North Asia
KKR commits $723m to Korean shipping services business
KKR has made a pre-IPO investment of KRW800 billion ($723 million) in Hyundai Global Service (HGS), the aftersales marine services arm of Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings (HHIH).
Japan's Kyulux raises $34m extended Series B
Japan-based Kyulux, which develops advanced lighting technology used in digital screens, has raised JPY3.6 billion ($34.3 million) from a group of VCs and strategic investors.
Korea's Tmon closes $276m pre-IPO round
PS Alliance, an investment unit of South Korean automotive and electronic components manufacturer Poongsung Group, has led a KRW305 billion ($276 million) commitment to local e-commerce platform Tmon.
Carlyle to invest $200m in Korea's Kakao Mobility
The Carlyle Group has invested $200 million in Kakao Mobility, a transportation-focused spinout from Korea’s Kakao Corporation that offers taxi-hailing, designated driver, and other services.
Korean retailer Shinsegae invests in Southeast Asia's Grab
Korean retailer Shinsegae has invested in ride-hailing and online-to-offline services (O2O) platform Grab, as financial and strategic players from Korea and Japan continue their push into Southeast Asian technology unicorns.
Korean e-commerce player Coupang set for US listing
Coupang, a Korean e-commerce business that has secured approximately $3.5 billion in private funding over the past decade, has filed for an IPO in the US.
Carlyle abandons pursuit of Japan Asia Group
The Carlyle Group and the chairman of Japan Asia Group (JAG) have abandoned their bid for the company after a tender offer failed to generate sufficient shareholder support.
Match buys VC-backed Korean social platform for $1.7b
Hyperconnect, a Korean social media platform backed by Altos Ventures and SoftBank Ventures Korea, has agreed to an acquisition by online dating giant Match Group for $1.73 billion in cash and stock.
MBK targets $639m acquisition of Japan aged care business
MBK Partners has joined the list of private equity firms pursuing deals in Japan’s aged care and healthcare space, having launched a tender offer for Tsukui Holdings Corporation at a valuation of JPY66.9 billion ($639 million).
Deal focus: Opportunity knocks in Japan's pricey auto space
Dream Incubator's VC arm started tracking Nyle after the Japanese online media start-up made a timely pivot into car leasing. It led to a JPY5 billion ($48.3 million) funding round
CVC takes majority stake in Shiseido's personal care division
CVC Capital Partners is set to make its largest investment in Japan since before the global financial crisis, having agreed to purchase of a majority stake in Shiseido’s personal care business at a valuation of JPY160 billion ($1.52 billion).
AVCJ Awards 2020: Firm of the Year - Mid Cap: Advantage Partners
Richard Folsom, representative partner of Advantage Partners, looks back on a year dominated by succession planning, fundraising, and new investment opportunities
Fund focus: Japan's T Capital closes Fund VI at hard cap
Having completed its spin-out from Tokio Marine, T Capital Partners tapped overseas LPs for the first time for its sixth fund. They account for 40% of the JPY81 billion ($773 million) corpus
CLSA partially exits Japan medical IT provider
CLSA Capital Partners (CLSA CP) has partially exited its position in NHOSA Corporation, a Japanese IT provider for dental clinics and medical institutions.
EQT launches in Japan as part of regional buildout
EQT has formally entered the Japan market – striking a partnership with Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) to aid its local penetration – as part of a broader plan to increase its Asia private equity exposure.
AVCJ Awards 2020: Exit of the Year - Mid Cap: EMC Holdings
Taking full ownership of EMC Holdings wasn’t on Affirma Capital’s agenda, but it performed a successful pivot when the business started moving in the wrong direction
Longreach sells Japanese jeweler to Integral
The Longreach Group has exited Primo Japan to Integral Corporation for an undisclosed sum. This makes Integral the jewelry retailer’s fourth consecutive private equity owner.
AVCJ Awards 2020: Fundraising of the Year - Large Cap: The Carlyle Group
With twice as much dry powder as in its previous Japan vintage, The Carlyle group expects mega-deals and private equity participation to increase
Carlyle-backed consortium sweetens offer for Japan Asia Group
The Carlyle Group and the chairman of Japan Asia Group (JAG) have doubled the size of their tender offer for the Tokyo-listed company following pressure from an activist investor. The chairman is contributing most of the additional equity.
4Q analysis: Growth spurt
Technology-enabled businesses in China and India are the beneficiaries of a resurgence in growth capital deal flow; Japan is the sole stand-out in fundraising; IPOs continue to shine as overall exits struggle
Dimension leads $48m round for Japan's Nyle
Japanese VC firm Dimension has led a JPY5 billion ($48.3 million) round for local digital marketing and mobile media business Nyle.
Monument Group recruits Japan representative
Placement agent Monument Group has appointed Hiroshi Nishimuro, formerly of Morgan Stanley, as its Japan representative to lead fundraising efforts and manage GP relationships in the country.
Asia PE investment ends 2020 on a tear
A fourth-quarter surge in growth-stage deal-making took Asia private equity investment to $198.5 billion in 2020, comfortably surpassing the previous year’s total despite the strictures of COVID-19.
Carlyle faces activist challenge to Japan Asia Group deal
An investment firm with ties to renowned Japanese activist investor Yoshiaki Murakami is challenging The Carlyle Group’s JPY37 ($355 million) bid for Japan Asia Group by launching a tender offer of its own.