Japan
INCJ leads $16m investment in Japan's Atonarp
Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) has led a $16 million funding round for Tokyo-based chemical sensor developer Atonarp.
Permira reaches $6.9b first close on latest global fund
Permira has achieved a first close for its sixth global buyout fund, with about EUR6.3 billion ($6.9 billion) in commitments.
SBI leads $17.5m investment in Thailand’s Omise
Japan’s SBI Investment has led a $17.5 million Series B funding round for Thailand-based online payment services provider Omise.
Polaris buys Japanese timber company
Polaris Capital has agreed to acquire 100% of Japanese precut timber and building materials company Hivic for an undisclosed sum from domestic construction group Lixil.
Japan’s J-Star promotes two to partner
Japanese GP J-Star has promoted Yuki Kashiyama, an investment professional in the operating team, and Tomoko Ando, who works in the administration team, to partners.
CLSA exits Japanese used car auction operator
CLSA Capital Partners, the alternative asset management arm of Hong Kong-headquartered brokerage and investment group CLSA, has fully exited its stake in Japanese used car auction operator Mirive.
Singapore’s Paktor raises $10m for Japan, Korea expansion
Paktor, a Southeast Asia-focused mobile dating app, has raised $10 million in a new round of funding led by Japan’s YJ Capital, the corporate venture arm of Yahoo Japan.
Japan's SmartNews secures $38m Series D
Tokyo-based news discovery app SmartNews has raised $38 million in a Series D round led by Development Bank of Japan.
Farallon raises $1.1b for Asia, Latin America special situations fund
Farallon Capital Management has closed its third special situations fund focused on Asia and Latin America at $1.1 billion.
Ping An commits $300m to PE-backed logistics platform
Ping An Real Estate, the real estate investment and asset management platform of China's Ping An Insurance Group, has committed $300 million to e-Shang Redwood (ESR), a real estate logistics platform backed by Warburg Pincus with operations in China,...
DCM closes Asia-US fund at $500m hard cap
DCM has closed its latest global fund, which primarily targets investments in China and the US, at the hard cap of $500 million.
US-based Ayla gets $39m round for Asia expansion
Chinese boutique investment bank and asset manager Ants Capital has led a $39 million Series C round for Ayla Networks as the US-based internet-of-things (IoT) company consolidates its Asian footprint.
Japan succession: The long goodbye
As Masayoshi Son's recent about-turn on giving up the leadership of SoftBank suggests, Japanese founders of a certain age can be even less willing to consider succession than their younger peers
MBK makes partial exit as Komeda IPO raises $588m
MBK Partners has made a partial exit from Japan-based coffee shop chain Komeda Coffee after the company raised JPY60.2 billion ($588 million) through an IPO on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
Carlyle re-lists Japan healthcare staffing business
The Carlyle Group has re-listed Solasto Corporation on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, four and a half years after privatizing the medical staffing business, which was previously known as NIC Corp.
Japanese LPs gradually turning to private equity - AVCJ Forum
Japanese institutional investors are increasingly interested and active in private equity, but engagement with the asset class is hampered by culture, limited human resources, and the lengthy time horizons involved, LPs told the AVCJ Japan forum.
SoftBank names successor to Nikesh Arora
Japanese technology conglomerate SoftBank has named a successor to COO and President Nikesh Arora, who stepped down earlier this week.
Japan's SBI partners with Filipino VC
Japanese financial services company SBI Holdings has acquired a 35% stake in the venture arm of Investment & Capital Corporation of the Philippines (ICCP) with an aim to co-manage a VC fund.
Portfolio: New Horizon Capital and Tachikichi
New Horizon Capital has turned around ceramics maker Tachikichi by emphasizing its unique connections to Japanese culture. Now the GP hopes that strategy can take the company beyond its old restraints
GPs see traction in Japan's middle market - AVCJ Forum
PE firms are seeing more potential deal flow in Japan’s middle market as the lingering succession planning issues facing local founders intensify, and companies struggle to recruit the talent needed to support growth.
Jafco leads $20m Series A in Singapore's Quoine
Jafco has led a $20 million Series A financing round for Quoine, a Singapore-based bitcoin trading platform.
SoftBank exits Finland's Supercell to Tencent in $10.2b deal
Tencent Holdings has agreed to buy a majority stake in Finland-based mobile game developer Supercell, allowing SoftBank to exit its entire holding in the company in a deal valuing it at $10.2 billion.
SoftBank's embattled COO Nikesh Arora to step down
Nikesh Arora, the president and COO of Japanese technology conglomerate SoftBank and the presumptive successor of CEO Masayoshi Son, will step down from his positions at the company.
Pavilion invests $5.8m in Japan’s Soracom
Pavilion Capital, a private equity unit of Singapore’s Temasek Holdings, has committed JPY600 million ($5.8 million) to Japanese internet-of-things (IoT) company Soracom.