News

Equity Participation in Signal Co., Ltd.

Aug. 17, 2023

Mitsui & Co., Principal Investments Ltd. ("MCPI", Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, President and CEO: Nobuyuki Goto) has invested in Signal Co., Ltd. ("Signal", Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo, President and CEO: Yoshiyuki Okuno).

Signal operates high-end Italian and French restaurants in the Tokyo area under the "Brianza" brand. President and CEO Yoshiyuki Okuno, who is also the company’s chief chef, polished his cooking skills while working at one- and two-star restaurants in Italy, and has been exercising his abilities to guide the growth of the Brianza Group. Mr. Okuno plans to achieve further growth by continually opening new restaurants.

MCPI will leverage the Mitsui & Co. group’s network, restaurant business expertise, and know-how in improving business management to help Signal further expand its business. MCPI will also assign a non-executive director and a frontline staff member to Signal, in order to support efforts to raise Signal’s corporate value.

Signal’s founder, Mr. Okuno, will continue to be involved in the company as its President, CEO and chief chef, and as a shareholder. Mr. Okuno, Signal’s officers and staff members, and MCPI will work together to accelerate the company’s growth.

Established in 2003 as a private equity arm backed by Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Tokyo, President and CEO: Kenichi Hori), which possesses an extensive global network, MCPI is engaged in business investment under the banner of "Challenge and Innovation". MCPI aspires to (1) create corporate value by leveraging Mitsui’s networks, (2) achieve operational improvement by providing hands-on support, and (3) propose a flexible investment structure. MCPI makes private equity investments both in Japan and overseas, providing managerial supports to investee companies in various industries.