South Korea
Korea's Kurly raises $200m, targets domestic listing
Korean grocery delivery platform operator Kurly has raised a $200 million Series F round at a valuation of $2.2 billion, as plans for a US IPO are scrapped in favor of a local listing.
Baring Asia secures $324m exit from Korean courier business
Baring Private Equity Asia has sold Korean courier company Logen, ending an eight-year holding period that featured a disputed – and aborted – sale to CVC Capital Partners followed by an arbitration proceeding.
Korea's Viva Republica raises $405m at $7.2b valuation
Viva Republica, operator of the Korean money transfer app Toss, has raised a KRW460 billion ($404 million) round led by US-based Alkeon Capital, at a valuation of around $7.2 billion.
Korea delivery platform Barogo gets $72m Series C
Korean delivery platform Barogo has raised KRW80 billion ($72 million) in Series C funding featuring several local private equity investors, including LB Investment and STIC Ventures.
Deal focus: Hahn embarks on Korea dairy turnaround
Beleaguered by a string of scandals and unable to turn the tide of negative publicity, the family owner of Namyang Dairy Products opted to sell to private equity. His first call was to Hahn & Company
Vision Fund invests $175m in Korea education start-up
SoftBank Vision Fund 2 has invested $175 million in Korean education app Riiid to build out its artificial intelligence (AI) capacities and advance a global expansion.
Anchor invests $550m in Japan unit of Korea's Kakao
Anchor Equity Partners, a mid-market private equity firm focused on opportunities in North Asia, with a particular focus on Korea, has invested JPY60 billion ($550 million) in the Japan unit of Korean internet giant Kakao.
Korea's Centroid rallies local support for TaylorMade buyout
Korean GP Centroid Investment Partners is tapping local investors to participate in a KRW1 trillion ($886 million) equity pool in support of its $1.7 billion acquisition of US golf club manufacturer TaylorMade.
Korea's VIG buys The Skin Factory
Korean mid-market private equity firm VIG Partners has acquired 100% of The Skin Factory, operator of domestic home and personal care products brand Kundal.
LG Chem to anchor IMM's Korea battery fund
IMM Private Equity’s recently established credit unit has launched a KRW400 billion ($353 million) Korea-focused fund that will invest in components for electric vehicle (EV) batteries and other environmentally friendly industrial materials.
Korea's Kakao acquires VC-backed storytelling platform
Radish, a Korea and US-based mobile fiction platform, will be acquired by a unit of Kakao Corporation for $440 million. Its backers include SoftBank Ventures Asia and Kakao.
Korea's IMM makes debut credit investment
IMM Private Equity has made the first investment under its newly launched credit strategy, picking up a 40% stake in SK Lubricants, which is controlled by Korean conglomerate SK Group, for KRW1.09 trillion ($984 million).
Kakao spins out online fashion unit, buys VC-backed Zigzag
Korean internet company Kakao Corporation has spun out its fashion e-commerce business as an independent entity and merged it with Zigzag, a VC-backed local fashion marketplace.
Korea retail: Digital or dead?
Coupang’s bumper IPO has underlined the appeal of a Korean e-commerce industry characterized by chaebols playing catch-up and PE and VC investors looking to profit at the margins
Affirma hits first close on Korea fund, backs SK mapping spinout
Affirma Capital has reached a first close of KRW443 billion ($403 million) on its fifth Korea-focused fund, while simultaneously announcing a $181 million investment in SK Telecom’s mobility business.
Deal focus: Affinity to close JobKorea’s technology gap
When Affinity Equity Partners was drawing up plans for JobKorea, it found Seek’s product innovations in Australia a useful reference point. This gave context to a $795 million acquisition
Wise Road agrees $1.4b take-private of Korea chipmaker
Wise Road Capital, a China-based private equity firm that focuses on high-tech investments, has agreed to privatize Korea’s Magnachip Semiconductor Corporation at a valuation of $1.4 billion.
China biotech makes Asia global healthcare PE leader
A more than 100% year-on-year increase in deal volume saw Asia Pacific overtake North America to become the most active global private equity healthcare market for the first time in 2020.
Korea's Coupang gains 41% on debut after $4.5b US IPO
BlackRock Private Equity Partners received proceeds of $936 million through a partial exit from Korean e-commerce business Coupang, which raised $4.55 billion in its US IPO. The stock gained 41% on debut.
Korea biotech start-up gets $44.5m pre-IPO round
Korea’s Standigm, which provides artificial intelligence (AI) systems to biotech operators, has raised a $44.5 billion pre-IPO round led by SKS Private Equity and Daishin Privat Equity.
KIC appoints new private equity head
Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) has appointed Sungjun Song as head of its private equity division.
KKR commits $723m to Korean shipping services business
KKR has made a pre-IPO investment of KRW800 billion ($723 million) in Hyundai Global Service (HGS), the aftersales marine services arm of Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings (HHIH).