Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund launched a $2.5 billion Japan-focused private equity fund with ORIX, a giant Japanese financial services firm, in a move highlighting rising investor interest in Japanese buyouts.
Qatar Investment Authority is joining firms like Blackstone and KKR in looking to put more cash into Japan as governance reforms and aging business owners looking for successors spark a wave of deals.
The QIA will contribute 40% of the capital for the fund and ORIX the rest. It will target deals for companies worth at least $200 million.
Japan appears increasingly attractive for Gulf countries looking for investment opportunities and partners to invest in their own economies. It’s a major buyer of Qatari gas and Saudi oil, and next month the Saudi sovereign wealth fund will take its flagship investment conference to Tokyo for the first time. The fund has doubled investments in the country since 2021.