Japan
JC Flowers circles ING Asia assets - report
US private equity firm J.C. Flowers is said to be considering a bid for the Asian insurance assets being sold by ING Group.
Longreach reaps 60% IRR on Sanyo Logistics sale
The Longreach Group has reaped an IRR of 60% and a money multiple of around 2.5x on its 24.2 billion yen ($300 million) sale of Japanese logistics company Sanyo Electric Logistics.
Sony, Toshiba get state funding for outbound investment
Sony Corp. and Toshiba Corp. will be the first companies to receive capital from a $100 billion government fund set up last year to finance overseas acquisitions and minimize the impact of a rising yen. The strength of Japan’s currency has hurt export...
CyberAgent Ventures backs Vietnam game developer
CyberAgent Ventures has invested an undisclosed sum in Colorbox Software Corporation, a Vietnam company that develops smart phone games for the global market. This is the second investment made through CA Asia Internet Fund, which targets deals in Southeast...
Unison nears $650m Showa Yakuhin Kako buyout - sources
Japanese private equity firm Unison Capital is reportedly in the final round of bidding for Showa Yakuhin Kako, a drug producer backed by Tokio Marine Capital.
VIDEO: CLSA Capital Partners' Christopher Seaver
Why are you still captive? Christopher Seaver, CEO of CLSA Capital Partners, is asked this question by LPs all the time. And the answer is rooted in parent company CLSA’s history as an independent brokerage and research house, albeit with a few investment...
PE financing: Lagging leverage
Spooked by wider economic issues, European banks are pulling back from the leveraged buyout market. This presents a further challenge to private equity firms already adjusting to tighter financing conditions
Yahoo chairman to step down, future of Asian assets unresolved
Yahoo is replacing its chairman and three other directors as it continues to restructure its business, a process that includes the potential spin-out of its Asia-based assets to a consortium comprising Alibaba Group, Softbank and some private equity players.
Jones Lang LaSalle announces new Japan head
Jones Lang LaSalle has announced that Yoichiro Hamaoka will be stepping down from his role looking after Japanese business at the firm, while ex-Goldman Sachs exec Toshinobu Kasai will succeed him.
Advantage, Japan’s Orix abandon Yayoi buyout - sources
Advantage Partners and Japan’s Orix Corp. have reportedly dropped out of the running for software developer Yayoi, which was put on the block by MBK Partners last year.
SBI, Edelweiss create $100m India PIPE fund
SBI Holdings and Edelweiss Financial Services have agreed to set up a fund focused on investments in listed small and mid-cap companies in India. The vehicle, known as EW SBIH Crossover Fund and based in Mauritius, will have initial capital of $100 million,...
Advantage Partners to buy Japanese homebuilder
Advantage Partners will acquire Japanese homebuilder Yasuragi in a take-private transaction worth JPY13 billion ($166 million). The private equity firm has agreed to pay JPY627 per share for all outstanding shares in Yasuragi, a 60.8% premium on Thursday’s...
VIDEO: HarbourVest Partners' Scott Voss
With global private equity investors principally focused on China, Scott Voss, managing director of HarbourVest Parners, argues that now is the time for long-term players to target undervalued assets in Japan.
Carlyle promotes three Asia professionals to MD level
The Carlyle Group has named 13 new managing directors, including Hiroyuki Otsuka in Tokyo, Matthew Hunter in Sydney and Wayne Bannon in Hong Kong, as part of a raft of promotions that saw 41 professionals elevated to senior positions.
Japan’s Unison Capital cuts fund due to limited deals - report
Japan’s Unison Capital has reportedly cut the size of its third fund by one quarter to JPY107 billion ($1.4 billion) due to limited deal flow.
Intel backs Japanese tech firm G-cluster
Japanese technology company G-cluster Global has received support from Intel Capital and SFR Développement, the venture capital arm of French telecoms company SFR.
Cinemacraft receives funding from 500 Startups
Asian interactive media platform provider Cinemacraft has secured funding from US-based business incubator 500 Startups.
TPG may support struggling Olympus
TPG Capital is considering an investment in Japan’s Olympus Corp, which would help the beleaguered camera manufacturer make inroads into its losses.
INCJ expects more overseas deals in 2012
Innovation Network Corp of Japan (INCJ) has said that it plans to invest more in overseas acquisitions by Japanese companies this year.
Profile: Longreach Group's Mark Chiba
A student activist turned career investment banker, Mark Chiba set up Longreach Group as a Japan-focused buyout firm with old-fashioned values.
Nomura enters China’s PE space
Nomura Holdings has become the first Japanese financial services company to invest in Chinese private equity, after agreeing to participate as an LP in the Shanghai-based Jiu You Quan Xing Equity Investment Fund. The vehicle, which is managed by Jiu You...
SBI sells VSN for $117m
Japanese private equity firm SBI Capital has sold its Tokyo-based staffing firm VSN to Adecco, the largest staffing group in the world, for an enterprise value of EUR90 million ($116.8 million).
TPG loses out on Takefuji deal to J Trust
TPG Capital lost out on a deal to invest into Japanese consumer lender Takefuji, with real estate and financial holding company J Trust instead injecting a reported JPY25.2 billion ($325 million) into the firm.
Yamada replaces Hirano as co-head of Carlyle Japan
Kazuhiro Yamada has been named co-head of The Carlyle Group’s Japanese operations, replacing Masao Hirano who is leaving the private equity firm. Yamada began his duties on January 1, working in collaboration with current co-head Tamotsu Adachi.