Japan
Asia deal financing: A selective market
Regional buyout activity is weak but leveraged loans are available for the right kind of target – in Japan, Korea, Australia, and beyond – and with a suitably customised structure
Aspirant exits Japanese fish retailer to local strategic
Japanese middle market private equity firm Aspirant Group has sold Yamato, a local seafood company with interests stretching from fish wholesaling to conveyor belt sushi restaurants, to kitchen-wear supplier Tenpos HD.
Asia-based football investment platform backs England's Charlton Athletic
ACA Football Partners (ACAFP), an investment platform established by professionals from Singapore-based ACA Investments, is part of a consortium that has acquired English football club Charlton Athletic.
Japanese power producer Jera launches $300m VC unit
Japanese power producer and utility Jera has launched a USD 300m venture capital programme aimed at sustainability-themed technology start-ups and related funds.
Strategic co-investors commit to JIP's mega Toshiba buyout
Rohm Semiconductor and Niterra, component suppliers to the semiconductor and automotive industries, respectively, have confirmed their participation in the Japan Industrial Partners-led (JIP) JPY 2trn (USD 15.3bn) tender offer for Toshiba Corporation.
Japan's Angel Bridge closes third fund on $72m
Japanese early-stage investor Angel Bridge has closed its third fund with JPY 10bn (USD 72m) in commitments from local investors.
Deal focus: Telexistence’s nimble robots target retail, logistics
Japan’s Telexistence appears to be on the cusp of a significant milestone in retail automation. Local logistics tech investor Monoful is hoping to take that promise to the warehouse
2Q analysis: Still scrambling
State-supported deals prop up Asia private equity investment; GPs hustle for liquidity in an unforgiving exit landscape; ex-China mid-market players gain some traction in fundraising
Japan's 01Booster Capital closes debut fund
01Booster Capital, a Japanese accelerator and VC investor set up in 2012, has closed its debut fund at an undeclared size. It was launched in late 2021.
Japan's JST builds $451m alternatives portfolio in debut year
University endowment Japan Science & Technology Agency (JST) put JPY 9.96trn (USD 69.7bn) to work in its first 12 months in operation, with JPY 64.3bn going into alternatives.
Japan's Telexistence gets $170m Series B
Japanese connected robotics start-up Telexistence has raised USD 170m in Series B funding featuring SoftBank Group, Foxconn, Airbus, and Globis Capital Partners.
Japanese GPs maintain strong investment pace - AVCJ Forum
Deployment remains robust in Japan’s mid-cap space with private equity firms continuing to see plentiful opportunities in carve-outs and founder-succession situations, the AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum Japan 2023 heard.
Carlyle seeks up to $2.8bn for Japan fund
The Carlyle Group is looking to raise as much as JPY 400bn (USD 2.8bn) for its fifth Japan fund, a 55% increase on the previous vintage, in a move that underscores robust investor sentiment on the market.
Japan procurement marketplace secures $89m Series C
Six Japanese venture capital firms have led a Series C round of USD 89m for Caddi, operator of a B2B procurement marketplace that services the manufacturing sector.
Japan VC draws global attention - AVCJ Forum
Japan’s venture capital market is attracting increased international attention by virtue of its relatively stable returns and a start-up-friendly policy regime, investors told the AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum Japan 2023.
Japan M&A: Go digital, go global
Panasonic moved from hardware to software with the acquisition of Blue Yonder, a path that other Japanese corporates are expected to follow. PE investors can sell to them or work with them
Japan's Abies Ventures seeks $69m for Fund II, courts foreign LPs
Japanese deep-tech investor Abies Ventures has set a JPY 10bn (USD 69m) target for its second fund and is looking to tap international investors for the first time.
Global dealmakers highlight private credit, continuation funds – AVCJ Forum
Private credit and secondary continuation funds have emerged as popular themes globally as high interest rates, geopolitical tensions, and macro uncertainty persist, GPs told the AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum Japan 2023.
Japan's Terra Motors raises $28m
Japanese electric vehicle (EV) start-up Terra Motors has raised JPY 40bn (USD 28m) in Series C funding featuring Silicon Valley-based Pegasus Tech Ventures.
Japan SME fintech player raises $17m
Japan’s Olta, a financial technology provider for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has raised JPY 2.5bn (USD 17.6m) in Series B funding featuring SBI Investment, Spiral Capital, and DG Ventures.