Foreign companies make it rain for Japan

 

 Foreign companies make it rain for Japan

Companies from around the world are funneling their money into Japan.

- Nvidia to become a big shareholder in Japan's Sakana AI Startup to be Japan's fastest unicorn; chipmaker to also support GPU supply 

- Taiwan venture capital investments in Japan near 10-year high. Wealth of 'deep tech' startups to be found at university level, VC chief says.

-   Japan Inc.'s 25 trillion yen opportunity: Cashing in on real estate. Railway operator Seibu sets example by putting big Tokyo complex up for sale.

-  Singapore's GIC acquires logistics facility in Japan for $400m. Sovereign wealth fund expands local real estate assets amid e-commerce demand.

 
The weakening yen is attracting bargain-hunting investors, while positive developments in corporate Japan and the economy are helping to produce a more optimistic outlook for the country, especially as the Chinese economy falters.
 
This month, U.S. chip giant Nvidia revealed its investment in Sakana AI, a Japanese startup co-founded by former Google researchers. The latest injection of funds, which has pushed Sakana AI into unicorn status, amounted to around 20 billion yen ($137 million), of which Nvidia appears to be the largest contributor.
 
Japan's startup scene is seeing other promising signs as well, such as investment from Taiwan flowing into the country at the fastest pace in a decade amid tensions with China.
 
Fresh in the minds of many may be Canadian convenience store leader Alimentation Couche-Tard's bid for Seven & i Holdings, owner of the 7-Eleven chain of convenience stores. The deal has the potential to be the biggest-ever foreign takeover of a Japanese company, but Seven & i recently criticized what it called an "opportunistically timed" proposal that "grossly undervalues" its potential.
 
Moves by major names in Japan Inc. to tap their property wealth have also caught the eyes of foreign investors. Big landowners like manufacturers and hoteliers are selling off real estate that's no longer central to their business -- a shift that has motivated big global finance players such as Blackstone and Bain Capital to increase their presence in Japan.
 
With the number of foreign tourists surging in Japan, popular foreign chains such as IKEA and IHG Hotels & Resorts are eager to seize what they see as a big business opportunity. The Swedish furniture giant renovated its location in Tokyo's Shibuya ward, while the U.K.-based hotel chain is set to expand its network by rebranding three hotels from a local operator in smaller Japanese cities as ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel.