Vietnamese textbook publisher DTP has secured investments from Japan’s Gakken Holdings, while Singapore-based Wellesta has raised funding from two Japanese investors.
Gakken picks 35% stake in textbook publisher
DTP Education Solutions, a textbook publisher based in Vietnam, has secured investment from Japanese education company Gakken Holdings, according to a Nikkei Asia report.
The investment, which is understood to be worth several billion yen, gives Gakken a 35% stake in the Vietnamese company. Gakken reportedly acquired shares from existing stockholders and through a third-party allotment.
Gakken’s investment marks its foray into Southeast Asia as a declining birthrate at home threatens the domestic market, according to the report. The company, which was founded in 1947 by Hideto Furuoka, is based in Tokyo and operates in several areas, including publishing, education, and testing services.
DTP, on the other hand, provides English teaching and learning solutions in Vietnam. Based in Ho Chi Minh City, the company holds about 30% share of the country’s English textbook market.
With the investment, DTP will work with Gakken to produce textbooks and workbooks for subjects other than English, such as mathematics and science.
Wellesta bags $37.5m as part of Series B funding
Wellesta, a Singapore-based healthcare industry supplier, has secured S$50 million ($37.5 million) in funding from Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and Mitsui & Co, according to an announcement.
Wellesta said Mitsui is chipping in with S$30 million and JBIC is providing the remaining S$20 million as part of a Series B round.
The investment will give the Japanese investors a 20% stake in Wellesta, which seeks and markets pharmaceuticals and medical devices in Asia.
Wellesta has more than 30 customers, including Novartis, Roche, and Japan’s Takeda Pharmaceutical. The company acquires the rights to pharmaceuticals from developed countries and then imports and sells them in six countries, including Malaysia and Indonesia.
Mitsui has focused on the healthcare business in Asia. It has been the majority shareholder in IHH Healthcare Berhad (IHH), which is Asia’s largest private hospital group and is positioned as Mitsui’s core asset in the healthcare sector.