VENTURE CAPITAL POST

Tokyo, Japan-based multinational imaging and electronics company Ricoh has entered an agreement to acquire Massachusetts, US-based IT services provider mindSHIFT Technologies Inc from Best Buy Co Inc for an undisclosed amount.

Japanese retail investors ramped up their buying of foreign securities via toshins, or investment trusts, this month after they sold a large amount in December ahead of a capital gains tax hike, according to Nomura.

New York, US-based private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management LP decided to exit its entire majority interest in Japan-based property operator Kokusai Kogyo Co in a deal valued between $1.25 billion to $1.34 billion.

Japan-based railway and hotel group Seibu Holdings Inc and top shareholder Cerberus Capital Management LP agreed on a Tokyo listing for the Japanese firm in April, according to sources familiar with the situation.

Japan-based beverage firm Suntory Holdings Ltd announced that it would add US-based spirits company Beam Inc in a $13.6-billion cash deal to facilitate overseas growth for the Japanese firm.

UK-based institutional currency investment manager Millennium Global Holdings Inc acquired a 51% stake in Philippine-based seafood exports business Millennium Ocean Star Corp in a deal valued at PHP137.91 million.

China-based automotive glass supplier Fuyao Glass Industry Co will pour in a $200-million investment to build a manufacturing facility at the former assembly plant of General Motors (GM) in Ohio, US.

Japanese trading house Marubeni Corp announced on Friday that it had bought a 100-megawatt (MW) gas power facility in Tokyo and is also planning to add further 200 MW of local capacity in 2016.

Schaft Inc Co-Founder Takashi Kato has launched 246 Capital, a fund that seeks to invest in technologies by Japanese startups and universities not noticed by investors, Bloomberg reported.

US-based multinational banking and financial services firm JP Morgan Chase & Co purchased an equity stake in alternative trading systems operator Chi-X Global Holdings LLC for an undisclosed sum.

Japan-based food and beverage giant Kirin Holdings Ltd has no plans to sell its 9.99% holding in Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory Ltd to Canadian firm Saputo Inc as it wants to secure a cheese supply agreement with the latter.

Japan-based tech giant Toshiba agreed to buy a 26% stake in India-based water and wastewater management firm UEM India Private Ltd in a deal with undisclosed financial details.

Japan-based trading house Marubeni Corp sold its 30% interest in Australia-based Milmerran Power Station to a buyer in South Korea for under A$200 million ($179 million), according to a source familiar with the deal.

Japanese electric motors manufacturer Nidec Sankyo Corp completed the purchase of Mitsubishi Materials CMI Corp for an undisclosed sum, according to an announcement made by Nidec Corp.

BlackRock Inc's Asia Property Fund III is exiting its Westin hotel in Singapore to Tokyo-based property developer Daisho Group in a deal valued at S$468 million ($369 million).