Japan
Nomura becomes first Japanese firm to invest in Chinese private equity
Nomura Holdings said it would become the first Japanese financial group to make private equity investments in China, having reached an agreement with Shanghai-based Jiu You Quan Xing Equity Investment Fund. This follows the bank winning approval to participate...
Unison buys Asahi Tec from RHJ International
Unison Capital will purchase Asahi Tec, which supplies iron castings to the auto industry, from Belgian private equity firm RHJ International and Tokio Marine & Nichido. The Japanese PE investor has agreed to pay JPY23.9 billion ($310 million) and assume...
CVC’s second Asia fund sees value drop by 10%
CVC Asia Pacific’s second regional fund, which closed in 2005 at $1.975 billion, has reportedly lost 10% of its investment value due to failing portfolio companies such as Australian television network Nine Entertainment.
TPG considers investment into Takefuji - report
TPG may be considering making a much-needed investment into debt-ridden Japanese consumer lender Takefuji, coming as the latest effort to prevent the firm from liquidating.
AMP Capital Investors divests 15% stake to Mitsubishi UFJ
AMP Capital Investors has divested a 15% stake in itself to Japan’s Mitsubishi UFJ for A$425 million ($433.5 million), coming as the Australian fund manager looks to break into Japan.
PAG unit links with Aviva for Japanese real estate fund - report
Global insurance firm Aviva is reportedly set to launch a Japanese real estate investment fund with Secured Capital, the properties unit of PAG.
JH Partners sells Jurlique stake to Japanese trade buyer
US private equity firm JH Partners has sold its 30% stake in Australian organic skincare brand Jurlique International to Japanese cosmetics maker POLA Orbis Holdings.
Blackstone, Bain eye Yahoo bid
Blackstone and Bain Capital are reportedly nearing a bid to buy the whole of Yahoo that could value the company at more than $20 a share. Yahoo’s associates in China and Japan, Alibaba Group and Softbank Corp., may support the private equity consortium...
Polaris buys Kanto-Unyu for $64m - report
Mid-market private equity house Polaris Capital Group has reportedly purchased Japanese trucking company Kanto-Unyu Co. for an estimated JPY5 billion yen ($64 million).
CVC sells Minit to Unison Capital
CVC Capital Asia has succeeded in exiting shoe repair chain Minit Asia Pacific to Tokyo-based Unison Capital, reportedly after two failed attempts to sell the company.
Mizuho subsidiary exits Matsubo
A portfolio company owned by Mizuho Capital Partners has reportedly exited its stake in Matsubo, a machinery trading company, to Shinsho Corp.
Investors eye Tokyo properties - report
Tokyo properties are materializing as a key target for overseas investors in the coming year, pinpointed a growth area while other sectors struggle.
KKR, TPG in talks for Nomura’s real estate arm
KKR and TPG are among the PE firms said to be engaged in preliminary talks with Japan’s Nomura over a possible buyout of the investment bank’s real estate arm.
KKR-led consortium bags Samson for $7.2b
A KKR-led consortium, which includes Japan's Itochu Corp, has agreed to buy Samson Investment Co. for $7.2bn in the second largest private equity deal globally this year.
Advantage takes stake in Japanese eyewear chain - report
Japanese private equity firm Advantage Partners has reportedly acquired a stake in Tokyo-listed eyewear retail chain Meganesuper.
PE, Itochu-led consortium near $7b Samson acquisition
A KKR-led consortium, that is said to include Japan's Itochu Corp., is nearing the acquisition of Oklahoma-based oil- and natural-gas producer Samson Investment for $7 billion. It will mark one of the world’s most expensive PE buyouts this year if the...
Advantage, Bain among bidders in final round of Yayoi auction
Advantage Partners, Bain Capital and financial services firm Orix Corp. have reportedly advanced into the final round of bidding for MBK Partners-owned Japanese accounting software developer Yayoi, which is expected to be one of the biggest sales in the...
SBI to manage Malaysia’s first Asian cleantech fund
SBI Investment, a subsidiary of SBI Holdings, has announced that it will manage Malaysia’s first cleantech venture fund to invest in Asia Pacific.
Mitsubishi acquires US pension fund consultancy PCG
Japanese trading group Mitsubishi Corp. will take a 70% stake in California-based private equity consultant PCG Asset Management, PCG’s CEO announced. The company will be renamed TorreyCove Capital Partners as part of the deal.
VIDEO: PineBridge Investment's Michael Chae
Secondaries in Japan are gaining greater prominence given the role of the asset class in delivering returns to conservative LPs, says Michael Chae, managing director of PineBridge Investments
Yahoo tipped to sell Asian assets, pay shareholder dividend
Yahoo is likely to close the door to potential private equity suitors by divesting its Asian assets and redistributing the proceeds to shareholders. The redistribution might take the form of a special divided or share buyback.
VIDEO: Globis Capital Partners' Yoshito Hori
Yoshito Hori, managing partner of VC investor Globis Capital Partners, says that Japan is a prime market for venture investing given its talent and landscape for innovation. He stresses that - despite arguments to the contrary - Japan’s venture space...
Mitsui backs US mobile advertising platform
Mitsui & Co. has participated in a $14 million round of fundraising for US-based mobile advertising and media company 4INFO, alongside Vulcan Capital and existing investors Draper Fisher Jurveston, Gannett, Mezzanine Capital and US Venture Partners. Vulcan...
Lone Star sells distressed Japanese golf course asset PGM
Lone Star will divest its 64% stake in distressed Japanese golf course operator PGM Holdings to pachinko pinball machine maker Heiwa Corp. for JPY39.5 billion ($521 million).