South Korea
Korea's Viva Republica raises $80m at $1.2b valuation
Kleiner Perkins and Ribbit Capital have led an $80 million funding round for Viva Republica that values the Korean financial technology start-up at about $1.2 billion.
Ardian opens Korea office
Ardian has opened an office in South Korea – its fourth in Asia – in order to service the needs of a growing investor base in the region.
VIG buys global Korean fried chicken franchise
VIG Partners has agreed to buy a 55% stake in Bonchon International, a Korean fried chicken restaurant brand with 325 outlets across eight countries. The size of the transaction was not disclosed.
Korea's ACE Equity seals $356m tech manufacturing buyout
ACE Equity Partners, a Korean private equity firm that operates on a project fund basis, has acquired Daeho Technology Korea (DTK), a manufacturer of glass used in smart phones, for KRW400 billion ($356 million).
VIG-owned Hi-Parking buys Wilson Parking Korea
HiParking, a Korean parking managing business owned by VIG Partners, has agreed to buy Wilson Parking Korea as part of an industry consolidation play.
Deal sourcing: Priority access
While proprietary deals are not always possible in Asian private equity, there are many ways for GPs to gain an edge even when competing with multiple bidders for the same asset
SCPE buys controlling stake in Korean meat importer
Standard Chartered Private Equity (SCPE) has acquired a controlling interest in Sunwoo, a South Korea-based meat importer, for $90.1 million.
Vision Fund invests $2b in Korea’s Coupang
SoftBank Vision Fund has committed $2 billion to South Korean e-commerce business Coupang, reportedly valuing the company at $9 billion.
Korean GPs worry about valuations, wage hikes - AVCJ Forum
South Korean private equity investors warned the AVCJ Forum that valuations and an increase in the minimum wage could play havoc in the market next year following what has so far been a relatively benign 2018.
Korea PE outlook: Exit issues
While Korea’s private equity market remains relatively stable, a much-anticipated opening up of IPO exits has yet to come to fruition
Operational value-add: Sweat equity
As Asian GPs trial a range of operational value-add strategies with an eye on shifting market dynamics, they are discovering that helping portfolio companies requires self-inspection
TRG agrees sale of Korean fried chicken business BHC
The Rohatyn Group (TRG) has agreed to exit BHC Group, a South Korean fried chicken restaurant franchisor, by selling the business back to its founder.
Affinity, BRV seal Shinsegae e-commerce deal
Affinity Equity Partners and BRV Capital Management have finalized an agreement with Shinsegae that will see them invest a combined KRW1 trillion ($878 million) in the South Korean retail group’s e-commerce business.
Hyundai, Yield Capital launch $100m energy VC fund
Korea’s Hyundai Motor and Yield Capital, an investment unit of Beijing-Tsinghua Industrial R&D Institute, have launched a $100 million VC fund focused on hydrogen energy.
Korea's BonAngels secures $50m for third VC fund
South Korea-based BonAngels Venture Partners has raised $50 million for its third early-stage fund.
MBK completes exit from Korea's Coway
MBK Partners has agreed to sell its remaining stake in Korean water purifier business Coway to a subsidiary of Woongjin Group – the company from which it bought the asset in 2013 – for KRW1.68 trillion ($1.48 billion).
Deal focus: A repeat prescription for Korean shipping
Hahn & Company has secured a $3.7 billion corporate restructuring of SK Shipping with a view to implementing the same operational improvements that have proved successful with H-Line
Korea's NPS taps BNK Financial head for CIO role
Korea’s National Pension Service (NPS) has appointed Hyo-Joon Ahn as its new CIO after struggling for more than a year to find a permanent occupant for the role.
Hahn & Co buys Korea's SK Shipping for $3.7b
Hahn & Company has completed what is described as one of the first successful non-government led corporate restructurings in Korea’s shipping industry with the $3.7 billion acquisition of SK Shipping.
Caldera seeks $200m for Southeast Asia fund
Caldera Pacific, a Southeast Asia-focused private equity firm that has spent the past four years working on a deal-by-deal basis, is looking to raise $200 million for its debut fund.
TPG, SoftBank Ventures Korea team up for $300m China fund
TPG Capital and SoftBank Ventures Korea are launching a $300 million China fund that will invest in start-ups focusing on technology, media, and the internet.
Deal focus: Hahn & Co agrees transformative bolt-on
Hahn & Company has followed up its bumper acquisition of Hanon Systems by supporting the company in the $1.23 billion carve-out of a division from Manga International. The deal should bring more balance - and synergies - to the Hanon portfolio
Hahn & Co-owned Hanon agrees $1.2b bolt-on acquisition
Hanon Systems, an auto parts manufacturer owned by Hahn & Company and formerly known as Halla Visteon Climate Control, has agreed a $1.23 billion bolt-on acquisition of Magna International’s fluid pressure and controls business.
Activism not yet a key driver of Korean corporate divestments - AVCJ Forum
Shareholder activism is becoming more prevalent in Korea among the country’s chaebol groups, but it still trails distress sales and divestments of non-core divisions as sources of private equity deal flow.