North Asia
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.
Korea's NPS appoints new CIO
The National Pension Service of Korea (NPS) has named Myun-Wook Kang, formerly CEO of Meritz Asset Management, as its new chief investment officer.
KKR to support European solar player's Japan expansion plans
KKR has acquired a majority stake in Gestamp Solar, a Spain-based developer and operator of solar plants that is looking to expand its business in Japan. The deal values the business at approximately $1 billion.
Alibaba acquires 4% stake in Korea's SM Entertainment
Chinese internet giant Alibaba Group has acquired a 4% stake in S.M. Entertainment, a South Korean music agency, for KRW35.5 billion ($29.8 million).
IMJ targets $53m for Japan venture fund
Singapore-based IMJ Investment Partners has raised JPY2 billion ($17.7 million) for a venture capital fund that will back start-ups in Japan. The full target is JPY6 billion.
J-Star targets buyout of JASDAQ-listed drugstore chain
J-Star has launched a tender offer for drugstore chain Aisei Pharmacy that values the JASDAQ-listed company at approximately JPY12.7 billion ($112.5 million). This is the private equity firm’s first-ever tender offer.
Japan's SBI to lead Series B for US bitcoin exchange Kraken
SBI Investment, the VC arm of Japan's SBI Holdings, has agreed to lead a Series B round for US-based bitcoin exchange Kraken.
Japan Post Bank prepares for PE investment
Japan Post Bank plans to start making commitments to private equity funds in the first half of this year, according to Katsunori Sago, the bank’s vice president in charge of asset management.
Q&A: KKR's David Liu and Ming Lu
David Liu and Ming Lu, who head up KKR’s private equity operations in Asia, discuss dislocation in China and its neighboring markets, engineering cross-border deal flow, and how GPs can differentiate themselves
MBK named preferred bidder for Doosan Infracore unit
MBK Partners has been chosen as the preferred bidder for the machine tools division of South Korean conglomerate Doosan Infracore, replacing Standard Chartered Private Equity (SCPE).
Corstone closes $124m Korea fund
US-based private equity firm Corstone Capital has closed a South Korea-focused fund at KRW150 billion ($124 million).
Rakuten launches $84m Japan venture fund
Rakuten Ventures, the corporate VC arm of Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten, has launched a JPY10 billion ($84 million) fund targeting start-ups in Japan.
Nissay commits $1.7m to Japan's Oneteam
Nissay Capital has invested $1.7 million in Series A funding in Japanese workplace chat app Oneteam.