North Asia
Japan divestments still strong despite 'double-edged sword' of Abenomics
Corporate divestments continue to be a strong source of buyout deal flow in Japan, regardless of the impact of recently introduced economic reforms, according to Richard Folsom, co-founder and CEO of domestic GP Advantage Partners.
Shogun diplomacy: Corporate management in Japan
History shows that Japan's corporate elites rarely take kindly to private equity knocking down their door. How can the outside investor best woo potential partners?
All smiles in Tokyo?
The timing of last year's AVCJ Japan Forum was perhaps fortuitous - a matter of days before the event Unison Capital announced that it agreed to sell sushi chain Akindo Sushiro to Permira for $1 billion.
Giant maintenance: PE and corporate Japan
Restructuring is a compelling story in Japanese private equity, but deal access is constrained by perception issues and government-linked competition. Will the there be anything left for foreign players?
Japan fundraising: Sink or swim?
Investor sentiment is gradually turning on Japan. The big buyout funds must convince LPs there is sufficient deal flow in their portion of the market; the smaller players must figure out how to talk to foreign LPs
Willing to travel: Japanese tech firms look overseas
Japanese technology companies are going overseas, through corporate venture capital investments, joint ventures or commitments to third-party managers, in search of new markets and innovations
Cerberus challenges Seibu management ahead of annual meeting
Cerberus Capital Management has publicly questioned the management of railway and property group Seibu Holdings in a bid to gain support for its shake up of the company's board at a shareholders meeting later this month.
Korea's NPS to boost alternatives exposure
South Korea’s National Pension Service (NPS) will increase its allocation to alternative investments to 11.3% from 8.4% as part of an aggressive plan that will see a substantial drop in the pension fund’s fixed income exposure.
Oregon Investment Council backs Morgan Stanley, RRJ funds
Oregon Investment Council (OIC) has committed $75 million to Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia’s (MSPEA) fourth pan-regional fund. The vehicle, which reached a first close of $750 million towards the end of last year after less than six months in the...
J-Star to close Fund II at $200m by end-June
Japanese mid-market GP J-Star will reach a final close on its JPY20 billion ($210 million) second fund by the end of this month, sources familiar with the matter told AVCJ.
Gree Ventures, MIC back $6m round for Japanese software firm
Gree Ventures and Mobile Internet Capital (MIC) have taken part in a JPY625 million ($6 million) investment round for Accounting SaaS Japan (A-SaaS), a developer of cloud-based accounting software.
Morgan Stanley-backed Hyundai Rotem gets green light for IPO
Hyundai Rotem, a South Korean railway vehicle manufacturer backed by Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia (MSPEA), has received approval to list on the Korea Stock Exchange. It will likely be the country’s largest share offering so far this year and the...
Japan's Marubeni scales back deal for PE-owned Gavilon
Marubeni has scaled back its offer for General Atlantic-owned US grain trader Gavilon by $1 billion after cutting the company's energy trading arm out of the deal.
CVC hires Korea specialist Charles Huh from Standard Chartered
Charles Huh has joined CVC Capital Partners as a senior managing director responsible for South Korea after spending nine years at Standard Chartered Private Equity (SCPE).
Korea's STX Pan Ocean files for bankruptcy after PE rescue fails
STX Pan Ocean, South Korea’s largest bulk shipping group, has filed for court receivership after attempts to secure a private equity-led restructuring of the beleaguered business failed.
Secondaries valuations remain challenging – KIC
Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) will increase its allocation to alternatives to as much as 25%, up from 15%, but CIO Don Lee said there were no immediate plans to add managers in the secondary space, citing valuation challenges in the market.
JAIC, CyberAgent-backed dating site in Taiwan IPO
Sunfun Info, an online dating platform backed by Japan Asia Investment (JAIC) and CyberAgent Ventures, has debuted on the Taiwan over-the-counter Gre Tai Securities Market.
Japan government begins shake up of pension investments
The Japanese government will begin its overhaul of public pension investment strategies, potentially paving a way for more commitments to the private equity. The review will cover investment strategies, risk management, and measures to increase returns...
TEL Venture Capital invests in MIOX Corporation
TEL Venture Capital, the investment arm of Japanese semiconductor maker Tokyo Electron, has invested in US water technology company MOIX Corp. The details of the transaction were not disclosed.
Shinsei Bank backs Series B for Japan's Smart Education
Shinsei Corporate Investment (SCI), a unit of Japan's Shinsei Bank, has committed JPY75.3 million ($748,000) to educational smartphone app developer Smart Education. This brings the start-up's Series B round to a total of JPY350 million.
KDDI, Yahoo, CyberAgent invest $3m in online language service
KDDI Open Innovation Fund, CyberAgent Ventures and YJ Capital - the investment arm of Yahoo Japan - have taken part in JPY330 million ($3.2 million) round of funding for RareJob, an English-language learning website.
A taste of Europe: Asian investor objectives
Asian LPs have become part of the landscape of European private equity, pursuing opportunities across buyouts, secondaries, credit and distress. But what do they really want from the region?
INCJ-backed Seajacks sets up Japan wind farm unit
Seajacks International, a UK-based offshore energy services provider owned by Japan's Marubeni Corp. and government-backed Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ), has launched its first Asian subsidiary - Seajacks Japan.
Cerberus raises Seibu stake, falls short of target
Cerberus Capital Management has raised its stake in Japan's Seibu Holdings to 35.48%, giving it enough control to block resolutions by management. However, the New York-headquartered firm fell short of its goal of buying 44.7% of the Japanese rail and...