North Asia
Altos closes second Korea VC fund at $110m
US-based venture capital firm Altos Ventures has closed its second Korean Opportunity Fund (KOF) at the hard cap of $110 million.
Baring, Glenwood to buy LafargeHolcim's Korea business
Baring Private Equity Asia has agreed to buy LafargeHolcim’s Korea-based cement business in a joint deal with local GP Glenwood Private Equity worth approximately KRW560 million ($482 million).
US PE firm leads $41m round for Japan's Takeda
US-based GP Frazier Healthcare Partners is leading a $41 million Series A round for Japanese medical research and development company Takeda Pharmaceutical.
Polaris acquires Japanese power sector supplier
Polaris Capital has acquired Japanese power generation equipment and services company Yodogawa Transformer with a view to leveraging increased electricity demand related to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
VC-backed Gunosy commits $5m to Indonesia's Kurio
Gunosy, a listed Japanese news app backed by VC firms Jafco and B Dash Ventures, has committed IDR67 billion ($5 million) to Kurio, a similar company based in Indonesia.
Japan hiking app provider Yamap raises $1.5m
Japan-based Hiking app provider Yamap has raised JPY170 million ($1.5 million) in a Series A funding round led by mobile gaming services company Colopl.
Korea's POBA to double offshore PE allocation
South Korea’s Public Officials Benefit Association (POBA) plans to double its allocation to offshore private equity funds this year to $200 million.
Japan design firm Goodpatch raises $3.5m
Goodpatch, a Japan-based user interface design company that focuses on digital products, has received a Series A round of funding worth JPY400 million ($3.5 million).
Carlyle buys Japanese software group WingArc1st
The Carlyle Group has agreed to take a 100% stake in Japanese enterprise output management (EOM) and business intelligence (BI) software provider WingArc1st.
Carlyle invests in Japan's GGC Group
The Carlyle Group will support overseas expansion efforts for western Japan’s biggest bean sprout manufacturer, GGC Group, through a strategic business and capital alliance.
Q&A: L Capital Asia's Ravi Thakran
Following the announcement of L Capital's merger with Catterton, Ravi Thakran, managing partner and chairman of L Capital Asia, discusses the implications of the deal and shares his views on the investment climate
Japan e-commerce: Shopping for fun
Mercari has become Japan’s first unicorn on the back of an innovative approach to e-commerce. Can the company blaze a trail for others to follow by replicating its domestic success overseas?
Japan's LifeRobotics raises $4.4m in Series A round
LifeRobotics, the developer of an industrial collaborative robot called Coro, has raised JPY500 million ($4.4 million) in Series A funding aimed at a marketing initiative and technological developments.
Jafco, Voyage in $2.6m round for Japan's Repro
Japanese mobile analytics provider Repro has raised JPY300 million ($2.6 million) for a US expansion from investors including Jafco and Voyage Ventures.
Hallyu Ventures invests $13.8m in Korean coffee house
Singapore’s Hallyu Ventures will acquire a 38% stake in South Korean coffee shop operator Caffe Bene for a cash consideration of KRW16.6 billion ($13.8 million).
Advantage acquires Japan's Ishii Sports
Advantage Partners has acquired Tokyo-based outdoor sports equipment retailer Ishii Sports.
Japan marketplace Mercari gets $74m Series D round
Japan’s Mitsui & Co has co-led a JPY8.4 billion ($74 million) Series D round of funding for smart phone peer-to-peer marketplace Mercari.
INCJ leads $35m investment in Singapore's Astroscale
Singapore-based satellite services and space technology company Astroscale has secured up to $35 million in funding from VC investors including Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) and Jafco.
Eight Roads leads $8m round for Japan's Port
Eight Roads Ventures Japan has led a JPY900 million ($7.9 million) round of funding for Tokyo-based online content developer Port.
Japan's Mitsui Fudosan launches VC fund with Global Brain
31 Ventures, a venture capital firm sponsored by Japanese property developer Mitsui Fudosan, has launched a JPY5 billion ($44 million) fund with Global Brain Corporation that will invest in start-ups globally.
VIG set for 2.5x return as Affinity agrees to buy Burger King Korea
VIG Partners – formerly known as Vogo Investment – has agreed to sell the Burger King master franchise for Korea to Affinity Equity Partners, securing an approximately 2.5x return on its investment.
GLP, CPPIB establish $877m Japan joint venture
The Japanese arm of Singapore-listed warehouse operator Global Logistics Properties (GLP) and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) have established a joint venture that will invest an initial JPY100 billion ($877 million) in local logistics projects....
South Korea's Yello Mobile raises $30m from SBI
Japanese internet finance group SBI Holdings has committed $30 million to Korean mobile internet platform Yello Mobile.
Korea's SEMA earmarks $125m for foreign PE funds
Korea Scientists & Engineers Mutual-aid Association (SEMA), which manages more than KRW3.6 trillion ($2.9 billion) in pension assets, plans to invest half of its KRW300 billion overseas allocation for 2016 in private equity.