Japan
Japan's Hiroshima Venture launches start-up, SME fund
Japan’s Hiroshima Venture Capital has established a JPY1 billion ($9.3 million) fund that will invest in local start-ups and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Deal focus: Integral discovers booming cosmetics niche
Now under private equity ownership, T-Garden is credited with pioneering fashion model-led contact lens marketing in Japan - and helping an often-overlooked market creep into the mainstream
Japan's Coral launches $25m growth fund
Coral Capital, formerly known as 500 Startups Japan, has set up a JPY2.7 billion ($25 million) growth fund to help top-performing portfolio companies navigate the COVID-19 downturn.
Japan's Paidy tops up Series C round
Japanese payments start-up Paidy has topped up its Series C round with an additional commitment from Itochu Corporation. It brings the company's total capital raised to date to $281 million.
HarbourVest hires Japan Post Insurance's alternatives head
Tadasu Matsuo, head of alternative investments at Japan Post Insurance (JPI), has joined HarbourVest Partners as a managing director where he will co-lead Japan coverage alongside Tatsuya Kubo.
L Catterton backs Japan cosmetics brand Etvos
Consumer-focused private equity firm L Catterton Asia has confirmed a significant investment of undisclosed size in Japanese cosmetics brand Etvos.
Japan's GPIF names ex-Goldman executive as CIO
Eiji Ueda, formerly co-head of securities for Goldman Sachs in Asia Pacific, has replaced Hiromichi Mizuno as CIO of Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF).
KKR hires BAML executive in Japan
KKR has recruited Hidekazu Harada, previously co-head of Japan investment banking at Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BAML), as a managing director for its private equity team in Tokyo.
Japan mobile banking player gets $45m Series C
Kyash, a Tokyo-based mobile banking start-up, has received $45 million in Series C funding led by Greenspring Associates and Goodwater Capital.
Fund focus: Carlyle stokes Japan bullishness
Expecting to see a surge in deal flow driven by divestments and succession planning situations, The Carlyle Group has bulked up to $2.3 billion for its latest Japan fund
Japanese AI edge developer secures Series B funding
AISing, a Japan-based developer of edge artificial intelligence (AI) technology used in industrial robots and self-driving cars, has raised JPY700 million ($6.5 million) in Series B funding.
Carlyle raises $2.3b for fourth Japan buyout fund
The Carlyle Group has raised JPY258 billion ($2.3 billion) for its fourth Japan buyout fund. The vehicle is more than twice the size of its predecessor, which closed at JPY119.5 billion in 2015.
Deal focus: UTEC positions Tricog for Japan expansion
University of Tokyo Edge Capital built an unusual bridge between the start-up worlds of Japan and India when backed Tricog's artificial intelligence-enabled healthcare solution
Japan's Jafco closes sixth flagship VC fund at $765m
Jafco, Japan’s largest venture capital investor, has confirmed a final close on its sixth flagship fund at the hard cap of JPY80 billion ($765 million).
Coronavirus in Asia: Ongoing analysis
Coronavirus concerns among GPs not solely focused on China vary based on their direct or indirect exposure to China, but gauging private equity responses to the crisis is like chasing a moving target
Fund focus: I-nest targets lifestyle technologies
Rather than addressing the healthcare opportunities created by Japan's changing demographic base, I-nest Capital is focusing on lifestyle and entertainment needs of an aging population
Japan Post Capital joins $26m round for Singapore's AnyMind
Japan Post Capital and Sparx Group have provided $26.4 million in funding to AnyMind, a Singapore-based marketing technology start-up focused on entertainment.
KKR to exit Japan's Pioneer DJ
KKR has agreed to sell its majority stake in AlphaTheta Corporation, a Japanese DJ equipment manufacturer previously known as Pioneer DJ, to domestic photo processing equipment producer Noritsu Koki for JPY35 billion ($324 million). The deal is worth...
Carlyle to sell Japanese food business Meisui Bijin
The Carlyle Group has agreed to sell full ownership of the maker of Meisui Bijin, a Japanese brand of bean sprouts, to food-focused Shinmei Holdings for an undisclosed sum.
Japan's I-nest Capital raises $60m for debut VC fund
I-nest Capital, a Japanese VC firm set up last year by former Mizuho Financial Group employees, has raised JPY6.6 billion ($60 million) for its debut fund. The target was JPY6 billion.
Japanese investors commit $856m to Grab
Singapore-based ride-hailing and online-to-offline (O2O) services platform Grab has raised $856 million from Japan’s Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) and TIS Intec Group.
Deal focus: Carlyle sells its golden goose
Having prioritized Asian expansion and high-end direct retail operations, Carlyle completed its exit from European sneaker brand Golden Goose with a more than 3x return
Globis backs two Japan marketing services companies
Japan’s Globis Capital Partners has invested in two marketing services providers in separate transactions, including web conferencing player BellFace and data-focused Flywheel.
Japan's Endeavor United secures two industrials deals
Endeavour United, a Japanese private equity firm established by the team behind turnaround investor Phoenix Capital, has completed two acquisitions in the packaging and chemicals industries.