MBK Partners is acquiring semiconductor printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturer FICT.

MBK Partners logo. /Courtesy of MBK Partners

On the 6th, according to the investment banking (IB) industry, MBK Partners will acquire 80% of FICT equity from its largest shareholder, Advantage Partners. The remaining 20% will be acquired by U.S. semiconductor inspection equipment corporation FormFactor. The acquisition amount is estimated to reach 100 billion yen (around 95.1 billion won).

MBK Partners noted that due to the expanding demand for artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, there is significant medium-term growth potential. MBK Partners plans for FICT's management to maintain the existing system and promote growth through the utilization of international networks.

FICT's predecessor was Fujitsu Interconnect Technologies, which Fujitsu sold to Advantage Partners in 2020. It was later renamed to its current name in 2022. For the fiscal year ending March 2024, revenues are projected to be around 30 billion yen, with approximately 980 employees as of the end of March 2024.

FICT has strengths in manufacturing substrates equipped with high-density and high-speed data transmission technology. It also has experience producing substrates for supercomputers Fugaku and Kei.

FormFactor, which acquired 20% of FICT equity, uses FICT substrates as key components in its semiconductor inspection equipment. This capital partnership aims to strengthen global customer development and collaboration.