North Asia
Korea, US-based serialized fiction app gets $63m
SoftBank Ventures Asia and Kakao have led a $63.2 million Series A round for Radish, a Korea and US-based producer and broadcaster of serialized fiction for mobile devices.
Sustainable food: Forces of nature
Environmental considerations are intrinsic to food innovation investment strategy, not a public relations bonus. Science, society, and myriad motivations color a range of perspectives
Hana invests $85m in Asia renewables platform
Hana Financial has invested KRW100 billion ($85 million) in a portfolio of Korean waste to energy (WTE) projects being developed by Equis Development.
Bain sweetens offer for Japan's Nichii Gakkan
Bain Capital has increased its offer price for Tokyo-listed aged care provider Nichii Gakkan – after a Hong Kong hedge fund criticized the board for not doing enough to protect the interests of minority shareholders – valuing the business at JPY122...
Advantage shuffles team for succession, strategic reasons
Advantage Partners has appointed Shinichiro Kita as head of its Japan buyout team as part of succession planning within the Japanese firm. The change also ties into efforts to create more synergies between the buyout operation and an expanded public markets...
Asia online gaming: Game on
Videogaming has outgrown entertainment and media to become a sector unto itself, with new angles for exposure multiplying rapidly. E-sports is an area to watch
Korean travel app secures $36m funding round
MyRealTrip, a South Korean travel super app that positions itself as a one-stop-shop for bookings, has raised KRW43.2 billion ($36 million) in funding from the likes of Altos Ventures, IMM Investment, and Axiom Asia.
Deal focus: DRX wants e-sports to surf the Korean wave
Investors are backing DRX to generate international buzz for e-sports in Korea, following in the footsteps of K-pop, K-food and K-beauty. Overseas interest is already mounting
Korean AI education start-up gets $41m pre-Series D
Korea Development Bank (KDB) and local private equity firms Nvestor, Intervest and IMM Investment have participated in a $41.8 million pre-Series D round for Riiid, a Korean online education platform.
Korean strategic, financial investors back industrial AI start-up
MakinaRocks, a Korean artificial intelligence (AI) start-up that helps manufacturers achieve production efficiencies through the application of deep learning technology, has raised KRW12 billion ($10 million) in Series A funding.
Korea e-sports player DRX secures $22.5m
Korean e-sports organization DRX has raised $10 million from a group of local investors. It coincides with a separate $12.5 million commitment from e-sports specialist ATU Partners.
2Q analysis: Numbers that deceive
Asia has seen remarkable revivals in private equity investment and fundraising – though not in exits – over the past three months. A handful of large-cap situations mask a weak environment
Large-cap vehicles support PE fundraising revival in second quarter
Asia private equity fundraising rebounded from a seven-year low in the first quarter of the year to reach $24 billion for April through June, but commitments were concentrated on a handful of managers.
Deal focus: J-Star maneuvers Japan’s restaurant lull
J-Star's acquisition of Pepper Lunch is driven by a willingness to look past COVID-19 dislocations and focus on the long-term fundamentals of the fast-casual dining space in Japan
Korea's ACE Equity launches SPAC targeting IT infrastructure
Korean private equity firm ACE Equity Partners has taken another step in the development of its cross-border investment capabilities with the launch of a US-listed special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) to pursue IT infrastructure assets.
DCM raises $880m for early-stage funds
DCM Ventures has raised $880 million across two funds that will continue its early-stage technology strategy, with 70% of the capital earmarked for deployment in China.
Corporate VC in Asia: Moment of truth
Cutting non-core operations is the standard corporate response to an economic downturn. Companies in Asia must decide whether the long-term benefits of exposure to new technologies outweighs short-term pain
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 Kioxia 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.
