Mar. 02, 2026Marubeni Corporation
Marubeni Corporation (hereinafter, “Marubeni”) has entered into a strategic relationship with Branford Castle Partners L.P. (hereinafter, “Branford”) and agreed to invest in Branford’s new flagship fund, a U.S. private equity (PE) fund(*1). Through this investment, Marubeni will enter the U.S. market for a new pillar of its PE business, following its activities in Japan and Asia.
From left: Kei Usami (General Manager, Marubeni), Eric Korsten (Partner, Branford), Mike Kiser (General Manager, Marubeni America Corporation), David A. Castle (Managing Partner, Branford), Jiro Itai (Senior Managing Executive Officer, Marubeni), John S. Castle (President and CEO, Branford), Taro Kawabe (Managing Executive Officer, Marubeni), Ceon Francis (Managing Director, Branford)
The United States is the world’s largest PE market, with assets under management totaling approximately 3.8 trillion USD. There are approximately 110,000 small- and mid-sized companies with annual revenues in the range of 10 million USD to 250 million USD, providing abundant investment opportunities. In addition, amid growing uncertainty in the global economy and rising geopolitical risks, many small- and mid-sized U.S. companies also face urgent challenges such as diversifying supply chains and expanding overseas sales networks. As a result, Marubeni is seeing rapidly increasing demand for collaboration with partners that possess global trading-house capabilities.
Since its establishment in 1986, Branford has focused on investing primarily in the specialty manufacturing sector(*2) in small- and mid-sized U.S. companies with high market shares, seeking to enhance corporate value through initiatives such as strengthening marketing and sales and supporting digital transformation. Including predecessor entities, the entire Branford Castle team has managed over 6 billion USD in funds. For its new flagship fund, Branford aims to further refine its investment approach and hands-on value-creation support. Marubeni will invest in Branford’s new flagship fund and will also provide Branford and its portfolio companies with multifaceted support by leveraging the Marubeni Group’s global integrated trading and investment capabilities and network, including providing access to potential new business partners, assistance with procurement cost reduction, and valuable market insights.
Since establishing Japan’s first PE fund in 1997, Marubeni has continuously engaged in the PE business across Japan and Asia, with the cumulative total size of PE funds in which Marubeni has been involved exceeding 500 billion JPY. In particular, iSigma Capital Corporation which invests in small- and mid-sized companies in Japan, has many similarities and synergies with Branford. By accumulating and feeding back the insights gained from managing and investing through both funds, Marubeni will strengthen its overall PE business. Going forward, through its PE business, Marubeni seeks to promote the growth and development of small- and mid-sized companies in Japan, Asia, and the U.S., contributing to corporate value enhancement and sustainable economic growth, while aiming to achieve a net profit of 10 billion JPY across its PE business.
(*1)An investment fund that generates capital gains by acquiring equity in companies, participating in management to enhance corporate value, and then selling its stake. Such funds are also expected to help revitalize the economy by addressing management challenges such as business succession, labor shortages, improved operational efficiency, and overseas expansion-through investment and hands-on support.
(*2)The focus is particularly on testing, measurement and precision instrumentation, government products, specialty materials, and other similar products.
