North Asia
KKR completes tender offer for Japan's Hitachi Kokusai
KKR has completed its tender offer for Japanese high-tech manufacturer Hitachi Kokusai Electric, having surpassed the 24.1% shareholder support required for the JPY322 billion ($2.9 billion) deal to proceed.
Bain completes tender offer for Japan’s ADK
Bain Capital Private Equity has completed its tender offer for Japanese advertising agency Asatsu-DK (ADK), acquiring a majority stake in a deal that values the company at JPY153 billion ($1.3 billion).
Fund focus: Eight Roads fund targets Japan tech
Eight Roads Ventures has $223 million to deploy in Japan, with robotics, inbound tourism and healthcare all high on its agenda
AVCJ at 30: Part Four - Buyouts Across the Region
Joseph Skrzynski of CHAMP Private Equity, Peter Wiggs of Archer Capital, Tim Sims of Pacific Equity Partners, and Richard Folsom of Advantage Partners on the development of buyouts in Australia and Japan
Japan household robot maker secures $57m round
Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) and Tokyo-based asset manager Sparx Group have agreed to invest at least JPY6.4 billion ($57 million) in household robot maker Groove X.
Adams Street opens South Korea office
Adams Street Partners has established an office in Seoul in an effort to expand access to clients and investment opportunities in the region.
Australia's IFM opens Korea office
IFM Investors, an investment manager owned by 28 Australian superannuation funds, has opened an office in Seoul to service clients in South Korea.
Bain to make full exit from Japan's Bellsystem24
Bain Capital Private Equity has agreed to make a full exit from Japan-based call center business Bellsystem24 by selling its remaining 14.43% stake to domestic printing company Toppan Printing.
Eight Roads launches $223m Japan fund
Eight Roads Ventures, the proprietary investment arm of Fidelity International, has launched its second dedicated Japan fund with a corpus of JPY25 billion ($223 million). The firm’s parent committed all of the capital.
Japan's Nomura to launch private equity unit
Nomura is reviving its private equity business with a view to participating in the founder succession and corporate divestment opportunities that are attracting a lot of interest in Japan.
STIC buys stake in Korean telecom equipment maker
STIC Investments will take a 25.18% stake in Winnercom, a South Korean manufacturer of telecom equipment and automobile components, as part of Humax’s acquisition of the company.
KKR improves offer for Japan's Hitachi Kokusai a second time
KKR has increased its tender offer for Japanese high-tech manufacturer Hitachi Kokusai Electric for a second time, valuing the company at approximately JPY322 billion ($2.9 billion), up from JPY298 billion.
AVCJ at 30: Part Two - The Asian Financial Crisis
Weijian Shan of PAG Asia Capital, Piau-Voon Wang, Dan Carroll of Brooklands Capital Strategies, and Michael Kim of MBK Partners on the impact of the Asian financial crisis
Japan-China e-commerce business gets $68m Series C
Inagora, a VC-backed e-commerce platform that supplies Japanese products to Chinese consumers, has received $68 million in Series C funding from Itochu Corp, KDDI Corporation, and SBI Holdings.
Bain to complete exit from Japan's Skylark
Bain Capital Private Equity will divest its remaining 15% stake in Japanese restaurant operator Skylark, completing a gradual sale of the business it acquired in 2011 and took public three years later.
WPP agrees to Bain tender offer for Japan's ADK
Bain Capital Private Equity’s tender offer for Japan-listed advertising agency Asatsu-DK (ADK) has overcome its biggest obstacle as the company’s largest shareholder WPP Group has withdrawn its objection to the deal.
Japan Post Bank pursues global PE strategy – AVCJ Forum
Japan Post Bank’s has fully embraced the global remit of its recently launched private equity program, making commitments to funds around the world through fund-of-funds while considering direct investments in its home market.
Singapore's VC-backed Quoine raises $105m via ICO
Singapore-based Quoine, a financial technology company backed by Japan’s Jafco, has raised $105 million via an initial coin offering (ICO).
Asia Cement named preferred bidder for Baring-owned Halla
Asia Cement, a mid-tier Korean construction materials producer, has been selected as the preferred bidder for Halla Cement, which Baring Private Equity Asia put up for sale earlier this year.
Japan home health tech player gets $4.4m
Nissay Capital and 2020, the Japanese investment arm of Foxconn Technology Group, have invested JPY500 million ($4.4 million) in a pre-Series B round for Tokyo-based healthcare technology start-up Triple W Japan.
South Korea's MyMusicTaste gets $11m Series C
KTB Network has led an $11 million Series C funding round for MyMusicTaste, a Korean crowdsourcing platform operator focused on organizing fan-requested concerts.
TPG invests in Korean vinyl tile producer
TPG Capital has agreed to take a significant minority stake in Nox Group, a Korea-based manufacturer of luxury flooring materials. The size of the investment was not disclosed.
Q&A: Brooklands Capital Strategies' Dan Carroll
Dan Carroll, a founding partner at Brooklands Capital Strategies, cut his teeth with H&Q Asia Pacific and then helped build Newbridge Capital. He told AVCJ how private equity forced its way into the mainstream
Aspirant to buy logistics unit from Japan's Takara
Japanese PE firm Aspirant Group has agreed to acquire Takara Chouun, a logistics subsidiary of the Takara Holdings conglomerate.