Japan
Japan education: School run
PE and VC investors are increasingly active across the breadth of Japan’s education sector, armed with an evolving set of targeting criteria and growth strategies intended to exploit sweeping social changes
Japan secondary buyouts: Hand to hand
A series of recent lucrative exits by Japanese GPs have shown that secondary buyouts in the country can deliver
VCs commit $6.6m to Japan's Skydisc
Skydisc, a Japan-based company that provides hardware for internet-of-things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) applications, has raised JPY740 million ($6.6 million) from a group of VC firms, including existing backers Nissay Capital and Archetype...
Q&A: Hamilton Lane's Hartley Rogers
Hartley Rogers, chairman of Hamilton Lane, discusses how the global fundraising boom reflects a larger private equity investment opportunity and why LPs are honing their approaches to the asset class
Japan's NSSK closes Fund II at $530m
Japanese private equity firm NSSK has closed its second fund oversubscribed with JPY60 billion ($531 million) in commitments.
Bain launches $1.3b tender offer for Japanese ad agency
Bain Capital Private Equity has launched a tender offer for Japan-based advertising agency Asatsu-DK (ADK) that values the company at JPY151 billion ($1.3 billion).
Permira to complete exit from Japan's Sushiro with 2.9x return
Permira will realize a gross multiple of 2.9x on its investment in Sushiro Global Holdings – the sushi restaurant chain it took public in Tokyo earlier this year – having agreed to sell its remaining stake to the parent company of Genki Sushi.
Deal focus: Advantage kneads 12x return
Advantage Partners has sold Japanese massage chain Riraku back to one of the company's co-founders at a valuation of $300 million, having successfully executed its expansion strategy
Japan carve-outs: Slow burn story
Toshiba Memory Corporation is set to become Asia'a largest-ever PE buyout, if the deal goes through in its current form. But this doesn't necessarily mean the path to corporate divestments in Japan will become smoother
VCs invest $3.4m in Japan's Oneteam
Oneteam, a Japanese workplace chat app provider, has received a JPY380 million ($3.4 million) funding round from a group of venture investors, including existing backer Nissay Capital.
Advantage exits Japan massage chain in $300m sale
Advantage Partners has sold its majority stake in Japanese massage chain operator Riraku at a valuation of approximately $300 million, securing a 12x money multiple.
Toshiba agrees $18b sale of chip unit to Bain consortium
Japanese conglomerate Toshiba Corporation has reached a final agreement to sell its Nand flash memory unit to a consortium led by Bain Capital for JPY2 trillion ($17.8 billion).
Japan's Mizuho launches $250m ASEAN fund
Japan’s Mizuho Bank has launched a private equity fund focused on middle-market companies in the ASEAN region with a target corpus of $250 million.
Toshiba, Bain sign MOU for chip unit - update
Japanese conglomerate Toshiba has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Bain Capital regarding the sale of its Nand flash memory unit to a consortium led by the PE firm.
Japan's Infostellar receives $7.3m Series A
Infostellar, a Japanese company developing cloud-based satellite communication technology, has closed a $7.3 million Series A funding round led by US-based Airbus Ventures.
Japan's J-Star exits pet services business
J-Star has made a full exit from Japanese pet services business Three Arrows to domestic GP Création Capital, its co-investor on the original deal.
Carlyle set for partial exit from Japan's Tsubaki Nakashima
The Carlyle Group has agreed to reduce its stake in Japan-listed manufacturing industry equipment supplier Tsubaki Nakashima from about 47% to 2.4%.
Jafco leads $14.8m investment in Japan's Tech Bureau
Tech Bureau, a Japan-based cryptocurrency exchange platform operator, has received JPY1.6 billion ($14.8 million) in Series B funding led by domestic venture capital firm Jafco.
GP-LP: Dangerous liaisons
A diverging supply-demand dynamic in private equity fundraising is threatening the GP-LP alignment of interest. Concessions on both sides are needed in the interests of long-term stability
J-Star buys Japanese consumer brand Sun Smile
J-Star has acquired Sun Smile, a Japanese manufacturer of consumer products aimed at young women.
Blackstone hires ex-JP Morgan banker as Japan chairman
The Blackstone Group has appointed Katsuyuki Kuki, who previously spent nine years as an investment banker with J.P. Morgan, as its chairman and representative director for Japan.
SoftBank Group, Vision Fund invest $4.4b in WeWork
US-based co-working space operator WeWork has received commitments totaling $4.4 billion from Japan’s SoftBank Group and its SoftBank Vision Fund.
Partners Group appoints Japan head
Partners Group has appointed Shunsuke Tanahashi (pictured) as head of the private equity firm’s Japanese business.
Jafco backs Japan blockchain-IoT start-up
Nayuta, a Japanese start-up focused on combining internet-of-things (IoT) and blockchain technologies, has received a JPY140 million ($1.3 million) funding round led by Jafco.