Japan Investment Corp (JIC), a state-backed fund, is considering selling JSR, two years after it took the maker of chipmaking materials private in a $6 billion deal, sources said.
Fujifilm and Mitsubishi Chemical have expressed interest in acquiring the company, according to people familiar with the matter.
Massive investments in AI have lifted valuations of chip supply chain firms. JIC, which aimed to use JSR to drive industry consolidation, is now looking to capitalize on buoyant market conditions.
JIC, JSR, Fujifilm and Mitsubishi Chemical did not respond to requests for comment.
JSR, established in 1957, is a leading manufacturer of photoresists used to transfer circuit patterns onto semiconductor wafers.
JSR's new CEO said last year he was focused on restoring the company's business performance and it was not ready for acquisitions. The company logged a net profit of 60.7 billion yen on 400.7 billion yen of revenue in the year ended March.
