Japan
Globis leads $3.6m Series A round for quiz developer
Globis, the Japanese venture capital firm, has led a GBP2.3 million ($3.6 million) Series A round of funding for Quipper, a UK quiz applications manufacturer. Benesse, a Japanese education and publishing company, and Atomico, the VC firm led by Skype...
Nomura plans Ashikaga IPO
Nomura is planning to sell shares of regional bank Ashikaga in an initial public offering (IPO) on the Tokyo Stock Exchange as early as December. The bank may trade at a market value of JPY200 billion ($2.5 billion) to JPY300 billion.
Unison secures Showa Yakuhin Kako SBO
Unison Capital has emerged victorious in the auction for Showa Yakuhin Kako, securing the secondary buyout of the drug producer from Tokio Marine Capital, Polaris Capital Group and PineBridge Investments.
JAFCO backs US-based pharma company in Series A funding
JAFCO has invested $10 million in the Series A financing of Eleven Biotherapeutics, a US-based biopharmaceutical company designing and engineering novel and differentiated protein-based biotherapeutics.
J-Star gives Three Arrows paws for thought
Denim jackets, corduroy pants and swimming goggles. These items of clothing have been common human attire for more than a century, but in Japan in particular, apparel of this nature is increasingly popular among dogs.
Micron closes in on Elpida acquisition – report
Micron Technology has reportedly won the right to exclusive talks over the acquisition of bankrupt Japanese chipmaker Elpida Memory, beating rivals including TPG Capital and Hony Capital.
Intel Capital’s Kuppam adds Taiwan, Korea to his Asia portfolio
Intel Capital’s Asia Pacific Managing Director Sudheer Kuppam will assume responsibility for investment activity in Taiwan and Korea, adding to his existing coverage of India, Japan and Southeast Asia. Based in India, he will oversee a team of investment...
Hony to sell Elpida plant to SMIC if bid succeeds – report
Hony Capital plans to sell or outsource the operations at Elpida Memory's Hiroshima plant to China-based Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC) if it wins the bid for the bankrupt Japanese chipmaker.
OMERS, Japan pension funds target $20b infrastructure vehicle
Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement Scheme (OMERS), one of Canada’s largest pension plans, has announced a first close of $7.5 billion on an infrastructure fund set up with a consortium of Japanese pension funds led by Mitsubishi Corporation. The...
Mitsui & Co. Global Investment establishes Indian arm
Mitsui & Co. Global Investment, the private equity arm of Japanese conglomerate Mitsui & Co., has established an India operation in Mumbai.
VC firms support Japan-US drug development alliance
Drais Pharmaceuticals, a US-based firm backed by InterWest Partners and Sutter Hill Ventures, will form a partnership with Japan’s Astellas Pharma to jointly develop a new line of drugs. Astellas has agreed to transfer assets to Drais-operated Telsar...
Advantage Partners has no plans for new fund – report
Advantage Partners told an investor meeting Wednesday that it has no immediate plans to launch a new fund even though the investment period for its existing vehicle is due to end in the summer.
PE-backed 1st Holdings sells stake to Salesforce.com
Advantage Partners-owned Japanese software maker 1st Holdings has received an investment from US-based enterprise cloud computing company Salesforce.com.
CapVest exits United Coffee to Japan’s UCC
CapVest has sold United Coffee, one of Europe’s largest coffee companies, to Japanese trade buyer UCC Holdings for EUR500 million ($617 million).
Sumitomo Mitsui halves target for Japan fund – report
Sumitomo Mitsui Trust has cut the target for its latest private equity fund by half. It follows a similar move by Unison Capital and is seen as symptomatic of the difficult investment environment in Japan.
Hony, TPG consider bid for Japan’s Elpida Memory
Hony Capital and TPG Capital are preparing a bid for Elpida Memory, the Japanese chipmaker that filed for bankruptcy protection in February. The private equity firms are expected to face significant competition from strategic investors, with South Korea’s...
ISigma buys Shinsouki from Riverside
ISigma, a mid-size buyout firm wholly owned by Marubeni Corp, has acquired a minority stake in Japan’s Shinsouki in a deal that represents an exit for The Riverside Company.
CVC supports MBO of Japanese staffing agency
CVC has backed a management buyout of the Japanese operations of Prompt Holdings, an employment agency formerly known as Advantage Resourcing, for an undisclosed sum. The buyout facilitates the exit of US private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management,...
Mitsui Global Investment backs Belgian pharma firm
Mitsui Global Investment, a subsidiary of Japan's Mitsui & Co, has participated in a Series B round worth EUR23.6 million ($31.4 million) for Belgian pharmaceutical company Promethera Biosciences.
Japan’s PE firms on trade sale hunt
Japanese buyout firms are making plans to offload a portion of their local portfolio companies via trade sales this year.
Japan's KDDI, Global Brain to launch $66m VC fund
KDDI Corporation, a Japanese telecommunications company, has teamed up with Brian Corporation to establish a $66 million fund that will invest in start-ups in the US, Japan and other Asia Pacific regions. The fund, which focuses on the mobile space, is...
Advantage Partners may extend investment deadline
Advantage Partners may extend the June deadline for investment from its $2.6 billion buyout fund due to limited dealflow. The buyout firm will make a decision by the end of April.
Fosun plans new fund to finance overseas investments
Fosun International, China's largest privately-owned investment conglomerate, is going to raise another dollar-denominated private equity fund this year to finance new acquisitions. The company will seek investment opportunities in Europe and Japan.
Japan’s Asahi favorite to buy StarBev from CVC – report
Asahi has reportedly emerged as the frontrunner to buy east European brewer StarBev from CVC Capital Partners in a deal worth up to $3 billion. It is another indication of Japanese corporates’ interest in expanding overseas, offering an exit opportunity...