Japan govt-backed fund may take minority stake in Toshiba chip unit

A little hope: Discussions on a potential investment are at a very early stage.

TOKYO: A Japanese state-backed fund may invest in Toshiba Corp's memory chip business as a minority partner – a move that would help the government prevent a sale to bidders it deems risky to national security, sources familiar with the matter said.

Discussions on a potential investment are, however, at a very early stage and may not develop further as some people within the government are concerned it could be seen as a publicly funded bailout, one of the sources said.