– Neuberger Berman has announced the final close of its NB Japan Private Equity Opportunities Fund, raising approximately JPY 70bn ($460m).
– The fund attracted capital from institutional investors, family offices and private wealth investors.
– The strategy provides diversified exposure to Japan’s private equity market through commitments to Japanese private equity funds and direct co-investments.
– The strategy is designed to provide broad market exposure while maintaining capital deployment efficiency.
– This is Neuberger’s first dedicated Japan-focused private equity product.
– Neuberger had previously committed more than JPY 110bn through managed commingled funds and custom accounts across Japan-focused primary funds, co-investments and secondaries.
– Kent Chen, Managing Director and Head of Asia Private Equity, cited corporate governance reforms, increased focus on shareholder value, corporate carve-outs, take-private transactions and ownership transitions among founder-led businesses as key drivers of the Japanese private equity market.
– Jonathan Shofet, Managing Director and Head of Private Investment Portfolios & Co-Investments, said the fund was raised in less than one year, despite a challenging fundraising environment.
– Neuberger’s global private markets platform manages more than $170bn in commitments.
– The fund is supported by investment professionals across Asia, including a Tokyo-based team, with local deal execution capabilities, manager relationships and market insights.
