Japan
Globis, Gree invest in Japan crowd-sourced editing platform
Globis Capital Partners and Gree Ventures have together invested JPY300 million ($2.9 million) in Viibar, the Japanese start-up behind the video production-focused crowd sourcing platform of the same name.
JIP in talks to buy Sony’s PC business – report
Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) is said to be in talks with Sony Corp. over the tech conglomerate’s loss-making personal computer division. It would be one of the country’s highest-profile corporate divestments and part of a business reorientation...
Equis, Partners Group bet on Japanese solar
Japan's rapid embrace of renewable energy in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster has alerted PE investors. In the last 12 months, Macquarie Capital and local engineering firm Maeda Corp. launched a joint venture that will target infrastructure...
Equis, Partners Group invest $250m in Japan solar platform
Equis Funds Group and Partners Group have led a $250 million equity investment in a dedicated Japanese solar platform to be operated by Nippon Renewable Energy (NRE). For both groups, it represents a first foray into Japanese infrastructure and a solar...
Japan's Venture United raises $11m fund
Venture United - the corporate investment arm of Japanese media group United - has raised a new JPY1.26 billion yen ($11 million) fund focusing on internet-related start-ups.
CyberAgent Ventures backs Japan language learning site
CyberAgent Ventures, the corporate VC arm of the company behind Japanese blogging site Ameba, has invested an undisclosed amount in language learning platform Lang-8.
Partners Group, Mizuho target Japanese pension funds
Partners Group has reached a deal with Mizuho Financial Group (MFG) to jointly develop and distribute global private equity and infrastructure products to Japanese pension schemes.
Japanese VCs invest $4m in social retail app developer
Mitsubishi UFJ Capital and DBJ Capital have joined existing investors DCM Japan, Itochu Technology Ventures and Jafco Ventures, in a JPY400 million ($3.8 million) round of funding for Tokyo-based Tab, the start-up behind the location-based retail recommendation...
Profile: Globis Capital Partners' Yoshito Hori
From bust to boom, Yoshito Hori, CEO and founder of Globis Capital Management, has spent 20 years investing in Japanese VC - a story that is as much about education as it is capital
Japan Industrial Partners eyes $666m Biglobe deal - report
Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) could acquire Biglobe, Japan's fourth-largest internet service provider (ISP) by number of customers, from IT giant NEC in a deal worth JPY70 billion ($666 million).
Tokio Marine invests $9.5m in furniture maker Asplund
Tokio Marine Capital has acquired a majority stake in Japanese furniture maker Asplund for around JPY1 billion ($9.5 million).
Japanese VCs invest $1.5m in ad platform Logly
Voyage Ventures, Mizuho Capital, SMBC Venture Capital and strategic investor CA Mobile have together invested JPY120 million ($1.15 million) in Logly, a Japan-based start-up running an internet ad platform.
Wakabayashi Fund invests in MIT Holding
Wakabayashi Fund, a private equity firm based in Tokyo and New York, has invested in US healthcare firm MIT Holdings. The financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
PE investors rue lost Japan carve-out opportunities
The lack of corporate carve-outs relative to the size of the opportunity in the space has been among the biggest disappointments for Japanese private equity, investors say.
Cerberus set for exit as Japan’s Seibu agrees to Tokyo listing
Seibu Holdings, the Japanese conglomerate that had a bitter falling out with leading shareholder Cerberus Capital Management over a planned IPO three years ago, is finally expected to list in Tokyo in the first half of 2014.
Big brother: Japan's government LPs
The government is becoming an increasingly significant LP in Japanese private equity funds. Smaller GPs can’t live without it but there are wider concerns about sustainability and long-term economic impact
Japan and India to launch joint investment fund
Japan and India are to launch a joint investment fund to help finance Japanese companies operating in India.
Japan IPOs: Rising sun
On the back of a cautious economic recovery Japan witnessed a boom in IPOs in 2013 as a host of venture capital-backed companies went public. How long will the good times last?
Longreach agrees Christmas carve-out
Christmas was delayed at the Longreach Group as the North Asia-focused private equity firm finalized an agreement to buy Japanese molded plastics manufacturer Sol-Plus Group on December 25, bringing to an end several weeks of negotiations.
INCJ joins Japanese companies to form $300m start-up fund
The Innovation Corporation Network of Japan (INCJ) has joined a consortium of 10 Japanese companies to set up a $300 million start-up fund to be managed by Silicon Valley-based venture firm WiL.
Nissay, SMBC, Incubate invest $1m Japan budget app
Nissay Capital, SMBC Venture Capital and Incubate Fund have together invested JPY100 million ($955,000) in BearTail, the Japanese start-up behind the cloud-based household accounting app Dr. Wallet.
Dream Incubator leads $2m round for Japan mobile video network
Dream Incubator has led a $2 million round of investment for Breaker, a Japanese start-up that distributes mobile video content. Seimer Ventures also took part in the round alongside an number of undisclosed investors.
Fortress to raise $1.9b for Japan's first infra fund - report
Fortress Investment Group is said to be targeting JPY200 billion ($1.9 billion) for a new Japan-focused infrastructure fund.
Longreach agrees Japan manufacturing carve-out
The Longreach Group has agreed to buy Sol-Plus Group, a Japanese plastics manufacturer with production facilities in Thailand, for an undisclosed sum.