North Asia
LPs drive evolution in Asia back office practices – AVCJ Forum
Growing demand for information and reporting among a shifting LP base is leading Asian GPs to improve their back office structuring, investors told the AVCJ Forum.
Korea PE outlook: Exit issues
While Korea’s private equity market remains relatively stable, a much-anticipated opening up of IPO exits has yet to come to fruition
Japan PE outlook: Slow and steady
GPs have built strong ties with corporate Japan by demonstrating value-add capabilities. These networks should serve them well as the market becomes more active
TEPCO invests in PE-backed Vietnam hydro project
Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) has invested in a Vietnam hydropower project in which Nexif Energy, a Southeast Asia-focused energy investment platform backed by Denham Capital, owns a majority stake.
L Catterton, Mitsui invest in Japanese eyewear retailer
L Catterton Asia has made its first investment in Japan, partnering Mitsui & Co. Principal Investments (MCPI) to support local eyewear retailer Owndays.
Operational value-add: Sweat equity
As Asian GPs trial a range of operational value-add strategies with an eye on shifting market dynamics, they are discovering that helping portfolio companies requires self-inspection
Japan’s TEPCO invests in PE-backed Electrify
Electrify, a Singapore-based energy marketplace based on blockchain technology and backed by Japan’s Global Brain, has raised an investment of undisclosed size from TEPCO Frontier Partners, an incubator sponsored by Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO).
TRG agrees sale of Korean fried chicken business BHC
The Rohatyn Group (TRG) has agreed to exit BHC Group, a South Korean fried chicken restaurant franchisor, by selling the business back to its founder.
CITIC Capital buys Japan's Nippon Oil Pump from Wendel
CITIC Capital Partners has agreed to acquire Nippon Oil Pump (NOP), a Japan-based maker of hydraulic pumps and motors, from European listed investment firm Wendel for about EUR85 million ($97 million).
Fenox launches $20m VC fund with Japan's Sega Sammy
Fenox Venture Capital, a VC firm based in Silicon Valley, has partnered with Japanese entertainment company Sega Sammy Holdings to launch a $20 million fund to invest in advanced technologies globally.
INCJ leads $50m round for Singapore's Astroscale
Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) has led a $50 million Series D round for Astroscale, a Singaporean space technology company focused on orbital debris removal.
Affinity, BRV seal Shinsegae e-commerce deal
Affinity Equity Partners and BRV Capital Management have finalized an agreement with Shinsegae that will see them invest a combined KRW1 trillion ($878 million) in the South Korean retail group’s e-commerce business.
Hyundai, Yield Capital launch $100m energy VC fund
Korea’s Hyundai Motor and Yield Capital, an investment unit of Beijing-Tsinghua Industrial R&D Institute, have launched a $100 million VC fund focused on hydrogen energy.
Korea's BonAngels secures $50m for third VC fund
South Korea-based BonAngels Venture Partners has raised $50 million for its third early-stage fund.
MBK completes exit from Korea's Coway
MBK Partners has agreed to sell its remaining stake in Korean water purifier business Coway to a subsidiary of Woongjin Group – the company from which it bought the asset in 2013 – for KRW1.68 trillion ($1.48 billion).
CIC to back Japan-China industrial cooperation fund
China Investment Corporation (CIC) has reached an agreement with several Japanese financial institutions to establish a fund that will support Japanese companies looking to expand into China.
Deal focus: Meltin plans next stage in human evolution
Japanese bio-robotics start-up Meltin has received a $17.7 million Series B round from a group of investors including SBI Investment with a view to revolutionizing human-machine interfaces
KKR-owned Calsonic Kansei agrees $7.1b bolt-on
Calsonic Kansei Corporation, a Japanese automotive components manufacturer acquired by KKR last year, has agreed to buy Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ (FCA) components business for EUR6.2 billion ($7.1 billion).
SBI backs $18m round for Japan bio-robotics start-up
SBI Investment has joined a $17.7 million funding round for Meltin, a Japanese company focused on combining robotics with bio-signal processing.
Deal focus: A repeat prescription for Korean shipping
Hahn & Company has secured a $3.7 billion corporate restructuring of SK Shipping with a view to implementing the same operational improvements that have proved successful with H-Line
CLSA makes Japan staffing bolt-ons
Outsourcing Investments (OSI), a Japanese business process outsourcing (BPO) firm owned by CLSA Capital Partners (CLSA CP), has acquired two domestic staffing service providers through bolt-on transactions.
Korea's NPS taps BNK Financial head for CIO role
Korea’s National Pension Service (NPS) has appointed Hyo-Joon Ahn as its new CIO after struggling for more than a year to find a permanent occupant for the role.
Hahn & Co buys Korea's SK Shipping for $3.7b
Hahn & Company has completed what is described as one of the first successful non-government led corporate restructurings in Korea’s shipping industry with the $3.7 billion acquisition of SK Shipping.
GP profile: Advantage Partners
Having successfully overcome a series of post-global financial crisis troubles, Advantage Partners now has a multi-strand domestic and international offering intended to give it an edge in investments
