Altos Ventures
VC-backed streetwear retailers Kream, Soda to merge
Korean streetwear retailer Kream has paid KRW 97.6bn (USD 72.1m) for a 43.6% stake in Japanese counterpart Soda as part of a merger of the two VC-backed businesses.
Altos, Mirae Asset re-up Korea's Kream in $39m round
Altos Ventures and Mirae Asset Capital have each made their third investment in the past 18 months in Korean e-commerce player Kream, with the latest round amounting to KRW 50.6bn (USD 38.8m).
Korea laundry start-up gets $36m Series C
H&Q Korea has led a KRW 49bn Series C round for Korean laundry app provider Laundrygo with support from SoftBank Ventures and Altos Ventures.
Altos, Mirae join $85m round for Korea sneaker trading platform
Kream, a Korea-based sneaker reselling business controlled by domestic internet giant Naver, has announced plans to raise KRW 170bn (USD 84m) from Altos Ventures, Mirae Asset, and its parent company.
Affirma leads $217m investment in Korean digital insurer
Affirma Capital has led a KRW 300bn (USD 217m) funding round – at a valuation of KRW 1trn – for Carrot General Insurance, a South Korea-based digital insurer.
PE-backed Korean ride-sharing player Socar drops on debut
Socar, a Korea-based car-sharing business backed by the likes of Bain Capital, IMM Private Equity, and SoftBank Ventures Asia, traded down on debut following a KRW 101.9bn (USD 76m) IPO.
Korea's Viva Republica raises USD 225m
Viva Republica, operator of the Korean money transfer app Toss, has raised KRW 296bn (USD 225.5m) in series G funding from an investor group that includes Altos Ventures, Goodwater Capital, Greyhound Capital, and Kleiner Perkins.
Japan mobile banking player Kyash gets $41m Series C
Altos Ventures, Goodwater Capital, Greyhound Capital, and StepStone Group are part of an investor group that has committed JPY 4.9bn (USD 41m) in Series D funding to Tokyo-based mobile banking start-up Kyash.
AVCJ Awards 2021: Deal of the Year – Mid Cap: Danggeun Market
A social, hyperlocal overlay has made Korea’s Danggeun Market a subversively complex e-commerce play. As the company scales and experiments, it reflects new confidence in its home market
North Asia IPOs: Welcome eruptions
A steady rhythm of small and mid-sized IPOs in North Asia is now being punctuated by globally noticeable events. Valuations are up, but Korean and Japanese investors are game
Korea's Danggeun Market raises $162m at $2.7b valuation
DST Global has led a $162 million Series D round for Danggeun Market, operator of Korean flea market app Karrot, at a valuation of $2.7 billion.
Japan sneaker marketplace raises $56m
SoftBank Ventures Asia has led a JPY6.2 billion ($56.4 million) Series C round for Japanese sneaker marketplace and e-commerce start-up Soda.
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.
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
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.
Korean e-commerce player Coupang set for US listing
Coupang, a Korean e-commerce business that has secured approximately $3.5 billion in private funding over the past decade, has filed for an IPO in the US.
Match buys VC-backed Korean social platform for $1.7b
Hyperconnect, a Korean social media platform backed by Altos Ventures and SoftBank Ventures Korea, has agreed to an acquisition by online dating giant Match Group for $1.73 billion in cash and stock.
Delivery Hero wins approval for Woowa deal in Korea
Private equity investors in Korean food delivery business Woowa Brothers look set for a liquidity event after regulators gave conditional approval for a $4 billion acquisition by Delivery Hero.
Asia travel & hospitality: Ready to board?
The outlook for international tourism remains uncertain, but this hasn’t stopped some private equity and venture capital investors targeting travel and hospitality assets in Asia. It pays to be selective
Korean wave: Killer content
From Oscar-winning films to record-breaking pop bands, Korean content has started to replicate its success in Asia in the West. Venture capital investors are looking for ways to ride the K-wave
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.