TOKYO/NEW YORK, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Japanese eyecare

products maker TopCon ( TOPCF ) is exploring going private among

other measures to raise corporate value, it said in a statement,

following reports that private equity firms were placing bids to

take the firm private.

Private equity firms including KKR & Co ( KKR ) are in a

bidding process to acquire the company, two sources with

knowledge of the matter said. Bloomberg News first reported

about the bids on Tuesday, also naming Swedish investment firm

EQT as a contender.

"We are always considering various measures to enhance our

corporate value, not only the measures mentioned in the report,"

TopCon ( TOPCF ) said in the statement dated Tuesday, adding that nothing

had been decided yet.

KKR declined to comment, while EQT did not immediately

respond to Reuters' request for comment.

TopCon ( TOPCF ) shares rose as much as 23% on Wednesday, giving it a

market cap of around 280 billion yen ($1.85 billion), according

to Reuters calculations based on LSEG data.

($1 = 151.6600 yen)

(Reporting by Anton Bridge in Tokyo and Anirban Sen in New York;

additional reporting by Kane Wu in Hong Kong; Editing by Varun H

K)