South Korea
VIG secures 3.2x return on Korea's HiParking
VIG Partners has agreed to sell Korean parking management business HiParking to Humax, a consumer electronics manufacturer, for KRW170 billion ($141 million).
Korea culture plays: Brands apart
Korean pop music is being used as a marketing tool for a long tail of consumers products and services. While investors are keen to leverage star power, they recognize it doesn’t last forever
Q&A: Choson Exchange's Geoffrey See
Geoffrey See is an advisor on Korean Peninsula affairs to the World Economic Forum and a serial tech entrepreneur who helps incubate start-ups in North Korea through his organization Choson Exchange
Korea cross-border consumer: Dining out
Restaurant chains can potentially ride on the tailwinds generated by demand for Korean cultural exports, but strong execution is ultimately the key factor in overseas expansion
Korean carve-outs: Network effects
Chaebol carve-outs have historically been elusive for global firms operating in Korea. A growing appreciation of their value-add capabilities could be the catalyst needed to direct more deals their way
TA invests in Unison-backed Gong Cha - update
TA Associates has acquired a controlling stake in Gong Cha, the Taiwan-based bubble tea chain backed by Unison Capital.
Korean biotech player gets $137m Series B
D&D Pharmatech, a South Korean biotechnology company, has raised a $137 million Series B round from a group of Korean and US investors.
Korea's Pavilion to pay $54m for firefighting business
Korea’s Pavilion Private Equity has agreed to acquire a controlling stake in domestic firefighting equipment maker Paratech for about KRW65 billion ($54 million).
Kleiner Perkins, Aspex lead $64m round for Korea's Viva Republica
Kleiner Perkins and Aspex Management, a pan-Asia investor founded in Hong Kong last year, have led a $64 million round for Korean financial technology start-up Viva Republica.
Women entrepreneurs: Tales from the coalface
Women remain underrepresented in start-up ecosystems across Asia, but for those who have taken the plunge, there is potential to make a social impact that transcends their respective target markets
Baring Asia buys Korean leasing business from JC Flowers
Baring Private Equity Asia has acquired Korean consumer finance and leasing services provider Acuon Capital from JC Flowers for an undisclosed sum.
IMM reaches $1.3b first close on Fund IV, strikes two deals
Korea’s IMM Private Equity has hit the $1.3 billion mark with a first close on its fourth fund, with contributions from international LPs added to the core domestic support. The manager has already put $450 million to work across two deals.
Korea's Moiin launches $100m VR fund
Korean virtual reality (VR) hardware developer Moiin has announced plans to launch a $100 million venture capital fund in the US focused on immersive gaming companies globally.
SoftBank Ventures Asia hits $269m first close on global fund
SoftBank Ventures Asia – previously known as SoftBank Ventures Korea – has reached a first close of KRW317.4 billion ($269 million) on a fund that will make early-stage investments globally with a focus on Asia.
Korea's Orum Therapeutics secures $30m Series B
Orum Therapeutics, a Korean biotechnology developer targeting cancer and rare diseases, has secured a $30 million Series B round from a group including IMM Investment and InterVest.
2Q analysis: Mixed fortunes
Second quarter analysis: Spin-outs reflect challenges for China fundraising; weak buyout activity continues to hold back Asia PE investment; Korea heads the exit charts as China falls back
Southeast Asia VC: Waiting for the breakout
Fundraising has accelerated in Southeast Asia’s venture capital space in recent years, but the ecosystem remains fragile. Expansion will be difficult until GPs can prove the viability of the market to LPs
Deal focus: KKR drives KCF ahead of schedule
KKR generates a healthy exit for its third pan-Asian fund by helping Korean copper components supplier KCF Technologies build up exposure to a booming electric vehicle market
VIG to make full exit from Korea's Samyang Optics
VIG has agreed to make a full exit from Korean camera lens manufacturer Samyang Optics – having taken the business public in 2017 – and will realize a 3.5x gross return on its investment.
CLSA backs Series B extension for Korea's PeopleFund
Lending Ark Asia, a private credit division of CLSA Capital Partners, has led a $35 million extension to a Series B round for South Korean lending marketplace PeopleFund.
KKR to sell Korean battery components maker for $1b
KKR is set for the first exit from its third Asian fund, having agreed to sell Korean copper foils manufacturer KCF Technologies to an affiliate of SK Group for KRW1.2 trillion ($1 billion).
GIC, Booking invest $180m in Korea's Yanolja
Singapore’s GIC Private and US-based Booking Holdings have invested $180 million in South Korean hotel operator and booking platform Yanolja, reportedly valuing the company at more than $1 billion.
500 Startups launches second Korea fund
500 Startups has launched its second Korea fund focused on early-stage technology companies in the country.
MBK to buy majority stake in Korea's Lotte Card for $1.2b
MBK Partners has agreed to assume majority control of the credit card business of South Korean conglomerate Lotte Corporation in a deal worth KRW1.38 trillion ($1.17 billion).