North Asia
2016 in review: Uncertainty reigns
Infrastructure and late-stage technology among the few investment bright spots; renminbi vehicles dominate the fundraising landscape; public market instability undermines exit plans
Japan's Global Brain targets $174m for sixth fund
Japanese venture capital firm Global Brain has launched its sixth fund, targeting JPY20 billion ($174 million), which will be deployed in domestic technology companies.
Two Korean strategics confirm bids for PE-owned Daesung
South Korean conglomerates Hyosung Corporation and SK Group have both entered the bidding for Daesung Industrial Gases, an industrial gas maker controlled by a Goldman Sachs-led consortium.
Japan's Polaris agrees sale of SWP to Isetan Mitsukoshi
Polaris Capital has agreed to sell SWP Holdings, a Japanese salon and sports club operator it acquired in 2013, to department store group Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings (IMH) for an undisclosed sum.
KDDI to buy Biglobe from Japan Industrial Partners
Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) has agreed to sell Japanese internet service provider Biglobe to KDDI Group for approximately JPY80 billion ($699 million), nearly three years after it carved out the asset from NEC.
MBK closes fourth North Asia fund at $4.1b
MBK Partners has reached a first and final close on its fourth North Asia-focused buyout fund at $4.1 billion, a significant step up from the $2.7 billion it raised for Fund III.
Anchor-led group invests $107m in Korean mobile content platform
A consortium led by Anchor Equity Partners has committed KRW125 billion ($107 million) to Podotree, the mobile content platform of Korean internet giant Kakao.
INCJ to invest $45m in UK freeze-dried food company
Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) has committed up to $45 million as part of a joint acquisition of UK-based freeze-dried food manufacturer Chaucer Food.
Integral acquires majority stake in Tokyo-listed wig maker
Integral Corp. has acquired a majority interest in Aderans, a Japan-based provider of male and female wigs, for JPY17.1 billion ($150 million).
WiL leads $26m round for Japan cross-border e-commerce site
Inagora, a cross-border e-commerce platform that focuses on selling Japanese products, has completed a Series B round of funding worth $26 million led by World Innovation Lab (WiL), a US and Japan-based early-stage investor.
MBK submits tender offer for Tokyo-listed Accordia Golf
MBK Partners has submitted a tender offer for listed Japanese golf course operator Accordia Golf that values the business at approximately JPY102.5 billion ($912 million).
Draper Nexus raises $175m for US-Japan fund
US-Japan cross-border investment firm Draper Nexus Venture Partners has closed its second fund at $175 million.
Deal focus: Mitsui makes medical inroads
Having lost out to KKR when bidding for Panasonic Healthcare two years ago, Mitsui & Co. seized upon a second chance to get involved and offer the company access to its global network of medical assets
KKR to make $4.5b tender offer for Japanese auto parts manufacturer
KKR has agreed to buy Nissan Motor’s 41% holding in Japanese automotive components supplier Calsonic Kansei Corporation and launch a tender offer to acquire the company in full at a valuation of JPY498.3 billion ($4.5 billion).
Japan's LifeRobotics raises $9m Series B round
Japanese industrial robotics developer LifeRobotics has raised a JPY1 billion ($9 million) Series B round led by Global Brain.
Whiz Partners invests $22m in Japanese IT developer
Japan-based private equity firm Whiz Partners has agreed to invest JPY2.4 billion ($22 million) in Tokyo-listed software and marketing products developer Albert.
KKR sells stake in Japan's Panasonic Healthcare to Mitsui
KKR has sold a 22% stake in Panasonic Healthcare, a Japanese medical equipment manufacturer in which it acquired a majority interest in 2014, to Mitsui & Co. for JPY54.1 billion ($510 million).
Deal focus: Treasure Data helps businesses reach the cloud
Innovation Network Corporation of Japan ventured outside its domestic comfort zone to support Treasure Data, and thereby help Japanese corporates get to grips with big data
Japan's Seven Dreamers receives $60m Series B round
Seven Dreamers Laboratories, a Japan-based manufacturer of personal-use devices, has raised a $60 million Series B round of funding from Panasonic, SBI Investment and construction company Daiwa House Industry.
GPs see the Asia risk premium narrowing - AVCJ Forum
Private equity investors still expect a risk premium in Asia, although given uncertainty in Western markets and the relative stability in Asia’s more mature economies, it is debatable how long the status quo will last, industry participants told the...
Macquarie Capital invests $10m in Korea's Yello Mobile
Korean mobile internet platform Yello Mobile has issued $10 million in convertible bonds to Macquarie Capital. The investment values the business at approximately $4 billion.
IMM-backed consortium pays $2.1b for stake in Korea's Woori Bank
IMM Private Equity is one of seven investors that have acquired a combined 29.7% stake in Woori Bank, a Korean lender that has been under government control since 2001, for KRW2.4 trillion ($2.1 billion).
Asia’s LP landscape
Asia is increasingly a target for private equity firms on the fundraising trail, but the region’s LP base can be difficult to penetrate, with huge variations in size, appetite and sophistication
Japan's Future Venture Capital expands into US
Tokyo-listed VC firm Future Venture Capital (FVC) has entered the US market, establishing a presence in Fort Collins, Colorado.