TOKYO -- Japanese biotech unicorn Spiber has approved raising 34.4 billion yen ($312 million) from investors led by U.S. private equity firm Carlyle Group in one of the biggest funding rounds for a Japanese startup.
Spiber, known for making fibers inspired by spider silk, is employing a combination of new-share issuance and a value securitization scheme backed by such intangible assets as intellectual property. It announced the capital increase Wednesday.
