Equity Participation in Fund to Support Expansion of Japanese Companies into ASEAN Region
Supporting Overseas Business Deployments of Japanese Companies, including Mid-Tier Enterprises and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

• Region: Asia
• Manufacturing and Services
• Mid-tier Enterprises and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises(SMEs)
• Equity Participations

1. The Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC; Governor: Hiroshi Okuda) signed on March 1, the agreements for equity participation in a private equity fund called Mizuho ASEAN PE Fund (the Fund), and managed by Mizuho Asia Partners Pte. Ltd., (the Fund Manager), a wholly owned Singapore subsidiary of Mizuho Corporate Bank Ltd., (MHCB), to invest in local companies in the ASEAN region, including Japanese joint ventures.
    
2. The Fund targets investments in local companies, including Japanese joint ventures, in ASEAN countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and others, in order to support business expansion of Japanese companies, including mid-tier enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (collectively, SMEs), into the ASEAN region. The Fund will launch with an aggregate amount of approximately 150 million U.S. dollars with commitments from MHCB of up to 125 million U.S. dollars and JBIC of up to 25 million U.S. dollars respectively. 
    
3. The Fund Manager will seek investments by making use of its existing networks in the ASEAN region. Additionally, MHCB and Mizuho Bank, Ltd. (collectively, Mizuho Group) will provide financial supports to the portfolio companies of the Fund and will promote business alliances^*1 with Japanese SMEs. The participation of JBIC in the Fund initiated by MHCB is expected to lead to strengthening support for the overseas expansion of Japanese companies, including SMEs, in the ASEAN region.
    
4. JBIC is committed to actively supporting Japanese industries in their efforts to maintain and improve international competitiveness by utilizing various financial tools. 

Note

1. *1 JBIC signed the MOU on November 28, 2012, with Mizuho Group to support overseas business  deployments of Japanese companies, including SMEs. See Press release on November 28, 2012.