Sumitomo Mitsui
Japanese autonomous trucking start-up raises $24m
T2, a Japanese autonomous driving start-up that focuses on trucking, has raised JPY 3.5bn (USD 24.1m) in Series A funding from a combination of financial and strategic investors.
Japan's Heartseed raises $14m Series D
Heartseed, a Tokyo-based biotech start-up specializing in treatments that use cardiac muscle cells to initiate the remuscularization of patients who have suffered heart failure, has raised JPY 2bn (USD 14.3m) in Series D funding.
Japan's Genesia closes Fund III on USD 110m
Japan’s Genesia Ventures, a seed-stage tech investor with a presence in Indonesia and Vietnam, has closed its third fund on USD 110m.
Japan's SMBC, Incubate set up USD 200m Asia VC fund
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) has established a USD 200m growth and late-stage pan-Asian VC fund in partnership with Japan’s Incubate Fund, which will co-manage the vehicle.
Japan’s D Capital hits third close on debut fund
D Capital, a recently established Japanese middle-market private equity firm, has achieved a third close of JPY 27bn (USD 186.4m) on its debut fund. The target is JPY 30bn.
Japan flying car player SkyDrive gets $67m Series C
Japanese flying car developer SkyDrive has raised JPY 9.6bn (USD 67m) in Series C funding featuring US-based Pegasus Tech Ventures and local strategics such as Suzuki Motor.
Japan’s D Capital nears target for debut PE fund
Japan’s D Capital, a private equity firm specialising in digital transformation that spun out from Unison Capital last year, has raised JPY 26bn (USD 188m) for its debut fund against a target of JPY 30bn.
Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui commits $1.5bn to Apollo
Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings has signed up to an alternatives co-investment program run by Apollo Global Management, taking the total capital raised from Asia-based LPs to more than USD 5bn.
Japan's WM, AIC launch secondary fund targeting LP stakes
WM Partners and Alternative Investment Capital (AIC) are looking to raise a JPY10 billion ($88 million) secondary fund that will primarily target LP positions in Japan-focused private equity funds.
Japan microsatellite developer gets $24m Series C
Japanese microsatellite developer Axelspace has raised JPY2.6 billion ($24 million) in Series C funding from a group of domestic VCs, including Sparx Group.
PE-backed WealthNavi soars on Tokyo debut
Japanese financial technology start-up WealthNavi gained 100% on its trading debut following a JPY17.9 billion ($172.9 million) IPO that facilitated partial exits for Gree Ventures, Infinity Venture Partners, and Global Brain.
Navegar closes second Philippines fund at $197m
Manila-based private equity firm Navegar has closed its second Philippines fund with $197 million in commitments. The initial target was $150 million.
Clifford Capital takes 50% stake in Singapore's Pierfront
Singapore-based infrastructure investor Clifford Capital has acquired a 50% stake in local private credit and mezzanine player Pierfront Capital for an undisclosed sum.
SCB 10X, Sparx lead $80m round for Thai fintech player
Thailand-based financial technology provider Synqa, formerly known as Omise, has raised an $80 million Series C round led by local VC firm SCB 10X and Japan’s Sparx Group.
Singapore's Vertex receives $180m for global fund-of-funds
Vertex Ventures, a VC arm of Singapore’s Temasek Holdings, has received commitments of $180 million from Japanese investors for a fund-of-funds that will support its global portfolio of VC vehicles.
Japan's Paidy secures $143m in funding
Paidy, one of Japan’s largest financial technology start-ups, has confirmed $143 million in new funding, comprising an extended Series C round and debt financing.
SoftBank expects at least $108b for second Vision Fund
SoftBank Group is set to establish its second Vision Fund focused on artificial intelligence (AI) with about $108 billion in initial commitments.
Japan's Astroscale expands Series D by $30m
Astroscale, a Japan-based space technology company focused on debris removal, has announced a $30 million extension to its Series D round, bringing the total raised to $80 million.
VCs commit $15m to Japanese AI specialist
A group of venture capital firms, including SBI Investment, have invested $15 million in a Series B round for Cinnamon, a Japanese artificial intelligence (AI) company focused on office automation.
VCs invest $25m in Japan's Plaid
Japanese digital marketing services provider Plaid has raised JPY1.5 billion ($25.1 million) from a group of VCs including existing investor Eight Roads Ventures Japan and Femto Partners.
Japan's Mercari buys VC-backed e-commerce player
Japanese e-commerce company Mercari has agreed to acquire domestic competitor Zawatt, setting up an exit for a number of venture capital backers.
Careful targeting key to Philippines M&A – AVCJ Forum
Efforts to increase foreign M&A activity in the Philippines at later investment stages depend on targeting the right kinds of companies and understanding their needs, industry participants told the AVCJ Philippines Forum.
Geodesic closes $335m VC fund to bridge US, Asia
Geodesic Capital, a US-based venture capital firm focused on helping start-ups drive Japanese expansion, has closed its first fund at $335 million.
Fund focus: Globis gets traction with pension LPs
Japanese pension funds show stronger interest in latest fund from Tokyo's Globis