Japan’s Olympus is close to selling its microscope unit to a private equity firm in a deal that could fetch more than 300 billion yen ($2.2 billion), three people with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
Bain Capital has emerged as the frontrunner, said one of the people and a separate person with direct knowledge of the deal.
Carlyle and KKR & Co also submitted binding bids this month for the unit which makes microscopes, industrial endoscopes and x-ray analysers, said three of the people with direct knowledge.
Olympus has been restructuring in recent years with the aim of focusing solely on medical technology and if this sale is successful, it would be the company’s biggest divestment to date, according to Refinitiv data.
A spokeswoman for Olympus said nothing has been decided at the moment and the company will make announcements when necessary, declining to disclose further details.
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