North Asia
Jafco buys back $577m in shares from investors
Japanese venture capital firm Jafco has agreed to buy back JPY63.8 billion ($577.4 million) worth of shares from its major shareholders, including Nomura Holdings.
China First Capital to acquire Korean online education platform
Hong Kong-listed investment group China First Capital plans to acquire 54% of SJW International, a Korea-based online video English training platform, for about $135 million.
J-Star completes Japanese veterinary bolt-on
J-star has acquired Japanese veterinary chain VIS Corporation for an undisclosed amount in a bolt-on to existing portfolio company JVCC.
KKR backs auto parts spin-out from Korea's LS Group
KKR has agreed to back automotive parts maker LS Automotive (LSA), a spin-out from Korean conglomerate LS Group, and to acquire the copper foil and flexible copper clad laminate business of LS Group affiliate LS Mtron.
Korea's SK invests $334m in PE-backed e-Shang Redwood
Korean conglomerate SK Group has agreed to invest KRW372 billion ($334 million) in pan-Asian logistics player e-Shang Redwood (ESR), valuing the private equity-backed business at approximately $2.8 billion.
Japan's Marubeni buys beef supplier from US GP
Japanese conglomerate Marubeni Corp. has acquired Creekstone Farms Premium Beef, a US-based supplier of beef and pork products, from Sun Capital Partners.
Bain to make partial exit from Japanese mushroom producer
Bain Capital Private Equity has agreed to sell a 49% in Yukiguni Maitake, a Japanese mushroom producer, to domestic food company Shinmei. The size of the transaction was not disclosed.
Asian club deals: Big ambitions
A resurgence in club deal activity has proven symptomatic of the evolution of Asia's private equity buyout market. But while the structure and the nature of deals has changed, the underlying rationale remains fixed
Korea's NPS loses CIO
The CIO of South Korea’s National Pension Service (NPS) has submitted his resignation, seven months before the end of his two-year tenure.
IoT in Asia: Things to come
A number of political factors have positioned Asia Pacific to be a global leader in internet-of-things development. Investors must now navigate an unwieldy field of technologies, markets and social drivers
J-Star exits Japanese document scanning business to Orix
Mid-market private equity firm J-Star has exited its entire holding in Japanese document scanning company Primagest to local financial services conglomerate Orix Corporation.
Baring Asia completes Joyful Honda exit, secures 45% IRR
Baring Private Equity Asia has completed its exit from Japanese home improvement center operator Joyful Honda – the first joint investment by the firm’s private equity and real estate funds – generating a gross IRR of around 45%.
Japan's Floadia closes $14m Series B
Floadia, a Japan-based company specializing in microchip memory technology, has closed a JPY1.6 billion ($14.1 million) Series B fund round from a number of Taiwanese, Japanese and US venture capital firms.
French VC joins $13m round for Japanese biopharma player
France-based venture capital firm Seventure Partners has joined a $13.1 million funding round for Japanese biopharmaceuticals development company Anaeropharma Science.
Liberty House beats Korean PE consortium to Arrium deal
A group led by UK-based industrials and metals group Liberty House has agreed to acquire distressed Australian mining giant Arrium, beating out a private equity-backed Korean consortium.
VIG pays $127m for majority stake in Korean skincare player
VIG Partners has agreed to buy a 73% stake in Press & Converting, a Korea-based manufacturer of facial masks primarily used for skincare, in a deal worth KRW146 billion ($127 million).
TPG leads $437 million investment in Kakao's ride-hailing business
A TPG Capital-led consortium has agreed to invest KRW500 billion ($437.5 million) in a transportation-focused spin-out of South Korean internet services company Kakao Corp.
Japanese LPs: Building consensus
Japanese institutional investors are taking their time with decisions about launching alternative investment programs. Strong support from internal stakeholders is a key consideration
Korean GP buys majority stake in Vietnam’s VNPT ePay
UTC Investment, a private equity firm backed by South Korean food producer Daesang Corporation, has finalized its acquisition of a 65% stake in VNPT ePay, the electronic payment arm of Vietnam’s VMG Media.
Western Digital, KKR resubmit bid for Toshiba memory unit
Western Digital and KKR have resubmitted an offer for Toshiba’s Nand flash memory business, despite the Japanese conglomerate last week naming a consortium featuring Bain Capital as the preferred bidder in the JPY2 trillion ($18 billion) deal.
KVIC, US tech player launch Korea VC fund
Government-back fund-of-funds Korea Venture Investment Corporation (KVIC) and Applied Ventures, the VC arm of US-listed technology developer Applied Materials, have jointly launched a fund focused on Korea start-ups.
Japanese LPs' PE programs slowed by internal resistance - AVCJ Forum
Japanese institutional investors are increasingly interested in private equity, but investment programs are often slow to get off the ground due to an innate aversion to risk among internal stakeholders.
Japan buyout investors must consider post-deal positioning - AVCJ Forum
Private equity deal flow is increasing in Japan’s middle market, but buyers should be mindful that their responsibilities to sellers stretch well into the post-investment period, industry participants told the AVCJ Japan Forum.
Japan's Softbank invests $100m in Cybereason
SoftBank Corp. has agreed to invest $100 million in a Series D funding round for Cybereason, a US-headquartered cybersecurity platform provider targeting expansion in Japan.