North Asia
Japanese professional services marketplace raises $36m
Japanese start-up Minma, which operates P2P jobs and services marketplace Curama, has raised a JPY4 billion ($36.5 million) Series C round led by Nissay Capital, the VC unit of Nippon Life Insurance.
AVCJ Awards 2019: Exit of the Year - Small Cap: Gong Cha
Unison Capital took a Korean game plan global with the Gong Cha bubble tea chain. Attention to local tastes, however, was the key to the enterprise
Fund focus: Korea’s midcap buyout space comes into focus
VIG Partners believes its recent $810 million fundraise validates the firm's middle-market strategy and spur the emergence of new domestic GPs in this area
Goldman Sachs, SK back Korea cold chain play
Goldman Sachs and SK Group have committed a combined KRW50 billion ($43 million) to a Korean expansion by cold chain logistics operator Belstar Superfreeze.
Chinese cross-border e-commerce platform raises $48m
Inagora - operator of an e-commerce platform that sells Japanese premium products to Chinese customers - has raised JPY5.3 billion ($48m) from SBI holdings, pharmacy chain Sugi Holdings and Xinjin Holding, the cross-border alternative investment arm of...
Longreach buys another Japanese coffee shop chain
The Longreach Group has made its second foray into Japan’s coffee shop space with an agreement to acquire Chat Noir, operator of more than 190 stores nationwide, primarily under the Caffe Veloce brand.
VIG reaches $810m final close on fourth Korean fund
VIG Partners has closed its fourth Korea-focused fund at $810 million, with approximately half the commitments coming from international investors. This compares to 30% for Fund III, which closed at $600 million in 2017.
The crystal ball: Predictions for 2020
Industry experts weigh in as a range of macro factors promise to reshape markets across the region. Political, demographic, and scientific variables loom large
Delivery Hero to buy Korea's Woowa Brothers for $4b
Food delivery start-up Delivery Hero has agreed to acquire Korean peer Woowa Brothers in a deal that values the target at $4 billion and will facilitate exits for several private equity investors.
Macro uncertainty to drive increased Korean M&A
Difficult economic and political conditions bode well for the Korean PE industry in the near term, according to Michael Chung (pictured), head of Korea at Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia (MSPEA).
2019 in review: Falling short
Fundraising, investment and exits in Asia are unlikely to match last year as pan-regional funds take a back seat, large-cap buyouts remain in short supply, growth-stage tech loses its edge, and IPOs flounder
Singapore's Vertex receives $180m for global fund-of-funds
Vertex Ventures, a VC arm of Singapore’s Temasek Holdings, has received commitments of $180 million from Japanese investors for a fund-of-funds that will support its global portfolio of VC vehicles.
Apollo appoints ex-Bain executive to head up Japan
Apollo Global Management has appointed Tetsuji Okamoto, previously of Bain Capital, as head of Japan to lead the buildout of its private equity business in the country.
KKR announces eight promotions in Asia
Chung Ho Park, a member of KKR’s private equity team and co-head of the firm’s Korea business, has been promoted to partner level. A further seven Asia-based professionals, across different strategies, were named managing directors.
Deal focus: One Store brings service to videogaming
A freshly spun-out private equity arm of SK Securities is helping Korea’s One Store break up a local monopoly in mobile videogame marketing.
Japan’s J-Star closes fourth fund at $443m
Japanese private equity firm J-Star has closed its fourth middle-market fund at the hard cap of JPY48.5 billion ($433 million), up from JPY32.5 billion in the previous vintage.
Japan health tech player SmartScan gets $10m Series A
SmartScan, a Japanese medical technology supplier focused on software for diagnostics equipment, has raised a JPY1.3 billion ($10.3 million) Series A round from domestic VCs.
MBK sets $6.5b hard cap for fifth North Asia fund
MBK Partners is looking to become the sixth pan-Asian private equity manager to cross the $6 billion threshold, having set the hard cap for its fifth fund at $6.5 billion.
PE & QSR: Selling pizza in Japan
From delightfully indulgent pizza toppings to delivery world records, Domino’s Japan has added a splash of color to the food and beverage space. It also served up robust private equity returns
Japan's SmartNews secures $92m Series E
Japan-based news app SmartNews has closed its Series E round at $92 million with contributions from Japan Post Capital and Globis Capital Partners.
Japanese space rental platform files for IPO
SpaceMarket, a Japanese start-up that lists vacant spaces available for rent for corporate events, is looking to raise up to JPY933.2 million ($8.5 million) through a domestic IPO.
MBK, Mirae buy stake in Asia assets of Korea's CJ CGV
MBK Partners and Mirae Asset Daewoo Private Equity have agreed to pay KRW333.6 billion ($286 million) for a minority position in the China and Southeast Asia assets of Korean cinema chain operator CJ CGV.
IMM set for 2.3x return from Korea's Tailim Packaging
IMM Private Equity is expected to deliver a 2.3x return on its investment in Tailim Packaging Group following an agreement to sell the cardboard box manufacturer to Sae-A Trading for an enterprise valuation of around $1.5 billion.
Unison agrees $526m Japan pharma carve-out
Unison Capital has agreed to buy Kyowa Pharmaceutical Industry, a Japanese subsidiary of India-headquartered drug manufacturer Lupin for an enterprise valuation of JPY57.4 billion ($526 million).
