State-backed fund in advanced talks to invest in Sharp

What does the phrase "a state-backed fund" mean? Unelected officials or elected officials with deep ties to the corporate world deciding to use tax payer money to invest in whatever they like, even if it's in a failed corporation?

After reading this the image that comes to mind is a Jabba the Hutt-type creature shifting piles of money from pocket to pocket to yet another pocket in its fraying coat.

What a scam! More ways to sell out the future in the name of the past. More ways to prop up feckless old dudes who have no clue.

I love Sharp, have many of their TVs, no problems.

Corporate welfare. Let them go to the wall, declare bankruptcy and restructure, then let the shareholders take a loss - don't raid the tax coffers to prop up companies that can no longer compete with their foreign competitors.

no longer compete with their foreign competitors.

Yeh right which is why Hon Hai want to buy them.

Keep Sharp in Japan

I agree with you shallots, the management must be changed. Old men who have no idea of design and modern marketing and what is needed for a further looking company. The technology of Sharp is extraordinary but look at the design of their products! As a foreign stockholder of Sharp I am not only interested into profits, I am also interested in keeping this company and their technology japanese because foreign companies like Samsung or LG are not good inventors and there would be a very very bis loss of tech innovations. But I must tell you, this is only an european opinion and maybe I do not have any idea of what Sharp means for Japan. But what I do not understand is why so many domestic japanese are against Sharp and why comments here are very often against such a innovative company like Sharp is. Be proud of what Sharp made for technological advance and keep this company alive. If they fail you will know what you have lost and will miss this company. But if they fail, there is no way back! Keep this in mind

But INCJ is now looking to inject funds into Sharp’s overall business and pursuing broader restructuring including cost cuts and deals such as a merger with Toshiba’s consumer electronics arm, people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters this week.

Guees that qualifies as "innovation" now in Japan. How truly sad.

INCJ has asked Sharp’s main creditors to forgive part of its roughly 700 billion yen ($5.75 billion) debt in return for investment, the people said. The lenders are keeping Hon Hai’s offer on the table to win better terms from INCJ, they said.

Another zombie company kept alive by a government bail-out and more "free" loans from the dutiful banks. Pathetic.

Management culture sucks at these companies. Current CEO ist the first one not connected by blood to the founder's family.