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Private equity and venture capital news from Japan

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• Japanese firm Ant Capital Partners planning new buy-out fund 14 Jan 2010. Source: AltAssets. Japanese private equity firm Ant Capital Partners is planning a new buy-out fund, Ant Catalyzer No. 4, with a target of at least 20bn yen ($217.6m), according to Bloomberg.

• TPG, American Airlines primed to invest $1.1bn in Japan Airlines 04 Dec 2009. Source: AltAssets. Private equity firm TPG, American Airlines and other members of the Oneworld airline alliance are willing to invest $1.1bn in Japan Airlines to avoid it falling into the hands of rival Delta Air Lines and SkyTeam group, according to a Reuters report.

• Alternative Investment Capital to launch new PE fund of funds 03 Dec 2009. Source: AltAssets. Japanese fund of funds Alternative Investment Capital plans to launch a new fund targeting the Asian private equity sector, according to reports.

• Japanese wireless company among bidders for Carlyle’s Willcom 27 Nov 2009. Source: AltAssets. One of Japan’s leading wireless carriers has offered to buy Carlyle portfolio company Willcom, a struggling telecoms company. Softbank Corp is reportedly the current front-runner in the bidding for the company, which is in turnaround talks with its creditors to reschedule its debt payments while it restructures. Other bidders are said to include investment funds.

• Daiwa Quantum reaches $80m first close for Asia-focused fund 20 Nov 2009. Source: AltAssets. An Asia-focused joint fund launched by Japanese firms Daiwa Securities SMBC Principle Investments and Quantum Leaps has held a first close of $80m. The Daiwa Quantum Capital Partners I fund, which is 51 per cent owned by Daiwa and 49 per cent owned by Quantum, is targeting $300m.

• Bain Capital closes $1bn Bellsystem24 deal 16 Nov 2009. Source: AltAssets. International private equity firm Bain Capital Partners has finalised the acquisition of Japanese telemarketing company Bellsystem24 in a 93.5bn yen ($1bn) deal.

• Blackstone, Lion Capital raise glasses to close of Orangina deal 13 Nov 2009. Source: AltAssets. Private equity firms Blackstone and Lion Capital have closed the sale of European drinkmaker Orangina Schweppes to Suntory Holdings, a Japanese brewer. The deal size has not been officially announced, but reports suggested a figure in the region of $3bn when talks of the sale surfaced two months ago.

• Bain Capital bids $1bn for Japanese telemarketer Bellsystem24 12 Nov 2009. Source: AltAssets. International private equity firm Bain Capital has placed a bid of more than $1bn for Bellsystem24, a Japanese telemarketing company, which it hopes to acquire by the weekend, according to the Wall Street Journal.

• TPG may land Japan Airlines deal 12 Nov 2009. Source: AltAssets. Private equity firm TPG Capital may team up with American Airlines to make a minority investment in Japan Airlines to stop it defecting to a rival airline, according to a Reuters report.

• Carlyle to buy Japanese restaurant chain in MBO 06 Nov 2009. Source: AltAssets. The Carlyle Group intends to acquire Chimney Co, a Japanese restaurant chain operator listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, in a management buy-out.

• Japanese PE exec dies following insider trading investigation 05 Nov 2009. Source: AltAssets. Unison Capital, a Japanese private equity firm focused on buy-outs, has said that the Japanese Securities and Exchange Surveillance has been investigating an alleged insider trading incident, the day before one of its executives died.

• Carlyle Group to buy out Japanese software company Broadleaf 27 Oct 2009. Source: AltAssets. The Carlyle Group, one of the world’s largest private equity firms, has agreed to buy out  Japan’s Broadleaf, an IT solutions provider for the automotive industry.  The deal has not been officially disclosed but is reported to be worth 19.5bn yen ($212m).

• Sun Capital Partners sells portfolio company Tarami to MUL Principal Investments 13 Oct 2009. Source: AltAssets. US private equity firm Sun Capital Partners has sold portfolio company Tarami KK, a producer of gelatine confectionary, to MUL Principal Investments, a private equity subsidiary of Mitsubishi UFJ Lease & Finance Company. The value of the exit was reportedly around $78m.

• Tokyo’s Rogers Investment Advisors to launch private equity fund 09 Oct 2009. Source: AltAssets. Rogers Investment Advisors, a Tokyo-based hedge fund advisory firm, has expanded its team as it prepares to launch a private equity fund that will focus on Asian investments, according to a Bloomberg report.

• Former Deutsche Bankers launch investment bank specialising in Asian distressed and illiquid investments 09 Oct 2009. Source: AltAssets. SC Lowy Financial Services, a new investment bank headed by ex-members of Deutsche Bank’s Asian distressed assets division, has commenced operations in Hong Kong, focusing on Asian distressed and illiquid investments.

• Law firm Ropes & Gray adds private equity-focused partner to Tokyo office 09 Oct 2009. Source: AltAssets. Global law firm Ropes & Gray has added Bradley Edmister as a partner in its Tokyo office to focus on its private equity dealings.

• Credit Suisse to offer primary and secondary private equity funds in Japan 06 Oct 2009. Source: AltAssets. Credit Suisse is planning on offering alternative investments including private equity funds in Japan, despite having sold its Japanese asset management unit in June, according to reports.

• Japanese drinks company looks to buy Orangina from private equity owners 10 Sep 2009. Source: AltAssets. A privately held Japanese beverage producer is considering the purchase of French soft drink maker Orangina from private equity firm Blackstone and its partner Lion Capital, according to reports.

• CVC loses stake in Skylark restaurant chain 28 Aug 2009. Source: AltAssets. CVC Capital has lost its stake in restaurant chain Skylark after failing to repay a loan owed to Chuo Mitsui Capital, according to reports.

• Permira and KKR to bid for Citigroup's Bellsystem24 13 Aug 2009. Source: AltAssets. Permira and KKR have to submit their bids by 1 September for Citigroup Inc’s Bellsystem24, a Japanese telemarketing company, in what could be the biggest private equity deal in Japan this year, Reuters reports.

• Carlyle’s head of Japanese growth capital operations departs 12 Aug 2009. Source: AltAssets. Haruyasu Asakura, the managing director of Carlyle’s Japanese growth capital operations, has resigned from his post. Although the departure was not publicly announced, a spokeswoman for the firm confirmed the move.

• Japanese private equity firm Unison Capital closes fundraise on 140bn yen 12 Aug 2009. Source: AltAssets. Japanese private equity firm Unison Capital has announced the closing of its fundraise for Unison Capital Partners III.

• Asia-focused private equity firm MBK Partners closes second fund on $1.6bn 20 Jul 2009. Source: AltAssets. Asia-focused private equity firm MBK Partners has closed its second fund on $1.6bn, according to reports. The fund had an initial target of up to $3bn.