Japan
Japan's Future Venture Capital raises $5m venture fund
Japan's Future Venture Capital has raised a JPY500 million ($5 million) venture fund, Ehime Venture Fund 2013.
Japan's Rakuten acquires VC-backed video site Viki
Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten has acquired Viki, a VC-backed global video streaming platform.The financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
INCJ invests $6m in Japan's UniZeo
The Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) has invested JPY600 million ($6 million) in UniZeo, a Japanese company which is focused on commercializing new methods of producing synthetic zeolite.
SMBC, IGPI invest $1.3m in Japanese game design platform
SMBC Venture Capital and Industrial Growth Partners (IGPI) have invested JPY130 million ($1.3 million) in Mugenup.com, a start-up that crowd-sources design talent to work on projects for game developers.
Japan's Rakuten leads $23m Series B round for e-commerce app Slice
Rakuten Group - Japan's largest e-commerce firm - has led a $23 million financing round for the Silicon Valley-based start-up behind online shopping app Slice.
JAFCO invests $3m in Japan online laundry service
JAFCO Ventures has invested JPY300 million ($3 million) in White Plus, the Japanese start-up behind Lenet, an online laundry delivery service.
Fuji Startup Ventures backs Japanese classifieds site
Fuji Startup Ventures (FSV), the VC investment arm of Japanese national TV network Fuji Terebi, has invested JPY50 million ($500,000) in classifieds website JMTY.com - pronounced "Jimoti."
American Capital exits Miami flight school to Japan's ANA for $79m
American Capital has exited its majority stake in the Miami-based Pan Am International Flight Academy to Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) for $79 million, claiming a compound annual rate of return of 16% over the lifetime of the investment.
INCJ leads $11m investment in Japan blood biotech venture
The Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) has led a JPY1.16 billion ($11.7 million) investment in Megakaryon Corp, which is developing technology to produce blood platelets using reprogrammed stem cells.
KKR, Bain to enter final bidding for Panasonic healthcare unit - report
KKR, Toshiba Corp. and a consortium including Bain Capital, Mitsui & Co. and Development Bank of Japan are expected to participate in the final round of bidding for Panasonic’s healthcare unit.
Longreach completes precision drilling carve-out from Hitachi
North Asia mid-market buyout firm The Longreach Group has agreed to buy precision drilling business Hitachi Via Mechanics (HVM) from Japanese conglomerate Hitachi. It is said to be the first time Hitachi has divested a sizable asset to private equity...
Nippon Venture Capital invests $1.7m in internet start-up Volare
Nippon Venture Capital has invested JPY170 million ($1.7 million) in Japanese web solutions start-up Volare.
CDH, Belle to make Baroque big in China
Secondary direct deals frequently stumble on valuations. Private equity investors are sitting on either side of the table and both are hardwired to get the best possible price; the lingering fear is leaving the table with a deal that is either significantly...
Bain exits Domino's Japan, retains slice
The pizza delivery market in Japan is very different from that of the US. Rather than a budget takeout option, pizza is treated as something of a luxury and customers are willing to pay a premium for quality. Japanese tastes differ too. In addition to...
Advantage to acquire Japan massage salon chain Riraku
Advantage Partners has agreed to buy Japanese massage salon chain Riraku for an undisclosed sum. The mid-market buyout firm is acquiring the business from the founder and CEO and other shareholders.
CyberAgent, Gree, GMO invest in Japan's Kaizen platform
CyberAgent Ventures, Gree Ventures and GMO Venture Partners have together invested $800,000 in Kaizen platform, the Japanese start-up behind website service planBCD.
Orrick strengthens Japan M&A, PE practice
Orrick has appointed Edward S. Johnson as a partner in its M&A and private equity practice in Tokyo. He joins from Paul Hastings, where he previously served as managing partner of the Tokyo office.
Japan's Alt Plus buys stake in VC-backed Korean mobile game developer
Japanese mobile game developer Alt Plus, has acquired a 10% stake in Emagine, a Korean mobile game start-up backed by Lead Capital Management and Ant Capital Partners. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
Japan's Globis invests $4.2m in news aggregator
Globis Capital Partners has invested JPY420 million ($4.29 million) in Tokyo-based Gocro, the start-up behind news aggregation app SmartNews.
Fab raises $5m from Itochu Corp
Online lifestyle store Fab.com has raised $5 million from Japan’s Itochu Corporation, as the two develop a joint venture agreement to bring the company to Japan in 2014.
Bain to sell Domino's Japan for $123m
Bain Capital will sell a 75% stake in Domino’s Pizza Japan (DPJ) to Australia-listed Domino’s Pizza Enterprises (DPE) for JPY12 billion ($123.4 million). The buyer will provide JPY9 billion of new debt funding, implying an enterprise value for the whole...
Scentan Ventures takes part in $2m round for Japanese curation app Antenna
Singapore's Scentan Ventures has joined Tokyo-based strategic investor Macromill in investing JPY1.5 billion ($15.5 million) in Glider Associates, the Japanese startup behind smartphone curation app Antenna, for a 25.6% stake.
CLSA exits Japan apparel business Baroque to CDH, Belle International
CLSA Capital Partners has exited its majority stake in apparel business Baroque Japan to China's CDH Investments and Chinese women's shoe retailer Belle International.
Draper Nexus leads $2m round for Japan travel site startup Trippiece
Draper Nexus Venture Partners has led a JPY200 million ($2 million) round of investment in Tokyo-based travel site startup Trippiece.