North Asia
Goldman leads Series C for Japan's Rapyuta Robotics
Goldman Sachs has led a USD 51m Series C round for Rapyuta Robotics, a Japan-based developer of collaborative pick-assist robots commonly used in warehouses.
Bain launches tender offer for Japan marketing business
Bain Capital has launched a tender offer for Japan-based television and direct marketing business Tri-Stage that values the company at approximately JPY 17.2bn (USD 137.3m).
Deal focus: Wholesum brings agglomeration to Korea
Drawing inspiration from US-based Thrasio and from his own background in special situations investing, Andrew Joo wants to turn Wholesum into a Korean multi-brand powerhouse
Portfolio: Affinity Equity Partners and ServeOne
Affinity Equity Partners is redefining the B2B outsourcing industry by helping Korea’s ServeOne, escape the gravity of its chaebol parent to access new markets and business lines
Japan's MPower backs pet devices maker
Japan’s MPower Partners, which was set up last year to make environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investments, has joined a USD 10.5m Series B round for local pet devices maker Rabo.
Korea Web3 gaming platform gets $34m
Krust Universe, a start-up incubation and investment unit of Korean internet giant Kakao, has led a USD 34m round for local Web3 gaming platform Iskra.
Japan's Drone Fund closes third vintage on $85m
Japan’s Drone Fund has closed its third air mobility-dedicated vehicle at JPY 10.5bn (USD 85m), beating a target of JPY 10bn.
LP interview: Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance
Innchul Oh, a senior manager with Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance, approaches international private equity with a brand of risk wariness that currently favours venture over buyouts. Generalist GPs are lamented as a dying breed
Carlyle sells Japan construction materials supplier to Lone Star
The Carlyle Group has sold Senqcia Corporation, a Japanese construction materials supplier formerly known as Hitachi Metals Techno, to Lone Star Funds for an undisclosed sum.
Effissimo pledges to support Bain buyout of Toshiba
Bain Capital appears to be preparing a take-private bid for Toshiba Corporation, having secured the support of the company’s largest activist shareholder for a potential tender offer.
Diageo divests Korean whisky brand to local PE consortium
Global beverage giant Diageo has agreed to sell Windsor, Korea’s best-selling whisky brand, to Bayside Private Equity and Metis Private Equity for KRW 200bn (USD 163.2m).
Japan mobile banking player Kyash gets $41m Series C
Altos Ventures, Goodwater Capital, Greyhound Capital, and StepStone Group are part of an investor group that has committed JPY 4.9bn (USD 41m) in Series D funding to Tokyo-based mobile banking start-up Kyash.
Korean metaverse player closes Series A, hits $807m valuation
VA Corporation, a Korean virtual content provider that is positioning itself as a metaverse platform, has achieved a valuation of KRW 1trn (USD 807m) on closing a KRW 100bn Series A round.
J-Star exits Japan nursing care provider
J-Star has exited dementia-focused nursing care provider Platia to Bain Capital-owned counterpart Nichii Gakkan for an undisclosed sum.
Farallon calls on Toshiba to reconsider PE buyout
Farallon Capital Management, a minority shareholder in Toshiba Corporation, has called on the company to reconsider bringing in a private equity investor amid mounting opposition to a two-way spinoff.
AVCJ Awards 2021: Deal of the Year – Mid Cap: Danggeun Market
A social, hyperlocal overlay has made Korea’s Danggeun Market a subversively complex e-commerce play. As the company scales and experiments, it reflects new confidence in its home market
Portfolio: Aspirant Group and Yamato Group
Improving cost controls and realising efficiencies underpinned Aspirant Group’s investment thesis for Japanese fish retailer Yamato Group, and they have helped the company withstand external pressures
Korean GP Credian sponsors $200m US SPAC offering
Seoul-based private equity firm Credian Partners has teamed up with CrystalBioSciences, a captive VC unit of biopharmaceutical company CrystalGenomics, to raise USD 200m for a US-listed special purpose acquisition company (SPAC).
CLSA acquires Japan childcare operator
CLSA Capital Partners (CLSA CP) has acquired a majority stake in Japanese childcare facility operator Task-Force for an undisclosed sum.
Crescendo closes third Korea fund on $910m
Korean middle-market private equity firm Crescendo Equity Partners has confirmed a final close of USD 910m on its third flagship fund, beating a target of USD 700m.
Korea's Biorchestra gets $45m Series C
Biorchestra, a Korea-based drug developer specialising in RNA therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases, has closed a Series C funding round of KRW 54bn (USD 45m).
Hong Kong game developer 6Waves bought by European strategic
6Waves, a Hong Kong-based mobile game developer that previously received funding from Insight Partners, has been acquired by Swedish gaming studio Stillfront Group for USD 201m, comprising cash and shares.
LP interview: Adams Street Partners
Adams Street Partners believes having a close-knit Asia team, which cuts across geographies, sectors, and stages, informs a big-picture view that enables it to look beyond near-term dislocations
Korea's Shinsegae raises another $251m for e-commerce platform
SSG.com, the e-commerce platform of South Korean retailer Shinsegae Group, raised an additional KRW 300bn (USD 251m) from existing backers Affinity Equity Partners and BRV Capital Management.