Houlihan Lokey Advises iSigma Partners Corporation

Houlihan Lokey is pleased to announce that iSigma Partners Corp. (iSigma) has sold Shokukai Co., Ltd. (Shokukai), to Yamatane Corp. (Yamatane). The transaction was closed on October 2.

Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, iSigma is a private equity firm that has pioneered buyout investments in the Japanese middle market.

Founded in 1991, Shokukai is a leading Japanese wholesaler of frozen food for boxed lunch service providers throughout Japan. Shokukai’s strengths in product development, price competitiveness, and extensive product lineup led it to become one of the top players in the industry. Shokukai has also successfully expanded its business into supermarkets and mass retailers owing to the continuous support from iSigma.

Founded in 1924, Yamatane is a listed company on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and a major rice wholesaler in Japan. It also operates logistics, real estate, and IT system-related businesses.

Yamatane's long-term vision is to establish a more stable and sustainable supply chain of food across Japan. Through this transaction, Shokukai will contribute to achieving Yamatane’s vision with its unique and extensive customer base of boxed lunches and other meal service providers in Japan. It has also established an essential presence in the food industry for its ESG initiatives, actively working to reduce food loss in its procurement process.

Houlihan Lokey served as the sole financial advisor to iSigma by providing value from identifying suitable buyer candidates and quality execution support.