North Asia
KIC's private equity head to lead alternatives
Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) has promoted Jong-ho Kim from head of private equity to deputy CIO with a brief to lead its alternative investment group.
MBK-owned Accordia Golf to buy courses from Singapore trust
Japan’s Accordia Golf, which was acquired by MBK Partners in 2017, has agreed a S$804.1 million ($577 million) privatization of a Singapore-listed trust it established six years ago as the holding entity for 88 golf courses.
CLSA acquires Japan household jobs marketplace
CLSA Capital Partners (CLSA CP) has acquired Assist, a Japanese marketplace that facilitates sourcing helpers for daily household jobs.
Japan Industrial Partners to buy Olympus' imaging division
Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) has agreed to acquire Olympus Corporation’s camera and lens business, which has posted losses in each of the last three years.
Fund focus: Beenext targets a world beyond the mirrors
Beenext Capital Management has expanded its LP base while maintaining fund size discipline. This is born of a philosophy that capacity for cross-pollination is more important than capacity for deployment
Toshiba seeks exit from PE-controlled flash memory business
Toshiba is exploring ways to fully exit its 40.2% stake in Kioxa Holdings, two years after selling control of the Japanese flash memory division to a Bain Capital-led consortium for an enterprise valuation of JPY2 trillion ($18.7 billion).
Carlyle invests $198m in Korea's KB Financial
The Carlyle Group has invested KRW240 billion ($198 million) in KB Financial Group and agreed to work with the Korean company on investment opportunities and structuring and financing its deals in the country.
ESR raises $1b Korea logistics fund
Pan-Asian logistics investor ESR has raised $1 billion for its second Korea fund with support from APG Asset Management and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB).
Beenext raises $160m for emerging markets, Japan funds
Singapore-based VC firm Beenext Capital Management has raised $160 million across two funds that will invest in start-ups in Japan and emerging markets.
Deal focus: Korean start-up disrupts the laundry
Korean on-demand laundry service Laundrygo will use its Series B funding to widen coverage within Seoul and improve automation levels at its facilities to further boost margins
Korea commits $1.7b to start-up ecosystem
Korea has committed KRW2.1 trillion ($1.7 billion) to local start-ups in biotechnology and non-contact technologies as part of a KRW5.8 trillion private sector COVID-19 recovery agenda.
Corporate carve-outs: Seller's dilemma
Private equity investors expect to see more divestments by Asian conglomerates, but a torrent of new deals is unlikely. Much rests on when the seller is confident enough to pull the trigger
VCs commit $13.9m to Korean mobile laundry service
Laundrygo, a Korea-based on-demand laundry service, has raised KRW17 billion ($13.9 million) in Series B funding from Korea Investment Partners, Aju IB Investment, KT Investment, Samsung Venture Investment, and DS Asset Management.
STIC-backed Korean game publisher files for US IPO
DoubleDown Interactive, a STIC Investments-backed Korean online game publisher best known for its flagship casino offering, has filed to list in the US.
Deal focus: IMM overcomes distancing disruption
Health and safety was a priority when IMM Private Equity negotiated a $413 million carve-out of Korea Kolmar Holdings' drug outsourcing business against the backdrop of COVID-19
Coronavirus & due diligence: Split screen
Finding the right balance between offline and online communication for completing due diligence processes is a tricky endeavor for PE and VC investment professionals in Asia
Carlyle adds managing director in Japan
Reiji Terasaka has rejoined The Carlyle Group as a managing director with the Japan team after a seven-year stint in various corporate roles in Japan and the US.
Japan agtech player raises $7m Series A
Japan’s Beyond Next Ventures has led a JPY800 billion ($7.4 million) Series A round for local cell-based agricultural technology specialist IntegriCulture.
IMM agrees $413m Korea pharma acquisition
IMM Private Equity has agreed to acquire Korea Kolmar Holdings’ pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) for KRW512.5 billion ($413 million).
KKR, Japanese banks pump $1.2b into Marelli
Marelli, a leading global automotive components supplier formed when KKR combined Japan’s Calsonic Kansei Corporation with Europe-based Magneti Marelli, has secured JPY130 billion ($1.2 billion) in additional funding to ride out a market downturn.
Mitsubishi UFJ invests Japan vegetarian meat player
Mitsubishi UFJ Capital has joined a Series A round for Japanese plant-based meat producer Daiz that brings the company’s total funding to JPY1.2 billion ($11.2 million).
Japan carve-outs: Profit from the core
Private equity firms hoping for a coronavirus-driven uptick on Japanese corporate carve-outs must be patient – and come armed with considered value creation plans when the time arrives
Advantage completes exit from Japan's FMI
Advantage Partners has completed its exit from Japanese kitchenware products manufacturer FMI Corporation to Toho Group, a Tokyo-listed food wholesaler that bought a majority stake in the business two years ago.
MBK closes Fund V at $6.5b hard cap
MBK Partners has closed its fifth North Asia-focused fund at the hard cap of $6.5 billion. It is the joint third-largest PE vehicle raised for deployment across the region and MBK has become the seventh manager to cross the $6 billion threshold.
