Advantage Partners
Advantage acquires Japan kitchenware provider
Japanese mid-market GP Advantage Partners has acquired FMI Corp, an Osaka-based provider of kitchenware products and services.
Control deals cast light on Asia GPs' value creation credentials - AVCJ Forum
Private equity investors are seeing more control deals in emerging Asian markets traditionally dominated by growth capital, which in turn gives LPs greater visibility as to GPs’ operational capabilities.
Taiwan's CTBC gets approval to buy Tokyo Star Bank
CTBC Financial Holdings - formerly Chinatrust Financial Holdings - has received regulatory approval to buy Tokyo Star Bank from US private equity firm Lone Star and other creditors-turned-shareholders.
PE investors rue lost Japan carve-out opportunities
The lack of corporate carve-outs relative to the size of the opportunity in the space has been among the biggest disappointments for Japanese private equity, investors say.
Crystal ball: Predictions for 2014
From fundraising and secondaries to deal flow and exit strategies, private equity professionals from across the region give their perspective on the year to come
Advantage to exit Japan's Nissen for $22.8 million
Advantage Partners, the Japanese mid-market buyout firm, is to exit its stake in catalogue and web-based retailer Nissen Holdings to Seven & i Holdings, the Japanese parent of 7-Eleven and the Ito Yakado supermarket chain, for JPY2.36 billion ($22.8 million).
Taiwan's Chinatrust to buy Tokyo Star Bank for $530m
CTBC Financial, the parent company of Taiwan's Chinatrust Commercial Bank, is to buy a 98.16% stake in Tokyo Star Bank for JPY52 billion ($530 million) from US private equity firm Lone Star and other creditors-turned-shareholders. It will be the first...
KKR acquires Panasonic healthcare unit for $1.67b
KKR has agreed to acquire an 80% stake in Panasonic Healthcare, a unit of the Japanese electronics giant, for JPY165 billion ($1.67 billion) - the buyout firm's biggest deal in the country to date.
KKR leads race for Panasonic healthcare unit - report
KKR is said to have taken the lead in the bidding for a majority stake in Panasonic's healthcare unit - a potential $1.5 billion deal that would represent the firm's largest Japanese buyout to date.
Advantage to acquire Japan massage salon chain Riraku
Advantage Partners has agreed to buy Japanese massage salon chain Riraku for an undisclosed sum. The mid-market buyout firm is acquiring the business from the founder and CEO and other shareholders.
Japan's secondaries surge
Secondary deals in Japan spiked in 2011 as buyouts from before the global financial crisis found an exit. With the country's economic prospects improving, industry participants expect the flow to continue
Advantage Partners exits Japan's Kazaka Securities
Japanese mid-market buyout firm Advantage Partners has sold its stake in Kazaka Securities to Osaka-based Naito Securities. The financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
Japan's Advantage reaches final close on $200m bridge fund
Japanese mid-market buyout firm Advantage Partners has closed its latest fund, having reached the JPY20 billion ($200 million) hard cap after about five months in the market.
Taiwan’s Chinatrust buys Tokyo Star Bank – report
Chinatrust Commercial Bank, one of Taiwan’s largest commercial lenders, has reportedly agreed to buy Tokyo Star Bank for JPY52 billion ($519 million) from Lone Star and other creditors-turned-shareholders. It would be the first full buyout of a Japanese...
Caffeinated returns: Private equity's coffee shop craving
Private equity is already leveraging the growing popularity of coffee shops across Asia. But where is the next frontier – and is it all about the coffee?
Japan divestments still strong despite 'double-edged sword' of Abenomics
Corporate divestments continue to be a strong source of buyout deal flow in Japan, regardless of the impact of recently introduced economic reforms, according to Richard Folsom, co-founder and CEO of domestic GP Advantage Partners.
Q&A: Advantage Partners' Richard Folsom
Advantage Partners has experienced more than its fair share of Japan's highs and lows. Now as the country embarks on a new economic experiment, co-founder and CEO Richard Folsom shares his views on the state of PE
The Abe effect: Japan's economic reforms
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has unveiled aggressive economic reforms, sending the country's stock market up and its currency down. PE can benefit but longer-term change would be even more helpful
KKR eyes Panasonic healthcare unit - report
KKR is said to be among several investors showing interest as Panasonic looks to offload its healthcare unit.
Advantage sees 7x return on coffee chain deal
When Advantage Partenrs paid JPY15 billion ($146 million) for a 78% stake in Komeda Coffee in 2008, the chain was to a certain extent a victim of its own success. After more than 40 years of expansion the company had grown to around 300 stores and its...
Advantage Partners sells Komeda coffee shop chain to MBK
Advantage Partners has agreed to sell its controlling stake in Japanese coffee shop chain Komeda to MBK Partners.
Advantage Partners buys Sanyo’s camera business
Advantage Partners has acquired Sanyo Electric’s digital camera unit. Panasonic, which took control of its former competitor in 2009 in a JPY400 billion ($4.6 billion) acquisition, said it chose to do business with Advantage because of the private equity...
Advantage Partners in possible Sanyo acquisition - report
Panasonic may sell its Sanyo digital camera unit to Advantage Partners by the end of March.
Advantage Partners poised for Rex Holdings exit
Advantage Partners is preparing to exit a 66% holding in Japanese restaurant operator Rex Holdings to Colowide. Local media said the transaction, worth JPY13.7 billion ($175 million), would close as early as October.