SoftBank's LY and Bain have once again increased their offer to acquire Kakaku, with a valuation reaching $4.1 billion.

SoftBank's LY Corp, under the ownership of Bain Capital, has once again raised its offer to acquire Kakaku.com, a Japanese price comparison website operator, valuing the company at 670 billion yen, further widening the gap with the competing bid from Sweden's EQT. In a legally binding offer announced on Wednesday evening, LY and Bain stated that they would increase their offer to purchase all outstanding shares of Kakaku.com from the previously proposed 3,232 yen per share in May to 3,384 yen per share. In response to this new proposal, Kakaku.com stated in a Thursday statement that they will negotiate with EQT, which currently offers 3,000 yen per share, while maintaining their support for the Swedish investment company's acquisition offer. The company has withdrawn its previous shareholder recommendation in support of EQT's acquisition offer, adjusting its position to "neutral," and also added that they will engage in negotiations with both competing bidders.