By Miho Uranaka and Sam Nussey TOKYO (Reuters) -Bain Capital-backed Kioxia filed for an IPO on Friday and sources familiar with the matter said the Japanese chipmaker was targeting December for the offering.

Kioxia Holdings Corp. plans to debut on the Tokyo Stock Exchange between this December and June next year in a bid to narrow the yawning gap with memory leader Samsung Electronics Co.

Kioxia would be the first company to use new rules that allow firms to test investor appetite before seeking listing approval from the Tokyo Stock Exchange, the people said, declining to be identified as the information is not public.

Bain Capital-backed Kioxia plans to file a registration statement as soon as Friday which will allow the Japanese chipmaker to sound out investors for an initial public offering in December, two people familiar with the matter said.