Japan: J-STAR announces acquisition of IT job platform Gino

Tokyo-based private equity firm J-STAR has recently announced its acquisition of one of Japan's leading job search and education platforms for IT specialists, Gino Inc., for an undisclosed amount.

In a statement, the alternative asset manager said it has agreed to a management buyout of Gino, operator of paiza.jp, through J-STAR No. 4 Investment LP, the firm’s fourth fund that closed at the hard cap of $433 million in December. 

The IT job search operated by Gino has 300,000 users, or approximately 75% of IT engineers in the country. Employers can evaluate the applicants by actually viewing their program coding works. 

Japan is expected to have a shortage of about 590,000 IT professionals in 2030, from 170,000 in 2015, due to declining birthrate and aging society, according to estimates by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and industry. 

“We have decided to support the management buyout in light of the company’s essential social role in resolving the growing shortage of IT personnel,” J-STAR said.

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