South Korea
Deal focus: Hahn puts faith in aviation rebound
International travel remains largely off-limits, but Hahn & Company is optimistic on the long-term prospects for Korea's aviation industry and for Korean Air's in-flight catering and duty-free businesses
Korea's Viva Republica raises $173m
Viva Republica, the operator of Korean money transfer app Toss, has raised $173 million from a group of investors featuring Sequoia Capital China and Kleiner Perkins.
Hahn & Co buys Korean Air's catering, duty free businesses
Hahn & Company is making its second acquisition from South Korea’s Hanjin Group – six years after carving out the Hanjin Shipping bulk carrier business – having agreed to buy the in-flight catering and duty-free operations of Korean Air for KRW990.6...
Carlyle exits Korean garment manufacturer
The Carlyle Group has agreed to sell its majority stake in Korean apparel manufacturer Yakjin Trading Corporation to domestic fashion giant JS Corporation for around KRW14.3 billion ($12 million).
Korea, US-based serialized fiction app gets $63m
SoftBank Ventures Asia and Kakao have led a $63.2 million Series A round for Radish, a Korea and US-based producer and broadcaster of serialized fiction for mobile devices.
Hana invests $85m in Asia renewables platform
Hana Financial has invested KRW100 billion ($85 million) in a portfolio of Korean waste to energy (WTE) projects being developed by Equis Development.
Asia online gaming: Game on
Videogaming has outgrown entertainment and media to become a sector unto itself, with new angles for exposure multiplying rapidly. E-sports is an area to watch
Korean travel app secures $36m funding round
MyRealTrip, a South Korean travel super app that positions itself as a one-stop-shop for bookings, has raised KRW43.2 billion ($36 million) in funding from the likes of Altos Ventures, IMM Investment, and Axiom Asia.
Deal focus: DRX wants e-sports to surf the Korean wave
Investors are backing DRX to generate international buzz for e-sports in Korea, following in the footsteps of K-pop, K-food and K-beauty. Overseas interest is already mounting
Korean AI education start-up gets $41m pre-Series D
Korea Development Bank (KDB) and local private equity firms Nvestor, Intervest and IMM Investment have participated in a $41.8 million pre-Series D round for Riiid, a Korean online education platform.
Korean strategic, financial investors back industrial AI start-up
MakinaRocks, a Korean artificial intelligence (AI) start-up that helps manufacturers achieve production efficiencies through the application of deep learning technology, has raised KRW12 billion ($10 million) in Series A funding.
Korea e-sports player DRX secures $22.5m
Korean e-sports organization DRX has raised $10 million from a group of local investors. It coincides with a separate $12.5 million commitment from e-sports specialist ATU Partners.
Large-cap vehicles support PE fundraising revival in second quarter
Asia private equity fundraising rebounded from a seven-year low in the first quarter of the year to reach $24 billion for April through June, but commitments were concentrated on a handful of managers.
Korea's ACE Equity launches SPAC targeting IT infrastructure
Korean private equity firm ACE Equity Partners has taken another step in the development of its cross-border investment capabilities with the launch of a US-listed special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) to pursue IT infrastructure assets.
KIC's private equity head to lead alternatives
Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) has promoted Jong-ho Kim from head of private equity to deputy CIO with a brief to lead its alternative investment group.
Carlyle invests $198m in Korea's KB Financial
The Carlyle Group has invested KRW240 billion ($198 million) in KB Financial Group and agreed to work with the Korean company on investment opportunities and structuring and financing its deals in the country.
ESR raises $1b Korea logistics fund
Pan-Asian logistics investor ESR has raised $1 billion for its second Korea fund with support from APG Asset Management and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB).
Deal focus: Korean start-up disrupts the laundry
Korean on-demand laundry service Laundrygo will use its Series B funding to widen coverage within Seoul and improve automation levels at its facilities to further boost margins
Korea commits $1.7b to start-up ecosystem
Korea has committed KRW2.1 trillion ($1.7 billion) to local start-ups in biotechnology and non-contact technologies as part of a KRW5.8 trillion private sector COVID-19 recovery agenda.
Corporate carve-outs: Seller's dilemma
Private equity investors expect to see more divestments by Asian conglomerates, but a torrent of new deals is unlikely. Much rests on when the seller is confident enough to pull the trigger
VCs commit $13.9m to Korean mobile laundry service
Laundrygo, a Korea-based on-demand laundry service, has raised KRW17 billion ($13.9 million) in Series B funding from Korea Investment Partners, Aju IB Investment, KT Investment, Samsung Venture Investment, and DS Asset Management.
STIC-backed Korean game publisher files for US IPO
DoubleDown Interactive, a STIC Investments-backed Korean online game publisher best known for its flagship casino offering, has filed to list in the US.
Deal focus: IMM overcomes distancing disruption
Health and safety was a priority when IMM Private Equity negotiated a $413 million carve-out of Korea Kolmar Holdings' drug outsourcing business against the backdrop of COVID-19
Sequoia, Hana lead Series A for micromobility start-up
Beam, a Singapore-headquartered ride-sharing platform for e-scooters, has raised $26 million in a Series A funding round led by Sequoia Capital India and Hana Ventures.