North Asia
JAIC, Nippon Venture lead Series D for Regimmune
Japan Asian Investment Corporation (JAIC) and Nippon Venture Capital have together led a $9.2 million Series D round of investment in Tokyo-based biotech firm Regimmune Corporation.
Japan's Digital Garage leads $10m round for Betaworks
Japanese incubator Digital Garage (DG) has invested $10 million in Betaworks, a New York-based early-stage tech investor. DG contributed $7.5 million to the round with the balance coming from a group of angel investors.
IMM set to buy Hyundai Merchant Marine's LNG business
IMM Private Equity has been selected as the preferred bidder for Hyundai Merchant Marine’s (HMM) liquefied natural gas (LNG) business in a deal worth KRW1.1 trillion ($1 billion). The announcement comes a few weeks after fellow South Korean GP Hahn...
Japanese corporates, VCs back Indonesian e-commerce site
500 Startups and existing investors Gree Ventures have together invested in Bukalapak, an Indonesian e-commerce marketplace, alongside two Japanese strategic investors: price comparison site Aucfan.com and digital marketing firm IREP.
INCJ picks up stake in robotic hand maker
State-backed Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) has acquired a 20% stake in Squse - a Kyoto-based company that makes robotic hands - for JPY500 million ($4.9 million). INCJ joins existing investors Amazon and Google.
Jafco-backed Eleven Bio raises $50m in NASDAQ IPO
Eleven Biotherapeutics, a US biopharma company firm backed by Japan’s Jafco Ventures, has raised $50 million through its NASDAQ IPO – short of the $69 million initially sought.
Portfolio: STIC Investments and Access Bio
STIC Investments backed Access Bio when the Korean-led malaria testing technology player wanted to buy key components and expand output. Now KOSDAQ-listed, the company has its eye on specialty diagnostics
Execution issues
Another week, another divestment by a Japanese conglomerate. This time it was Sony, which agreed to sell its personal computer business to Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) in a deal thought to be worth JPY40-50 billion ($394-493 million).
Japan's Mitsui, RDIF invest in Russia-based Cotton Way
Japan's Mitsui & Co has teamed up with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) to invest in Cotton Way, a commercial laundry and textile management company based in Moscow. The financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
Japan photo sharing app developer raises $1.5m
CyberAgent Ventures, TBS Innovation Partners, Incubate Fund, and Golden Gate Ventures have together invested JPY150 million ($1.47 million) in Cinnamon, the start-up behind the photo sharing app Seconds.
Cerberus completes Kokusai Kogyo exit - report
Cerberus Capital Management has reportedly completed the sale of its stake in Japanese property operator Kokusai Kogyo for about JPY140 million ($1.37 billion).
Sony agrees to sell Vaio PC unit to JIP
Sony has confirmed that it plans to sell its loss-making Vaio PC division to Tokyo-based mid-market buyout shop Japan Industrial Partners (JIP). Financial details have not been disclosed but previous estimates valued the deal at around JPY40-50 billion...
VCs commit $14.3m to Japan online printing start-up
A consortium of Japanese venture capital investors including Global Brain, World Innovation Lab (WiL), Itochu Technology Ventures and GMO Ventures have invested JPY1.45 billion ($14.3 million) in Raksul, a Tokyo-based start-up providing online printing...
Globis, Gree invest in Japan crowd-sourced editing platform
Globis Capital Partners and Gree Ventures have together invested JPY300 million ($2.9 million) in Viibar, the Japanese start-up behind the video production-focused crowd sourcing platform of the same name.
JIP in talks to buy Sony’s PC business – report
Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) is said to be in talks with Sony Corp. over the tech conglomerate’s loss-making personal computer division. It would be one of the country’s highest-profile corporate divestments and part of a business reorientation...
Equis, Partners Group bet on Japanese solar
Japan's rapid embrace of renewable energy in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster has alerted PE investors. In the last 12 months, Macquarie Capital and local engineering firm Maeda Corp. launched a joint venture that will target infrastructure...
LP interview: Axiom Asia
Axiom Asia has followed a consistent approach in backing small to mid-market country funds in the Asia Pacific region. Chihtsung Lam, the firm’s co-founder and managing partner, explains the strategy
Equis, Partners Group invest $250m in Japan solar platform
Equis Funds Group and Partners Group have led a $250 million equity investment in a dedicated Japanese solar platform to be operated by Nippon Renewable Energy (NRE). For both groups, it represents a first foray into Japanese infrastructure and a solar...
Japan's Venture United raises $11m fund
Venture United - the corporate investment arm of Japanese media group United - has raised a new JPY1.26 billion yen ($11 million) fund focusing on internet-related start-ups.
CyberAgent Ventures backs Japan language learning site
CyberAgent Ventures, the corporate VC arm of the company behind Japanese blogging site Ameba, has invested an undisclosed amount in language learning platform Lang-8.
Partners Group, Mizuho target Japanese pension funds
Partners Group has reached a deal with Mizuho Financial Group (MFG) to jointly develop and distribute global private equity and infrastructure products to Japanese pension schemes.
Japanese VCs invest $4m in social retail app developer
Mitsubishi UFJ Capital and DBJ Capital have joined existing investors DCM Japan, Itochu Technology Ventures and Jafco Ventures, in a JPY400 million ($3.8 million) round of funding for Tokyo-based Tab, the start-up behind the location-based retail recommendation...
Profile: Globis Capital Partners' Yoshito Hori
From bust to boom, Yoshito Hori, CEO and founder of Globis Capital Management, has spent 20 years investing in Japanese VC - a story that is as much about education as it is capital
KKR, Affinity in Asia's largest-ever trade sale
Anheuser-Busch InBev's $5.8 billion buyback of South Korea's Oriental Brewery from KKR and Affinity Equity Partners is best viewed in the context of extenuating circumstances in which the original investment was made in July 2009.