Asahi Kasei divests Daramic to focus on high-growth battery & electronics businesses
Press Release, 3 December 2025
Asahi Kasei, the diversified global manufacturer spanning Healthcare, Homes, and Material sectors, has completed the sale of its Daramic lead battery separator business to Kingswood Capital Management, LP as of December 1, 2025. The company stated that this divestiture has minimal impact on its consolidated financial results for fiscal 2025.
According to Hideyuki Yamagishi, President of Asahi Kasei’s Material Sector, the divestiture is a strategic step to reallocate resources toward high-potential growth areas. Going forward, the company will strengthen its position in the lithium-ion battery separator market, focusing on North America, Japan, and Korea, particularly in the automotive sector. The move aligns with Asahi Kasei’s medium-term management plan, “Trailblaze Together”, which emphasizes capital efficiency, earnings acceleration, and channeling investments into core growth pillars such as pharmaceuticals, critical care, overseas homes, and electronics.
The Daramic business had been part of Asahi Kasei since its acquisition of Polypore in 2015, which also brought the Celgard dry-process lithium-ion battery separator business under Asahi Kasei’s portfolio. With the divestiture, the company can now focus on expanding its Hipore wet-process lithium-ion technology, a key growth driver for automotive applications.
This move reflects Asahi Kasei’s ongoing strategy of portfolio transformation, previously seen in exits from the methyl methacrylate (MMA) business and expansion in Pimel photosensitive polyimide production. The company continues to pursue sustainable, profitable growth while contributing to a carbon-neutral society by 2050.
With over 50,000 employees worldwide, Asahi Kasei remains committed to providing solutions that enhance life and living globally while advancing sustainability and innovation across its Healthcare, Homes, and Material sectors.
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