US-based private equity firm Bain Capital is planning to increase its offer to acquire Japan’s Fuji Soft to JPY9,600 ($63.35) per share, surpassing a competing bid from buyout rival KKR, according to a report by Nikkei.
Bain’s proposed offer represents a 1.6% premium over KKR’s revised bid of JPY9,451 per share, further intensifying the competition between the two private equity powerhouses for the $4bn software maker.
The bidding war highlights Japan’s growing appeal as a lucrative market for mergers and acquisitions, particularly among global private equity firms.
According to data from LSEG, inbound M&A activity in Japan reached a record $81bn in the first 10 months of this year — a staggering 17-fold increase compared to the same period last year.
KKR had previously raised its initial bid for Fuji Soft from JPY8,800 yn to JPY9,451 per share last month, setting the stage for Bain’s latest counteroffer.
