North Asia
CyberAgent Ventures backs Vietnam food review site
CyberAgent Ventures has made an undisclosed commitment to Vietnamese food review site, Foody. The venture capital arm of Tokyo-based internet firm CyberAgent made the investment through its CA Asia Internet Fund I, a Southeast Asia-focused VC vehicle....
Lone Star starts arbitration proceedings against Korean government
Lone Star Funds has initiated arbitration of its claim for damages suffered as a result of alleged unlawful intervention by the Korean government with the private equity firm’s rights as a major shareholder in Korea Exchange Bank (KEB) and other companies...
AVCJ at 25: Turning points
To mark the 25th anniversary of Asian Venture Capital Journal, we highlight five key phases in the development of asset class in Asia and talk to the individuals involved. Two of the phases are births – of a sort – and the other three are crises, a reminder...
Nomura launches private equity index
Japanese investment bank Nomura claims to have launched the world's first daily investable private equity index.
Carlyle to list Chimney in December
The Carlyle Group is to sell part of its stake in Japanese restaurant chain operator Chimney through an IPO in December, its third attempt to list a Japanese asset this year.
MBK's Coway deal revived after court approval
MBK Partners’s acquisition of a significant minority stake in water purifier manufacturer Woongjin Coway appears to be back on track after a South Korean court approved the KRW1.2 trillion ($1.1 billion) deal. The deal was put on hold last month after...
PE & PR: Private equity's public face
Private equity is more entrenched and better understood in some Asian markets than others. What do the various stakeholders - entrepreneurs, government, media, public - make of the asset class?
Asia fundraising: Emerging LPs
Led by a clutch of sovereign wealth funds, Asia’s emerging LPs are looking to boost their alternatives exposure. Fund managers in search of allocations must find out what makes these institutions tick
Paul Hastings opens Seoul office
Paul Hastings has opened an office in Seoul, its 20th location globally. It follows a number of international law firms in setting up a presence in South Korea.
South Korea VC: State subsidies
South Korea’s venture capital industry is the fourth-largest in the world thanks to generous government support. But is this support helping or hindering the development of self-sustaining investment ecosystem?
Japan's CyberAgent invests in Taiwanese start-up
CyberAgent Ventures has invested $500,000 in Polydice, the Taiwanese start-up behind recipe-themed social network iCook.tw
Carlyle to buy Diversey Japan from Sealed Air
The Carlyle Group has agreed to by Japanese sanitation business Diversey Japan from the Sealed Air Corporation for JPY30 billion ($377 million).
Japan's NTT DoCoMo to set up $125m venture fund
Japanese mobile giant NTT DoCoMo is to set up a venture fund and incubation program targeting mobile business models and technologies.
Japan mulls bank rule change, prompts protectionist fears
The Japanese Government is considering altering regulations to allow banks to own larger stakes in Japanese companies, prompting fears of protectionism among the private equity community.
Korean court says Woongjin will honor MBK's Coway deal
A South Korean court overseeing bankruptcy proceedings of Woongjin Holdings has said that the company’s biggest shareholder will honor an agreement to sell a controlling stake in subsidiary Woongjin Coway to MBK Partners. The deal was put on hold last...
DCM exits game developer Pokelabo to GREE
DCM has generated a 6x money multiple on its investment in social mobile game developer Pokelabo after the company was sold to Japanese media giant GREE for $175 million.
Nomura to launch Indian infrastructure fund next year
Japanese financial group Nomura Holdings has announced it will launch an India-focused infrastructure fund as early as next year.
J-Star sees 3x return on consolidation play
Fierce competition among the middle-men in Japan’s pharmaceutical industry has created a healthy environment for private equity firms looking to consolidate a fragmented sector. Last week J-Star exited Apo Plus Station (APS) after a two-year holding...
Japan's government to set up $500m VC drug fund
The Japanese government plans to set up a public-private fund to support research into drugs targeting cancer, hepatitis, diabetes and other difficult-to-treat diseases.
Citigroup hires ex-Silver Lake partner as Japan M&A head
Citigroup has hired Masao Yoshikawa, an ex-partner and Japan representative at private equity firm Silver Lake, as its new managing director of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in Japan.
Tech-focused US M&A advisor sets up in Seoul
J. Moore Partners, a technology-focused investment bank based in San Francisco, has opened an office in Seoul as part of plans to expand into Asia. It claims to be the first US technology M&A advisory firm to establish a presence in the city.
VCs invest $1.2m in Japanese website Retty
GREE ventures, NTT investment Partners and Mitsubishi UFJ Capital have jointly invested JPY100 million ($1.2 million) into Retty, a Japanese social restaurant guide.
Japan's J-Star sees 3x return on Apo Plus Station
Mid-market Japanese GP J-Star has sold its majority stake in the pharma-focused contract sales company Apo Plus Station (APS) to Qol, a Tokyo-based pharmaceutical firm.
Panorama leads Series D round for Skyfire's Asia expansion
Panorama Capital has led a $10 million Series D round of funding for Skyfire, intended help the mobile video optimization and cloud solutions company expand in Asia.