Japan
Japan's Integral buys UPT from Advantage, sells BTC to Capgemini
Japanese middle market private equity firm Integral Corporation has acquired United Precision Technologies (UPT), which supplies components used in smart devices, from Advantage Partners and sold IT consulting business BTC to Capgemini.
KKR sells minority stake in Japan's Kokusai to QIA
KKR has made a partial exit from Kokusai Electric, a Japan-based semiconductor industry supplier, through the sale of a minority stake to Qatar Investment Authority (QIA).
Japan advertising AI start-up Flux raises $32m Series B
DNX Ventures has led a JPY 4.4bn (USD 32m) Series B round for Japan’s Flux, which helps businesses manage advertising strategies via a no-code artificial intelligence (AI) platform.
KKR shuffles senior roles in Asia
KKR has reorganised its Asia leadership team, with Ming Lu, the firm’s regional head, Hiro Hirano, the co-head of private equity, set to become executive chairman and deputy executive chairman, respectively.
Japan's Global Brain, Fukoku Life set up $35m VC fund
Japanese VC firm Global Brain has teamed up with Fukoku Mutual Life Insurance to set up a JPY 5bn (USD 35m) fund.
Advantage Partners SPAC agrees recycling merger
A special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) affiliated with Japan’s Advantage Partners has agreed to merge with Jeplan, a local recycling business specialising in plastic waste.
Japan's LayerX lifts Series A to $59m
Japan’s LayerX, an enterprise billing and invoicing software provider, has lifted an ongoing Series A round to JPY 8.2bn (USD 59m) with support from several local VC firms.
GP profile: 500 Global
500 Global’s emergence as a preeminent seed investor in Southeast Asia has played out against the backdrop of a broader transformation from US accelerator into international multi-stage venture capital firm
Japan's J-Star buys freight forwarding company
Japan’s J-Star has acquired local freight forwarding business Japan Trust Holdings for an undisclosed sum as part of a transportation services consolidation play.
KKR secures partnership with Japan Post Insurance
Japan Post Insurance (JPI) has launched a strategic partnership with KKR and the private equity firm’s insurance subsidiary Global Atlantic Financial Group. The deal will give JPI access to a broader range of investments and support its diversification...
Japan buyouts: Bucking the trend
Japan remains a private equity hotspot despite muted buyout activity elsewhere in Asia. Take-private and sponsor-to-sponsor opportunities make for a more textured local market
Q&A: Jafco Asia’s Shahan Sud
Singapore’s Jafco Asia, a division of Japanese VC mainstay Jafco, hired Shahan Sud last year as its first in-country investment director for India. He explains a cross-border bridge long in the making
Deal focus: Go aims to bring Japan’s taxis up to speed
Goldman Sachs-backed taxi-hailing platform Go wants to address Japan’s taxi driver shortage and bring digitalisation to an industry that remains rooted in an analogue world
Japan's Heartseed raises $14m Series D
Heartseed, a Tokyo-based biotech start-up specializing in treatments that use cardiac muscle cells to initiate the remuscularization of patients who have suffered heart failure, has raised JPY 2bn (USD 14.3m) in Series D funding.
Goldman backs Japan taxi-hailing player Go
Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM) has committed JPY 10bn (USD 75m) in Series D funding to Go Inc, operator of a Japan-based taxi-hailing app.
Fund focus: Foreign LPs creep into Japan VC
Japan’s Dimension has closed its first fund since spinning out from Dream Incubator, more than doubling its prior vintage and tracking increased interest among regional institutional investors
Exacta seeks $350m for SE Asia fund, wins ADB support
Singapore’s Exacta Capital Partners, a PE firm affiliated with Mizuho Asia Partners, has received USD 25m from Asian Development Bank (ADB) for its latest fund. The target is USD 350m.
Japan Post Bank sees sharp increase in PE exposure
Japan Post Bank’s (JPB) private equity funds exposure increased 75% to JPY 5.6trn (USD 40.4bn) in the most recent financial year, which it said was largely driven by a change in accounting standards.
Bain buys Japan software player IDAJ
Bain Capital has acquired IDAJ, a Japan-based engineering solutions provider that provides digital platforms to facilitate project development and computer-based design simulation systems.
Japan’s Dimension closes second VC fund on $75m
Dimension, a spinout of Japan’s Dream Incubator, has closed its second VC fund with JPY 10.1bn (USD 75m) in commitments.
KKR takes out Rakuten's stake in Japanese retailer Seiyu
KKR has increased its stake in Japanese supermarket operator Seiyu to 85%, having taken out a position held by local e-commerce giant Rakuten, which supported the private equity firm’s carve-out in 2020.
Japan's Genesia closes Fund III on USD 110m
Japan’s Genesia Ventures, a seed-stage tech investor with a presence in Indonesia and Vietnam, has closed its third fund on USD 110m.
