served include construction, chemical and petrochemical, pharmaceutical and biotech, electronics and energy, manufacturing, finance and retail.

"Our investment is in line with a very defined group policy of focusing on high growth staffing businesses, in different geographic markets and in diverse, specialist sectors," said Empresaria Chief Executive Miles Hunt.