North Asia
Japan's ADK faces lawsuit following Bain tender offer
Bain Capital Private Equity’s buyout offer for Japan-listed advertising agency Asatsu-DK (ADK) has prompted legal action by WPP Group, the company’s largest shareholder.
Polaris carves out beverage business from Asahi
Polaris Capital Group has agreed to acquire LB, a soft drink-focused division of Japanese beverage maker Asahi Group Holdings.
MBK makes tender offer for Japan's Kuroda Electric
MBK Partners has submitted a tender offer for Kuroda Electric – a Japanese electronic components manufacturer that has been under pressure from an activist shareholder – that values the company at approximately JPY102 billion ($895 million).
J-Star acquires Forpets in latest pet bolt-on
Japan’s J-Star has acquired 100% of domestic veterinary services company Forpets as a bolt-on of existing portfolio company JVCC. It is JVCC’s third such transaction this year.
CLSA makes partial exit from Japan's BC Ings
CLSA Capital Partners (CLSA CP) has made a partial exit from Japanese cram school operator BC Ings to a government-backed investment fund.
Toshiba shareholders approve $18b TMC sale to Bain consortium
The shareholders of Japanese conglomerate Toshiba Corporation have approved the sale of the company’s Nand flash memory unit Toshiba Memory Corporation (TMC) to a consortium led by Bain Capital for JPY2 trillion ($17.6 billion).
GIP to buy Equis renewable energy portfolio for $5b
Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) has agreed to acquire 100% of Equis Energy, a project platform of 180 assets under private equity investor Equis Funds Group, for $5 billion. It is said to be the world’s largest renewable energy generation acquisition...
Home automation: Digital digs
Home automation has graduated from a hobbyist niche to a sprawling, multifaceted consumer market that mobilizes a suite of cutting-edge technologies. Asian investors are identifying the early entry points
SparkLabs launches $100m blockchain fund
SparkLabs Group has launched a $100 million early-stage venture capital fund that will focus on blockchain and cryptocurrency investments globally.
Intel Capital announces China, Japan investments
Intel Capital, the captive VC arm of Intel Corp, has invested in technology start-ups from China and Japan as part of a $60 million overall investment in 15 companies worldwide.
INCJ, Konica Minolta acquire Ambry Genetics for $1b
Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) and imaging giant Konica Minolta have completed a $1 billion joint acquisition of US-based Ambry Genetics, with a view to growing the company in Japan.
3Q analysis: More about Japan
Toshiba sends Japan into top spot for investment amid corporate carve-out excitement; fundraising plummets in the absence of Chinese state-backed vehicles; the IPO window opens as public markets boom
IMM to buy Korean fashion e-commerce business
IMM Private Equity has agreed to buy a majority stake in W Concept Korea, an own-brand online clothing retailer owned by ISE Commerce, a multi-strategy Korean e-commerce business.
Portfolio: J-Star and Japan Hospice Holdings
In 2014 J-Star bet on a pair of pioneering companies in Japan’s hospice care market. Now the resulting platform is set to dominate the still-nascent industry with high standards for care and patient dignity
Affinity to buy Burger King Japan
Affinity Equity Partners, which already owns Burger King in South Korea, has assumed control of the fast food chain’s master franchise for Japan.
ADK management offers support to Bain buyout bid
Japan-based advertising agency Asatsu-DK (ADK) has expressed its support for Bain Capital Private Equity’s proposed JPY151 billion ($1.3 billion) buyout, against opposition from its largest shareholder, WPP Group.
PE must 'play to win' in Japan carve-outs - Bain & Co
Japan private equity investment is on course for a record year on the back of increased divestment activity, but GPs must fine-tune their strategies to prevail in a highly competitive auction processes, according to Bain & Company.
KKR sweetens tender offer for Japan's Hitachi Kokusai
KKR has improved its tender offer for Japanese high-tech manufacturer Hitachi Kokusai Electric after the process, which was announced in April, stalled due to share price volatility.
Goldman backs South Korean bakery ingredients maker
Goldman Sachs has invested KRW34 billion ($29.9 million) in Korean specialty food ingredients manufacturer Sun-in.
Japan's Advantage exits telemarketing business
Advantage Partners has agreed to sell Customer Relation Telemarketing (CRTM), a call center business it acquired three years ago, to fellow Japanese private equity firm Integral Corporation.
VCs in $6.5m round for Japan’s LaFabric
Globis Capital Partners has joined a group of venture capital firms in a JPY740 million ($6.5 million) funding round for Lifestyle Design, the Japanese operator of men’s custom-made fashion marketplace LaFabric.
Japan education: School run
PE and VC investors are increasingly active across the breadth of Japan’s education sector, armed with an evolving set of targeting criteria and growth strategies intended to exploit sweeping social changes
Japan secondary buyouts: Hand to hand
A series of recent lucrative exits by Japanese GPs have shown that secondary buyouts in the country can deliver
Japan's NSSK closes Fund II at $530m
Japanese private equity firm NSSK has closed its second fund oversubscribed with JPY60 billion ($531 million) in commitments.