Japan
India's GHV forms partnership with Japan's WiL
India's Green House Venture (GHV) Accelerator has teamed up with Japan and US-based early-stage investor World Innovation Labs (WiL) to back Indian start-ups with the potential to go global.
J-Star secures 5x exit from healthcare firm HCM - update
Japanese mid-market buyout firm J-Star has exited Tokyo-based healthcare service provider HCM Corporation to Alshok Group at an enterprise value of JPY8.88 billion ($78.7 million), generating a 5x cash multiple and a 60% IRR.
Japan’s MegaChips to buy VC-backed SiTime
MegaChips Corp, a Tokyo-listed semiconductor maker, is to acquire SiTime Corporation, a VC-backed US semiconductor company for $200 million.
Carlyle crosses $600m threshold on Japan fund
The Carlyle Group has crossed the halfway mark on its third Japan buyout fund, with approximately $600 million raised predominantly from domestic investors.
Mizuho Capital to launch $300m SME mezzanine fund
Mizuho Capital Partners is set to launch a new JPY30 billion ($277 million) mezzanine fund which will support Japanese small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the form of subordinated loans and preferred shares.
Japanese mobile app Quan gets VC backing
Japanese mobile game developer Quan has received an undisclosed sum from a group of domestic VC investors.
Permira exits Japan's Arysta LifeScience to US strategic for $3.5b
Permira has exited its investment in Japanese agricultural chemicals maker Arysta LifeSciences to US chemicals firm Platform Specialty Products (PSP) for about $3.51 billion.
Japan online home-hunter service bags $2m from VCs
Japan's YJ Capital and Incubate Fund have invested JPY200 million ($1.9 million) in Ietty, a Tokyo-based start-up that runs an online platform for home-hunters.
Neuberger Berman Japan, Korea PE commitments top $1b
Japanese and South Korean investors now account for more than $1 billion of the committed capital managed by Neuberger Berman’s private equity division.
CyberAgent, Mizuho back Japan venue rental marketplace
CyberAgent Ventures and Mizuho Capital have together invested JPY100 million (about $1 million) in SpaceMarket, a Japanese online platform that lists vacant spaces that users can rent for corporate events such as meetings and training courses.
Bain serves up Skylark in Tokyo IPO
When Bain Capital bought Skylark in 2011, the restaurant operator was going through one the rougher patches of its 40-year history. A dysentery outbreak had forced the closure of 120 outlets, further delaying a transaction that had already been on hold...
J-Star to exit healthcare firm HCM to Alshok Group
Japanese security firm Alshok Group has agreed to acquire Tokyo-based healthcare service provider HCM Corporation, paving an exit for mid-market GP J-Star.
Gree Ventures backs Japan marketing start-up
Japanese online marketing firm Somewrite has raised JPY100 million (about $1 million) from corporate venture capital arm Gree Ventures and other undisclosed investors.
Japan's BrainWars app raises $2.8m in VC funding
East Ventures, Skyland Ventures, Genuine Startups and Line Ventures, the VC unit of messaging app firm Line Corp, have together invested JPY300 million ($2.8 million) in TransLimit, the Tokyo-based start-up behind social quiz app BrainWars.
Shares in Bain-backed Skylark fall on Tokyo debut
Shares in Skylark, the Japanese restaurant operator backed by Bain Capital, fell by nearly 4.8% on the first day of trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) following a JPY75.1 billion ($686.2 million) IPO.
Japan's Mercari raises $22m Series C round
Mercari, the Japanese start-up behind the mobile flea market app of the same name, has raised JPY2.36 billion ($21.8 million) in Series C funding from World Innovation Lab (WiL) and existing investors Global Brain, Globis Capital Partners, GMO Venture...
Jafco commits $4.6m in Japan footwear site Locondo
Jafco has invested JPY500 million ($4.6 million) in Japanese footwear e-commerce start-up Locondo in a Series C round of funding.
Marunouchi exits Japan supermarket chain to Lawson for $501m
Marunouchi Capital - the private equity arm of Mitsubishi Corp - has exited Japanese high-end supermarket chain Seijo Ishii to convenience store operator Lawson for JPY55 billion ($501 million) including debt.
Gree Ventures backs Philippines payments business
Gree Ventures has participated in a Series C round of funding for Philippines-based digital payments business Ayannah. Wavemaker Labs, Golden Gate Ventures, IMJ Investment Partners and Beenos Asia also participated.
J-Star seals first secondary exit
Japan has seen 61 private equity secondary exits since 2011 – more than the combined total for the 10 years before that. This surge in activity can largely be traced back to buyouts from the years leading up the global financial crisis. Investors want...
Japan's J-Star sees 8x return with first secondary exit
Japanese investor J-Star has exited Burn Holdings, a local repair business that primarily serves property developers, to Shinsei Corporate Investment and Creation Capital. The gross return multiple is said to be 8x.
Pavilion, Recruit provide Series B2 for Japan's Freee
Temasek Holdings-owned Pavilion Capital and Recruit Strategic Partners, the VC arm of Recruit Holdings, have led a Series B2 round of funding worth $6 million for Freee, a Tokyo-based provider of automated online accounting software.
Profile: Advantage Partners' Richard Folsom
For the past 30 years Advantage Partners co-founder Richard Folsom has enjoyed a front-row seat on the inner workings Japan's corporate world - here he shares his insights.
Japan learning platform Mana.bo raises $3m Series A round
Nissay Capital and Mitsubishi UFJ Capital have joined Japanese education firm Benesse in investing JPY330 million ($3 million) in online learning platform Mana.bo.