North Asia
MBK to buy majority stake in Korea's Lotte Card for $1.2b
MBK Partners has agreed to assume majority control of the credit card business of South Korean conglomerate Lotte Corporation in a deal worth KRW1.38 trillion ($1.17 billion).
Affirma to buy Korean cosmetics manufacturer
Affirma Capital, a GP established through the spin-out of Standard Chartered’s private equity business, has agreed to acquire a controlling stake in South Korea-based Hwa Sung Cosmetics.
SBI joins $35m Series B for Japan's Pixie Dust
SBI Investment, the VC arm of Japan’s SBI Holdings, has joined a JPY3.8 billion $35 million Series B round for Pixie Dust Technologies, a local company developing novel uses for ultrasonic waves.
Korea's CJ CheilJedang brings Bain into Schwan's deal
Korean consumer conglomerate CJ CheilJedang Corporation has agreed to sell a 27% stake in CJ Foods America – a vehicle established for the acquisition of US frozen foods provider Schwan’s – to Bain Capital for $320 million.
PE-backed ESR closes Japan logistics fund at $1.8b
ESR, a pan-Asian logistics and fund management platform that was seeded by Warburg Pincus, has closed its latest Japan-focused fund at JPY200 billion ($1.8 billion).
Japan's PE-backed Sansan files for IPO
Sansan, a PE-backed company that specializes in cloud-based business card digitization, has filed for a domestic IPO that is expected to generate around JPY35.2 billion ($321 million).
L Catterton's Asia team to spin-out, raise growth fund
The bulk of the L Capital Asia team that merged with Catterton in 2016 to form L Catterton, a global consumer-focused private equity firm, is spinning out to raise a $750 million Asia growth fund.
Japan's Gree rebrands as Strive, launches $137m fund
Japan’s Gree Ventures has rebranded as Strive and launched its third fund with a view to raising JPY15 billion ($137 million) for internet company investments across Japan, Southeast Asia, and India.
VIG hits $530m first close on fourth Korean fund
VIG Partners has reached a first close of $530 million on its fourth Korea-focused fund, with international investors accounting for more than 60% of commitments received so far.
Japan crowdfunding player raises $20m Series C
Campfire, a Japanese crowdfunding platform operator, has raised a JPY2.2 billion ($20 million) Series C round with support from Global Brain and KDDI Corporation.
Allianz, GLP to invest $600m in Asia logistics
German financial services giant Allianz has committed $600 million to funds managed by GLP, a PE-owned warehouse operator based in Singapore, with a view to investing in logistics in China and Japan.
Kyobo Life: The mother of all puts
Put options amount to threats seldom acted upon. By demanding that the chairman of Korea’s third-largest life insurer buy back their shares, a group of investors has taken Asian PE into uncharted territory
Tikehau Capital opens Tokyo office
Tikehau Capital, a France-based asset manager with EUR2.8 billion ($3.1 billion) in private equity assets under management, is expanding its Asia footprint with an office in Tokyo.
GP profile: IMM Private Equity
As one of oldest GPs in South Korea, IMM Private Equity has helped to show both domestic and global investors that the PE community can bring major benefits to the country’s corporate sector
IMM buys Linde's Korea gases business for $1.2b
Global industrial gases business Linde has confirmed the sale of its Korea-based assets to IMM Private Equity for $1.2 billion.
Blackstone buys Korean drug distributor
The Blackstone Group has acquired Geo-Young, a South Korean wholesale drug distributor, working in conjunction with the founders. It facilitates an exit for local GP Anchor Equity Partners, which invested in the company in 2013.
Magic Leap gets $280m from Docomo, targets Japan expansion
Magic Leap, a US virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) goggles maker backed by several private equity firms, has secured $280 million for a Japanese expansion from NTT Docomo.
Globis raises $321m for Japan VC fund
Japanese venture capital firm Globis Capital Partners has raised JPY36 billion ($321 million) for its sixth fund. The overall target of JPY37.5 billion is expected to be reached by June.
INCJ-backed Japan Display agrees $2.1b foreign bailout
Japan Display, an electronics supplier backed by Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ), has agreed a JPY232 billion ($2.1 billion) bailout, including an approximately $714 million investment from China’s Harvest Fund Management.
Japan's Astroscale expands Series D by $30m
Astroscale, a Japan-based space technology company focused on debris removal, has announced a $30 million extension to its Series D round, bringing the total raised to $80 million.
INCJ leads $230m round for Japan's JOLED
Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) has led a JPY25.5 billion ($230 million) round for domestic display screen manufacturer and technology developer JOLED.
Bain falls short in tender offer for Japan's Kosaido
The proposed JPY17.4 billion ($157 million) acquisition of Japanese printing and IT services provider Kosaido by Bain Capital has reached an impasse after the private equity firm’s tender offer failed to win sufficient shareholder support.
Fund focus: Back on the map
The Longreach Group has leveraged rising appetite for exposure to Japan’s middle market with a $650 million close for its latest buyout fund. Increased global participation contributed to the result
Korean online grocery player secures $88m Series D
Market Kurly, a four-year-old Korean start-up that provides online grocery delivery services, has raised KRW100 billion ($88 million) in Series D funding.