Japan
Japan buyout investors must consider post-deal positioning - AVCJ Forum
Private equity deal flow is increasing in Japan’s middle market, but buyers should be mindful that their responsibilities to sellers stretch well into the post-investment period, industry participants told the AVCJ Japan Forum.
Japan's Softbank invests $100m in Cybereason
SoftBank Corp. has agreed to invest $100 million in a Series D funding round for Cybereason, a US-headquartered cybersecurity platform provider targeting expansion in Japan.
KKR hires Blackstone MD to lead Japan capital markets team
KKR has selected Go Yamashita, a former managing director with The Blackstone Group, to head the KKR Capital Markets (KCM) team in Japan.
Deal focus: Seven Dreamers makes laundry robot a reality
KKR co-founders Henry Kravis and George Roberts and Fosun International have joined a $22.8 million Series C round for Seven Dreamers, which will use the capital to accelerate production of its Laundroid
Bain, INCJ consortium named preferred bidder for Toshiba chip unit
Japanese conglomerate Toshiba has selected a consortium led by the Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) and including Bain Capital as the preferred bidder in the sale of its Nand flash memory unit, Toshiba Memory Corporation (TMC).
CLSA Capital invests in Japan beauty contact lenses maker
CLSA Capital Partners (CLSA CP) has invested an undisclosed sum in El Dorado Group, a beauty contact lenses manufacturer based in Japan and Hong Kong.
Bolt-on acquisitions: Buying growth
Bolt-on acquisitions enable private equity firms to bring down the cost of investments through multiple arbitrage and leveraging synergies. But in a climate of heady valuations, are GPs thinking too big?
MBK completes exit from Japan's Komeda with 5x return - update
MBK Partners has sold the remainder of its stake in Japan-based coffee shop chain Komeda Holdings JPY24.3 billion ($217 million), securing a 5x return on the overall investment.
Nippon Mirai to sell Takasago stake back to NEC
Japanese GP Nippon Mirai Capital has agreed to sell its entire 51% stake in Takasago Machinery, an electronic equipment manufacturer, to its previous owner NEC Corporation for an undisclosed sum.
Bain continues to trim holding in Japan's Skylark
Bain Capital has made its second partial exit in three months from Japanese restaurant operator Skylark, receiving JPY41.6 billion ($373.6 million) and reducing its stake to approximately 15%.
Canadian AI player raises $102m Series A for Asia push
China’s Tencent Holdings and Korea’s Hanwha Investment have backed a $102 million Asian expansion drive by Canadian artificial intelligence developer Element AI. It is said to be the largest Series A round ever raised by an AI company.
Japan private equity: Heating up
Private equity is seeing more succession planning and corporate carve-out opportunities in Japan, but there is a risk that exuberance might turn irrational
Government-backed Cool Japan invests in 500 Startups fund
Cool Japan Fund, a government-backed venture program for promoting cultural exports, has agreed to invest up to $10 million in a recently launched Japan-focused vehicle managed by 500 Startups.
Japan consumer: Beyond borders
Private equity investors see an opportunity in taking advantage of the popularity of Japanese brands in other Asian markets. Making these strategies work requires patience and a tolerance for risk
Japanese LPs: The end of the beginning
Japan’s GPIF has finally signaled its readiness to invest in alternative assets. Though contributions will likely be slow to come and limited at first, the barest hint of its intentions has wide-ranging ramifications
Japan technology: Light switch
OLED technology is seen as a quantum leap forward for digital panels, but VC investors are reluctant to get on board. Japan may have to overcome this hesitancy to maintain market share in high-end electronics
Japan carve-outs: Chips off the block
Divestment activity by Japanese conglomerates is finally translating into meaningful private equity deal flow, but unwinding people and assets from longstanding parents presents execution challenges
Baring Asia to exit Japan's Joyful Honda
Baring Private Equity Asia will sell its minority stake in Joyful Honda, a Japan-based home improvement center operator, for JPY56.6 billion ($513 million) through participation in a tender offer launched by the company.
PE and Islamic finance: Underlying themes
Encouraging trends in population, social mobility, commodities, technology, and governance standards are converging on Islamic finance. PE plays a small role with strong upside in Asia
Japan's Unison buys local bar and restaurant chain
Unison Capital has acquired Dinamix, an operator of Japanese-style bar and restaurants, for an undisclosed sum.
Future Venture Capital to buy All Nippon Entertainment
Future Venture Capital (FVC) has agreed to acquire Japanese media company All Nippon Entertainment Works (ANEW) from government-owned investor Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ).
Bain to make full exit from Domino's Pizza Japan
Bain Capital Private Equity is set to exit Domino’s Pizza Japan, having exercised a put option requiring Domino’s Pizza Enterprises (DPE) - which acquired a majority interest in the business in 2013 – to buy its 25% stake.
Big beast: The SoftBank Vision Fund
SoftBank's global technology fund is significant enough to redraw the private equity investment opportunity in certain industries, if not to redraw the industries themselves
Japan's Gree Ventures closes second fund at $67m
Gree Ventures, which was set up by Japanese mobile gaming company Gree, has closed its second early-stage VC fund at $67 million.