- Region: Asia
- Manufacturing and Services
- Mid-tier Enterprises and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises(SMEs)
November 28, 2012
- The Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC; Governor: Hiroshi Okuda) signed today, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd. (Mizuho CB) and Mizuho Bank, Ltd. (both banks collectively called Mizuho Group), to collaborate with a private equity fund (called "Mizuho ASEAN PE Fund"), which will be managed by a subsidiary of Mizuho CB and target investment in local companies in the ASEAN region, including Japanese joint ventures. The collaboration with the fund will support the overseas business deployment of Japanese mid-tier enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (collectively "SMEs").
- The primary objective of the fund is to support and encourage the expansion of Japanese companies, particularly SMEs, into the ASEAN region by investing in local companies there. More precisely, the fund will partner with Japanese companies to invest jointly in companies located in the ASEAN region. It will then support those Japanese companies in managing the companies in which they have invested. The fund will also seek out and invest in local companies in ASEAN that have the potential to be good opportunities for investment by Japanese companies. This will promote the creation of strategic alliances between Japanese companies and those local companies.
- Under the MOU, in order to support the overseas business deployment of Japanese SMEs, Mizuho Group will provide operational support to the portfolio companies of the fund and will promote business alliances with Japanese SMEs. Also, the MOU sets out information exchanges on possible financing opportunities by JBIC and Mizuho Group. JBIC intends to contribute to the business deployment of Japanese SMEs in the ASEAN region through this MOU.
- In addition to supporting Japanese SMEs' overseas business deployment through this MOU, JBIC, Mizuho Group, the fund and those involved in the fund will continue consultations on further cooperation.