Mitsubishi, Canada's OMERS To Launch Infra Fund

Mitsubishi Corp., a major trading company, announced that Mitsubishi will participate in one of the world's largest infrastructure investment alliances, the Global Strategic Investment Alliance (GSIA), to invest in large-scale infrastructure assets mainly in North America and Europe. Mitsubishi is looking to jointly invest up to $2.5 billion with leading Japanese pension fund Pension Fund Association, Japan Bank for International Cooperation, and Mizuho Corporate Bank. The GSIA is a world-wide alliance that aims to raise $20 billion, led by Canada's leading pension plan, the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS).

Salesforce.com To Invest In PE-backed SIer

1st Holdings Group, a listed business software developer, announced that Salesforce.com., a US-based enterprise cloud computing company, acquired shares in 1st for about 50 million yen. 1st provides its products to Salesforce's business lineups. Advantage Partners, a Tokyo-based private equity firm, invested in 2004 and is the top shareholder in 1st Holdings.

AvanStrate To Postpone Going Public Again

AvanStrate Inc., a Carlyle-backed LCD glass substrate maker, announced that it decided to postpone its IPO due to various circumstances including recent stock market trends. This is the second time it has postponed its IPO since the big earthquake in March of last year.

ABLE & PARTNERS Goes To Private

ABLE & PARTNERS Inc., a listed real estate broker, announced that ABLE & PARTNERS approve a tender offer from an investment entity set up by its CEO Shigeru Sato. The TOB price is set at 580 yen, a 44.3% premium over its 3 month average. Risona Bank and the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ are ready to provide as much as 34.4 billion yen in financing.

Nidec To Aquire Italian Motor Maker From Fund

Nidec Corp., a Japanese precision motor manufacturer, announced that Nidec acquire all of the shares in Ansaldo Sistemi Industriali S.p. A., an Italian long-established industrial motor manufacturer, from Patriarch Partners, LLC, a US turnaround-foucused private equity firm, via its portfolio company. Thorugh this acquisition Nidec become to have significant sales in Europe, China, India, Russia and the Middle East. In US Nidec purchased Motors & Controls Business of Emerson Electric Co. in September 2010 to streangthen its industrial motor business in North and South America. Nidec has been famous as an aggressive M&A player.

Hony Capital With TPG To Bid For Failed Elpida

China's Hony Capital and US investment fund TPG will make a joint bid for the failed Elpida Memory Inc., according to The Nikkei. Hony Capital, a Chinese private equity firm, is under the umbrella of Lenovo's top shareholder, Legend Holdings Ltd. Lenovo Group might hold concerns about losing a key memory chip supplier to US or Korean rivals. So far the potential bidders are US chipmaker Micron Technology Inc., a team of Toshiba and SK Hynix Inc., and Hony Capital with TPG

Toshiba, Hynix May Launch Joint Bid For Failed Elpida

Toshiba Corp., an electrical conglomerate, is considering a joint bid with South Korea's SK Hynix Inc., for bankrupt DRAM chip manufacturer Elpida Memory Inc., according to The Nikkei. At present, US-based Micron Technology Inc. appears to have been a favorite sponsor. In additon to them, an investment fund is also expected to participate in the round of bidding, slated to close at the end of April. Elpida is expected to pick its turnaroud sponsor as early as May.

CAS Capital Exits Japanese Restaurants Operator

Orix Co., a lease-based financial conglomerate, announced that Orix acquired all shares in Kinrei Corp., a PE-backed Japanese cuisine restaurants operator, from CAS Capital., a Tokyo-based midsized private equity firm. CAS invested in 2005. Kinrei also produces and distributes frozen foods to convenience stores, and with Orix will expand its businesses overseas.

Riverside Exits Japanese Car Parking Operator

The Riverside Company, a US-based private equity firm, announced that its Riverside Asia Pacific Fund Ⅰ sold all their shares in Shinsoki co., a Japanese coin parking lot operator to iSigma Capital, a mid-targeted private equity firm. Riverside invested in Shinsouki in 2008 and rolled up an another operator in 2009. This is the first exit for Riverside Asia Pacific Fund Ⅰ.