China’s top private equity firm Hillhouse Capital, a major investor behind Big Tech firms like Tencent Holdings and Meituan , denied rumours of large-scale lay-offs on Wednesday amid a slowing economy and tougher fundraising climate for domestic start-ups and venture capital (VC) firms. Screenshots circulating on Chinese social media platforms on Wednesday claimed that Hillhouse had laid off staff across several teams, which the investor promptly denied in a one-line statement, calling it untrue gossip. The denial comes as Hillhouse has faced huge losses in its portfolios this year. Among its major holdings, biotechnology stock I-Mab has plunged 80 per…