North Asia
Marunouchi exits Japan supermarket chain to Lawson for $501m
Marunouchi Capital - the private equity arm of Mitsubishi Corp - has exited Japanese high-end supermarket chain Seijo Ishii to convenience store operator Lawson for JPY55 billion ($501 million) including debt.
Gree Ventures backs Philippines payments business
Gree Ventures has participated in a Series C round of funding for Philippines-based digital payments business Ayannah. Wavemaker Labs, Golden Gate Ventures, IMJ Investment Partners and Beenos Asia also participated.
J-Star seals first secondary exit
Japan has seen 61 private equity secondary exits since 2011 – more than the combined total for the 10 years before that. This surge in activity can largely be traced back to buyouts from the years leading up the global financial crisis. Investors want...
Japan's J-Star sees 8x return with first secondary exit
Japanese investor J-Star has exited Burn Holdings, a local repair business that primarily serves property developers, to Shinsei Corporate Investment and Creation Capital. The gross return multiple is said to be 8x.
Pavilion, Recruit provide Series B2 for Japan's Freee
Temasek Holdings-owned Pavilion Capital and Recruit Strategic Partners, the VC arm of Recruit Holdings, have led a Series B2 round of funding worth $6 million for Freee, a Tokyo-based provider of automated online accounting software.
Korea's KIC more than doubles PE exposure in 2013
Korea Investment Corporation’s (KIC) private equity investments more than doubled in size to $2.6 billion over the course of 2013 as total assets increased 27% year-on-year to reach $72 billion.
KKR restructures Asia leadership team
David Liu and Ming Lu have been appointed co-heads of Asia private equity at KKR as several members of the firm’s leadership team across the region assume additional responsibilities. Joe Bae remains head of KKR Asia and chairman of the regional investment...
Standard Chartered PE backs garlic-themed restaurant in Korea
Standard Chartered Private Equity (SCPE) has led a $48 million joint investment in Mad for Garlic, a Korea-based Italian restaurant chain that has expanded into Southeast Asia.
Profile: Advantage Partners' Richard Folsom
For the past 30 years Advantage Partners co-founder Richard Folsom has enjoyed a front-row seat on the inner workings Japan's corporate world - here he shares his insights.
Altos Ventures reaches $60m close on South Korea fund
Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm Altos Ventures has reached a final close on its debut South Korea-focused fund at a hard cap of $60 million after eight months in the market.
Japan learning platform Mana.bo raises $3m Series A round
Nissay Capital and Mitsubishi UFJ Capital have joined Japanese education firm Benesse in investing JPY330 million ($3 million) in online learning platform Mana.bo.
Korea's SMBA to form VC fund with DFJ, Walden
Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ) and Walden International have agreed to set up a $150 million venture capital fund with South Korea’s Small and Medium Business Administration (SMBA).
Crowdfunding: Herd dynamics
More start-ups are tapping crowdfunding platforms for capital. How well prepared are Asian markets to accommodate the phenomenon and what does its emergence mean for venture capital investors?
KKR to buy majority stake in Japanese DJ equipment business
KKR has agreed to buy Japanese electronics manufacturer Pioneer Corporation’s DJ equipment division for around JPY59 billion ($551 million). Pioneer will retain a minority interest in the business.
Baring Asia drops out of Japan electronics deal
Baring Private Equity Asia has abandoned plans to acquire the audio-video operations of Japanese car electronics maker Pioneer Corp - alongside the company's rival Onkyo Corp - three months after reaching a basic agreement.
SCPE, Tiger Group invest $95m in chemical tanking venture
Standard Chartered Private Equity (SCPE) and specialist maritime investor Tiger Group Investments have agreed to commit $95 million to Greathorse Chemical, which owns and operates a fleet of chemical tanker vessels.
NPS, Macquarie-backed Megabox goes on sale
Megabox, the South Korean movie theatre chain 50% owned by a consortium including the Korean National Pension Service (NPS) and Macquarie Group, is being sold at auction.
Permira-owned Arysta LifeScience files for US IPO
Arysta LifeScience, the Permira-owned Japanese agricultural chemical maker, has filed for its US IPO with a view to raising as much as $500 million.
Japan's Relux raises $3.1m from Recruit Holdings, others
Japanese luxury hotel booking site Relux has raised JPY330 million ($3.1 million) from Recruit Holdings and other undisclosed investors.
Unison holds $428m first close on Fund IV, eyes $714m
Unison Capital has reached a first close on its latest Japan buyout vehicle - Unison Capital Partners IV(F) - of JPY45 billion ($428 million), with the fund expecting a final close of JPY75 billion.
UOB, Orix launch $200m SE Asia-focused mezz fund
Singapore-based United Overseas Bank Limited (UOB) and Japan's ORIX Corp. (ORIX) have launched a mezzanine fund providing expansion capital to mid-sized companies in Southeast Asia.
VCs take part in $2.1m round for Japan's Innova
Nippon Venture Capital, Draper Nexus and strategic investor Salesforce.com have together invested JPY220 million ($2.1 million) on Tokyo-based search engine optimization (SEO) and content marketing agency Innova.
Tencent invests $20m in Korea's PATI Games
China’s Tencent Holdings has invested KRW20 billion ($20 million) in Korean mobile game developer PATI Games.
Japanese mobility firm Whill closes $11m Series A round
The government-backed Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) has led an $11 million Series A round for Whill, a Japanese startup which has designed a type of electronic mobility chair.