Japan
Japan's Rakuten leads $530m Series E round for Lyft
Japanese e-commerce player Rakuten has led a $530 million Series E round of funding for US ride sharing app Lyft - valuing the business at $2.5 billion. Fortress Investment Group also participated.
Japanese consortium buys US PE-backed juice maker
A consortium of Japanese investors has acquired Country Pure Foods, a US-based food service juice manufacturer, from US private equity firm Mistral Equity Partners.
Cool Japan invests $37m in TV channel Wakuwaku
The government-backed Cool Japan Fund will contribute JPY4.4 billion ($37 million) to a JPY 11 billion investment in entertainment channel Wakuwaku Japan alongside SKY Perfect JSAT Corp (SJC).
Japan's Recruit buys VC-backed restaurant booking site
Japanese employment and internet services company Recruit Holdings has acquired German VC-backed restaurant booking site Quandoo for EUR198.6 million (about $219 million).
IMJ's Koichi Saito launches new VC fund
Koichi Saito, a former partner at Japanese venture capital firm IMJ Investment Partners, has launched his own VC outfit - KK Fund.
CIMB, Mitsubishi in $130m first close on SE Asia-focused fund
Malaysian financial services provider CIMB Group and Japan's Mitsubishi Corporation have announced a first close of $130 million on their ASEAN Industrial Growth Fund (AIGF).
Bain soaks in hot spring opportunity
Along with conveyer belt sushi and lively karaoke nights, the hot spring visit is a uniquely Japanese pastime popular with both locals and, increasingly, those who visit the country.
Fenox invests $2m in Japan solar energy marketplace
Fenox Venture Capital has invested $2 million in I AND C-Cruise (IACC), the Japanese start-up behind solar power web portal Green-EnergyNavi.com.
Japan's INCJ joins acquisition of US biopharma firm
The government-backed Innovation Network corporation of Japan (INCJ), life sciences company JSR Corporation, and pharmaceutical research firm CMIC Holdings have together purchased US-based KBI BioPharma for an undisclosed sum.
Japan's Nippon Venture, ATR set up $42m specialist tech fund
Nippon Venture Capital (NVC) and the Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International in Kyoto have set-up a JPY5 billion ($42 million) fund for niche technology investments.
Bain launches $79m bid for Japanese mushroom producer
Bain Capital has launched a takeover bid for Tokyo-listed Yukiguni Maitake, a troubled Japanese mushroom producer, for as much JPY9.5 billion ($79.1 million).
Cool Japan joins consortium in $160m SDI Media purchase
The government-backed Cool Japan Fund has joined a consortium of Japanese investors, led by production company Imagica Roboto Holdings, to acquire a 100% stake in US subtitler SDI Media Group.
Singapore space junk start-up raises $7.7m Series A
Astronscale, a Singapore-based start-up that develops satellites to remove space debris, has raised $7.7 million in a Series A round of funding from JAFCO and nine entrepreneurs from Japan.
VCs invest $34m in Japan online printing start-up
Japanese online printing service Raksul has managed to raise JPY4 billion ($33.7 million) from a slew of local venture capital investors.
Japan's SBI, Thailand's Finansia form SE Asia PE venture
Japan's SBI Holdings and Thai financial group Finansia has together set up SBI Finansa Private Equity Partners to target investment opportunities in Southeast Asia.
Bain Capital agrees to pay $421m for Japan hot spring chain
Bain Captial has agreed to buy Japanese hotel and spa operator Ooedo-Onsen Holdings for JPY50 billion ($421 million), including debt.
Unison to exit Japan wine retailer Enoteca to Asahi
Japanese mid-market GP Unison Capital has agreed to exit wine retailer Enoteca to brewing giant Asahi Group. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
YJ Capital invests $3.4m in Japanese online laundry service
WhitePlus - the Japanese start-up behind an online laundry service called Lenet - has managed to raise JPY408 million ($3.4 million) from Yahoo! Japan's corporate investment arm, YJ Capital.
Japanese app monetization platform raises $36m Series C round
Metaps, a Japanese start-up that provides an app monetization platform using artificial intelligence (AI), has raised a $36 million Series C round of funding.
Equis in $1.7b fundraising bonanza
Equis Funds Group's first foray into Japan’s solar energy sector was at least 18 months in the making. The energy and infrastructure-focused GP mapped the entire region in terms of solar power potential and regulatory factors then, working with Partners...
INCJ to invest up to $27m in Japan DNA research start-up
The government-backed Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) will invest up to JPY3.3 billion ($27 million) in Quantum Biosystem (QB), a VC-backed Japanese start-up that develops instruments used to automate the DNA sequencing process.
Japan messaging app Line launches $42m investment fund
Japanese messaging app developer Line Corporation has launched a JPY5 billion ($42 million) investment fund to invest in start-ups.
Equis raises $1.7b for Asia energy, infrastructure investments
Asia-focused energy and infrastructure GP Equis Funds Group has closed its second fund at $1 billion and also raised $300 million for a follow-on vehicle to Fund I and $400 million for two existing platform investments.
Japan's GPIF appoints new head of investment strategy
Japan's Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) has named Atsushi Ikari as director general of its investment strategy department, replacing Tokihiko Shimizu.