Natixis buys Tokyo advisory boutique Sangyo Sosei to crack Japan's M&A boom
What's the deal? Natixis Corporate & Investment BankingDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, the arm of French lender BPCE, has agreed to acquire Sangyo Sosei AdvisoryDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a Tokyo M&A boutique, to launch its merger advisory business in Japan. The price was undisclosed, and the deal needs approval from Japan's Financial Services Agency.
Why now? Global lenders are racing to add dealmakers in Tokyo as Japanese companies pursue transactions at a record pace. Rather than hiring banker by banker, NatixisDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → is taking on an established team that already works together.
Who is Sangyo Sosei? Founded in 2009 as Japan's first independent adviser focused on technology, media and telecommunications, the firm later expanded into infrastructure. It advised on DigitalBridgeDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →'s ¥70 billion ($442 million) purchase of Jtower in 2024 and on Arteria NetworksDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →' sale to MarubeniDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and SecomDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → in 2023.
What changes? Co-founder Gary Chan, a former UBS managing director, will head the new investment banking, real assets and M&A business. The SSA team joins on January 1, 2027.
What's the endgame? Natixis will focus mainly on cross-border deals, targeting energy, natural resources and digital infrastructure. The move extends a three-year push into Japan that included strengthening lending and opening a Tokyo branch in July 2025.
The signal: Japan's deal count hit records in 2025 and again in the first half of 2026, drawing global banks including Citigroup, Goldman SachsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and UBS to expand in Tokyo. Natixis's entry is a strategic foothold — but in a crowded advisory market, its success will depend on winning mandates.
Read more: japantimes.co.jp
Image credit: - Marco Togni -
