North Asia
Bain launches $1.3b tender offer for Japanese ad agency
Bain Capital Private Equity has launched a tender offer for Japan-based advertising agency Asatsu-DK (ADK) that values the company at JPY151 billion ($1.3 billion).
Korea bans initial coin offerings
South Korea has initiated a ban on fundraising exercises known as initial coin offerings (ICO) which involve the unregulated sale of cryptographic tokens.
Permira to complete exit from Japan's Sushiro with 2.9x return
Permira will realize a gross multiple of 2.9x on its investment in Sushiro Global Holdings – the sushi restaurant chain it took public in Tokyo earlier this year – having agreed to sell its remaining stake to the parent company of Genki Sushi.
Deal focus: Advantage kneads 12x return
Advantage Partners has sold Japanese massage chain Riraku back to one of the company's co-founders at a valuation of $300 million, having successfully executed its expansion strategy
Japan carve-outs: Slow burn story
Toshiba Memory Corporation is set to become Asia'a largest-ever PE buyout, if the deal goes through in its current form. But this doesn't necessarily mean the path to corporate divestments in Japan will become smoother
MBK to buy stake in Korean golf course business
MBK Partners, which completed its acquisition of Japanese golf course operator Accordia Golf earlier this year, has agreed to take a stake in the golf course management business of Korea-listed Golfzon.
VCs invest $3.4m in Japan's Oneteam
Oneteam, a Japanese workplace chat app provider, has received a JPY380 million ($3.4 million) funding round from a group of venture investors, including existing backer Nissay Capital.
MBK hires Deutsche executive to co-lead credit strategy
North Asia-focused buyout player MBK Partners has hired Stephen Le, formerly of Deutsche Bank, to co-head a newly-launched fund that will make credit and special situations investments.
Advantage exits Japan massage chain in $300m sale
Advantage Partners has sold its majority stake in Japanese massage chain operator Riraku at a valuation of approximately $300 million, securing a 12x money multiple.
Bain, Goldman agree $2.7b exit from Carver Korea
Bain Capital Private Equity and Goldman Sachs have agreed to sell their majority stake in Carver Korea, a specialist cosmetics supplier, to Unilever in a deal worth EUR2.27 billion ($2.7 billion).
Korea LPs: Credit junkies
Korean institutional investors favor private debt over other alternatives asset classes because of its long tenor and stable cash flows. Multi-credit strategies are likely to launch as more capital is allocated overseas
Toshiba agrees $18b sale of chip unit to Bain consortium
Japanese conglomerate Toshiba Corporation has reached a final agreement to sell its Nand flash memory unit to a consortium led by Bain Capital for JPY2 trillion ($17.8 billion).
Japan's Mizuho launches $250m ASEAN fund
Japan’s Mizuho Bank has launched a private equity fund focused on middle-market companies in the ASEAN region with a target corpus of $250 million.
Formation 8 backs Yello Mobile's O2O unit
Formation Group, a Silicon Valley and Asia-focused venture capital firm established by Formation 8 co-founder Brian Koo, has invested KRW112.5 million ($99 million) in the online-to-offline (O2O) services unit of Korean mobile internet platform Yello...
Toshiba, Bain sign MOU for chip unit - update
Japanese conglomerate Toshiba has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Bain Capital regarding the sale of its Nand flash memory unit to a consortium led by the PE firm.
Japan's Infostellar receives $7.3m Series A
Infostellar, a Japanese company developing cloud-based satellite communication technology, has closed a $7.3 million Series A funding round led by US-based Airbus Ventures.
Korea, Singapore launch cross-border healthcare incubator
Singapore investor Golden Equator Capital and Korean research organization C&R Healthcare Global have jointly launched an incubation program that will help Korean healthcare start-ups execute Asian expansions via Singapore.
Japan's J-Star exits pet services business
J-Star has made a full exit from Japanese pet services business Three Arrows to domestic GP Création Capital, its co-investor on the original deal.
Carlyle set for partial exit from Japan's Tsubaki Nakashima
The Carlyle Group has agreed to reduce its stake in Japan-listed manufacturing industry equipment supplier Tsubaki Nakashima from about 47% to 2.4%.
L Catterton Asia backs Korean eyewear brand
L Catterton Asia has led a consortium including Groupe Arnault - the family office of LVMH founder Bernard Arnault, which is one of the firm's LPs - to purchase a stake in Gentle Monster, a South Korean sunglasses and eyewear brand.
Jafco leads $14.8m investment in Japan's Tech Bureau
Tech Bureau, a Japan-based cryptocurrency exchange platform operator, has received JPY1.6 billion ($14.8 million) in Series B funding led by domestic venture capital firm Jafco.
GPs must be selective in targeting Korea divestments – AVCJ Forum
Korea's push for chaebol reform is expected to create more PE investment opportunities as conglomerates are pressured to divest assets, but GPs told the AVCJ Korea Forum that they have to be careful in picking the right deals because asset quality varies.
Deal focus: Lock & Lock primed for regional expansion
Affinity Equity Partners is betting on Asian appetites for high-quality food containers in its acquisition of South Korea's Lock & Lock
GP-LP: Dangerous liaisons
A diverging supply-demand dynamic in private equity fundraising is threatening the GP-LP alignment of interest. Concessions on both sides are needed in the interests of long-term stability