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Undercover VC | Japan’s $5.4B Buyout Fund Resets PE Competition

Plus: Washington eyes 401(k) access to alternatives, shifting retail flows

Author

Avinash Duggempudi
August 13, 2025

SPONSORED BY

Undercover VC

Here’s what’s happening this week in the world of private markets and venture:
- State-backed Japan fund readies $5.4B buyout vehicle.
- New Jersey VC launches $25M seed-to-A fund.
- 500 Global debuts sustainable accelerator in Nairobi.
- VC rebounds in H1, led by AI and crypto.
- DOL signals alt access in 401(k)s is coming.

⏱️THE MINUTE READ

Whether you're early in discovery or chasing signatures, it’s never too late or too soon to multi-thread.

This guide gives you 10 real-world tactics to:

  • Expand your stakeholder web mid-cycle

  • Activate champions without spooking them

  • Engage legal, finance, IT, and end-users with the right message at the right time

The best reps don’t wait for intros. They build them.

📌WEEKLY MUST-KNOWS

VENTURE CAPITAL
1435 Capital Launches $25M Innovation Fund For NJ Startups
1435 Capital rolled out the Garden State Innovation Fund to back New Jersey seed and Series A companies across sectors. More local early-stage capital tightens the NJ–NY corridor, supporting talent retention and accelerating company formation. Expect denser regional pipelines and more structured GTM support needs at the seed-to-A transition..

SUSTAINABILITY & ACCELERATORS
500 Global Launches Sustainable Innovation Program Backed By Catalytic Partners
500 Global unveiled a Sustainable Innovation Program, anchored by Shell Foundation, starting with an 8‑week seed accelerator in Nairobi. The initiative mobilizes mission‑aligned capital and capacity building across the global south, targeting commercially viable sustainability plays. For investors, this expands pipeline access to impact‑ready ventures with operational scaffolding for scale.

PRIVATE EQUITY
Japan Investment Corp. To Launch New Buyout Fund
Japan Investment Corp., a state-backed investor, will launch an ¥800 billion ($5.4 billion) buyout fund managed by JIC Capital. This adds a sizable new buyer to the Asia PE landscape, reshaping competitive dynamics, exits and co-invest options for global sponsors. Corporates and PE sellers with Japan exposure should anticipate faster processes and higher scrutiny on post-close value creation.

⚡QUICK READS

Cravath: VC And Growth Equity Rebound In H1 2025: VC investment ticked up in H1 2025, concentrated in outsized AI, crypto and fintech rounds—tight capital concentration raises bar for GTM efficiency and diligence on revenue quality. (More)

DOL Eyes Framework For Alternatives In 401(k) Plans: Washington is preparing guidance to expand access to alternatives in 401(k)s—expect new distribution pathways for PE alongside heightened fiduciary and reporting obligations. (More)

SEI Taps Ex-BlackRock Leader To Drive Product Innovation: SEI appointed a former BlackRock exec to lead product development, signaling a push for faster institutional product rollout and sharper go‑to‑market execution. (More)

🧠LEADING VOICES

Why Most Sales Training Fails — And How Top Performers Play Chess, Not Tic-Tac-Toe

Breaking News… In a study of 478 B2B companies, the FSU Sales Institute found that companies achieving above-average returns on their sales training expenditures spend ≈5.5x's more time on differentiation and selling against main competitors than companies with average to below-average returns on their sales training dollars!

Bottom line: The vast majority of sales training programs are teaching sellers to play Tic-Tac-Toe—they focus on basic, table-stakes skills. But guess what? So does the competition. And just like most games of Tic-Tac-Toe, it ends in a tie—even when everyone plays well. It's no wonder the #1 complaint of modern B2B buyers is that "all sellers look a like"... and resort to using price for decision-making.

But, companies that get the most out of their training dollars teach sellers to play chess...they teach both "selling to" and "selling against" skills that today's sellers need.

Sales Intelligence is a ClickZ Media publication in the Sales & Marketing division