Itochu

Itochu Corporation ("Itochu"), established in 1949 in Japan, is one the largest trading companies in the world with a specific focus on consumer products and general merchandise such as textile and machinery, energy sources, chemical and food and agricultural products. The company has been operating in China since 1972 and made its first strategic investment in 1978. Over the years, Itochu has made over 250 strategic investments in China across a range of different industries and geographic regions. It is the intention of both DPG and Itochu to seek strategic advantages among its corporate portfolios to enhance revenues and thereby valuations. Furthermore, DPG aims to leverage off Itochu's industrial and technical expertise and business connections in China. Itochu is highly selective in choosing when investing in a private equity team as it prefers to support its in-house principal investment team. Nonetheless, Itochu has become a strong supporter of DPG in Fund I and Fund II.