KPS Capital Partners announced the launch of KPS Asia, expanding the firm’s global industrial investment platform. As part of the initiative, KPS appointed Takajiro “Tak” Ishikawa as President of KPS Asia and plans to establish a Tokyo office in 2027.
The launch represents a major step in KPS’ long-term global growth strategy. The firm said Japan and the broader Asian market represent one of the most compelling opportunities for industrial investment and transformation today.
KPS has maintained relationships across Asia for more than two decades. Institutional investors in the region have committed more than $4 billion across KPS funds since 2004, and the firm has also built relationships with major industrial companies through investments, partnerships, and strategic transactions.
Ishikawa joins KPS after a 43-year career at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Mitsubishi Corporation. He held senior leadership roles overseeing global industrial operations and transformation initiatives, including serving as Executive Vice President of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and President and CEO of MHI North America.
Throughout his career, Ishikawa invested as both a strategic and financial investor in industrial businesses across Japan, North America, Latin America, and Europe. His sector experience includes mining, steel, aviation, automotive components, power generation, and industrial infrastructure.
Earlier in his career at Mitsubishi Corporation, Ishikawa helped build the firm’s financial services business into a multi-asset-class asset management platform with more than $24 billion in assets under management. He later launched MHI’s Investment & Business Development Group, which invested in defense, low-carbon power generation, and climate change technologies.
The launch of KPS Asia follows the firm’s expansion into Europe, where it established its Frankfurt office in 2010. KPS said it has since become one of the most active investors in manufacturing and industrial companies across Europe.
KPS believes similar dynamics are increasingly emerging in Japan, including corporate carve-outs, portfolio rationalizations, and transformational public-to-private transactions. The firm said these trends align with its operationally focused investment approach.
Founded more than 35 years ago, KPS is a private equity firm focused exclusively on manufacturing and industrial companies. The firm has approximately $18.6 billion in assets under management.
About 70% of KPS investments have involved acquiring non-core businesses from global corporations. In many cases, sellers have retained minority ownership interests alongside KPS, reflecting confidence in the firm’s operational approach to value creation.
KPS has also completed strategic transactions involving several leading manufacturing and industrial businesses across Japan and the broader Asia-Pacific region. These companies include Hitachi, Hitachi Metals, Nagano Keiki, Sumitomo Electric, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
In addition to the planned Tokyo presence, KPS maintains offices in New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago, London, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam. The launch of KPS Asia is expected to support the firm’s regional investment activities and long-term partnerships with industrial companies across Asia.
KEY QUOTES:
“Asia, and Japan in particular, represents a tremendous opportunity for KPS. The combination of world-class industrial companies, technological leadership, and an increasing willingness among corporations to pursue transformational transactions creates a highly attractive environment for our investment strategy. We believe the time is right to establish a permanent presence in the region and make a long-term commitment to investing alongside management teams to build stronger, more competitive businesses.”
Michael Psaros, Co-Founder and Co-Managing Partner of KPS
“Tak is the perfect leader for this effort. We have worked closely with Tak for nearly three decades, and it is exciting to formally welcome him to KPS, as he has long felt like an extension of our team. He understands our culture, our investment philosophy and our operational approach, while bringing unparalleled credibility and relationships across Japan’s industrial sector. Additionally, Tak was among the first Japanese executives to recognize the potential of KPS’ investment strategy and played an important role in introducing our firm to the Japanese institutional investment community.”
Michael Psaros, Co-Founder and Co-Managing Partner of KPS
“KPS is uniquely positioned to succeed in Japan and across Asia. The firm’s approach to investing in industrial businesses — focusing on operational improvement, long-term growth and partnership with management teams — aligns closely with the priorities of Japanese companies. KPS has successfully demonstrated this model repeatedly around the world, including in Europe, where it built one of the region’s leading industrial investment platforms. I believe that experience provides a compelling blueprint for what can be achieved in Japan.”
Takajiro “Tak” Ishikawa, President of KPS Asia
“Our experience helping industrial companies navigate change, unlock growth and strengthen competitiveness is highly relevant in today’s Japanese market. We are committed to building a significant presence in Asia and becoming a trusted partner to companies, employees and stakeholders across the region.”
Michael Psaros, Co-Founder and Co-Managing Partner of KPS
