North Asia
UOB, Orix commit $50m to Vietnam hydropower player
Singapore’s UOB Venture Management (UOBVM) and Japanese financial group Orix Corp. plan to invest $50 million in Bitexco Power Corporation, the largest privately-owned hydropower company in Vietnam.
Korean LPs prioritize yield-generating alternatives - AVCJ Forum
Korean institutional investors are raising their allocations to alternative assets, but a need for yield means they favor assets like private debt and infrastructure over private equity.
Deal focus: Goldman, EastBridge cook up expansion plan
After attempts to grow cross-border struggled, the founder of Korean cookware manufacturer Happycall opted to bring in EastBridge Partners and Goldman Sachs' capital and expertise
KKR's China private equity heads to spin out
David Liu, co-head of Asia private equity and head of China at KKR, and Julian Wolhardt, the regional leader of China, will leave the firm at the end of this year to raise a China-focused fund.
Size matters: Korea's heavily contested buyouts
Korea has delivered some of Asia's biggest private equity buyout opportunities, but the scarcity of these deals means processes are highly competitive and assets are richly priced
Q&A: VIG Partners' Jason Shin
Jason Shin, managing partner at VIG Partners, explains why GPs are gravitating towards the consumer space in Korea, and why company founders are increasingly willing to do business with private equity
Korea exits: Seller central
Foreign buyers and restless chaebols could help deliver more exit opportunities for private equity firms in Korea – provided it is the right asset, at the right price, at the right time
Japan's INCJ invests $7m in domestic materials group
Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) has committed to invest up to JPY700 million ($7 million) in a fresh round of funding for domestic industrial materials specialist Nakayama Amorphous.
Cross-border consumer: The Korean wave
Driven by the popularity of music, TV dramas and beauty products, Korea’s cultural cachet has never been stronger. PE and strategic investors want to monetize the phenomenon, for as long as it lasts
Korea VC: Leaps of faith
Korean e-commerce start-ups have seen breakthroughs in fundraising over the last few years, but investors are already concerned about the future of the industry
Aspirant Group to acquire Japan's Sagami
Japanese private equity firm Aspirant Group has committed to a JPY1.2 billion ($12.3 million) investment to take a 54% stake in Tokyo-listed kimono retailer Sagami.
Japan's VC-backed Anydoor acquired by Rosetta
Anydoor, which operates Japanese crowdsourced translation platform Conyac, will be acquired by Tokyo-listed translation services business Rosetta in a cash-plus-stock deal.
Korean strategics confirm interest in PE-owned Tongyang Magic
SK Networks and Unid have both expressed an interest in Tongyang Magic, a South Korean consumer appliances manufacturer put up for sale by Glenwood Private Equity and NH Private Equity.
Korean online beauty retailer Memebox raises $66m
Memebox, an e-commerce company that sells Korean beauty products, has raised $65.95 million in Series C funding led by Formation Group, an Asia-focused VC firm launched by Formation 8 co-founder Brian Koo.
Japan analytics player Abeja raises $2m
Japanese corporate analytics platform Abeja has raised JPY200 million ($2 million) in Series B funding from PNB Inspire Partners, a domestic investor aimed at helping companies expand into Southeast Asia and Islamic countries.
Korean brokerage wins license to launch PE arm
South Korean brokerage NH Investment & Securities has been awarded a license to launch a private equity investment unit.
Fidelity, DBJ lead $20m round for Japan's Raksul
Fidelity Investments and the Development Bank of Japan (DBJ) have led a JPY2.1 billion ($20.3 million) round of funding for Japanese online printing start-up Raksul.
Deal focus: VCs back Japan’s fintech underdog
As Japan's traditional financial institutions take time to address demand for online payment services, start-ups are trying to corner the market. Exchange Corporation's Series B round is intended to make sure it is one of them
Marubeni-owned iSigma buys Japan's Kyosemi
ISigma, a mid-size buyout firm controlled by Japanese trading and investment conglomerate Marubeni, has acquired domestic semiconductor equipment manufacturer Kyosemi Corporation.
MPM Capital forms VC fund with Japan's Astellas Pharma
MPM Capital, a US venture firm focused on early-stage life science companies, has launched a new investment vehicle in partnership with Japanese pharmaceutical company Astellas Pharma.
Japan Industrial Partners buys Narumiya from SBI
Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) has acquired children’s clothing retailer Narumiya International from SBI Holdings for an undisclosed sum.
Green House, WiL partner on $52m India fund
India's Green House Ventures (GHV) Accelerator will partner with Japan and US-based early-stage investor World Innovation Labs (WiL) to launch a INR3.5 billion ($52 million) fund for investments in Indian start-ups.
WiL leads $10.6m round for Japan's Retty
World Innovation Lab (WiL) has led a JPY1.1 billion ($10.6 million) investment in Japanese social media-oriented restaurant guide operator Retty.
Deal Focus: L Capital taps Korea’s cultural clout
Clio Cosmetics hopes to leverage Korea's entertainment appeal throughout Asia