MBK Partners
MBK considers IPO for Taiwan’s CNS – report
MBK Partners is reportedly considering an IPO for China Network Systems (CNS), Taiwan’s largest cable TV and broadband provider, in place of a longstanding trade sale agreement that has yet to materialize amid regulatory concerns.
All smiles in Tokyo?
The timing of last year's AVCJ Japan Forum was perhaps fortuitous - a matter of days before the event Unison Capital announced that it agreed to sell sushi chain Akindo Sushiro to Permira for $1 billion.
MBK, PE-backed insurers bid for ING’s Korean unit
MBK Partners, Tongyang Life Insurance and Kyobo Life Insurance have made separate bids for a controlling stake in ING Groep’s South Korean insurance business. The stake was valued at approximately $2.1 billion last year, when KB Financial Group was...
CVC, MBK among final bidders for ING Korea unit - report
CVC Capital Partners and South Korean PE firm MBK are among the last five bidders to begin preliminary due diligence as they consider an offer for at least 51% stake in the Korean unit of Dutch insurance firm ING Groep.
Korea buyouts: Young pretender?
South Korea was the only significant PE market in Asia to see an uptick in deal flow last year. Investors have high expectations; uncertainty among local conglomerates – and local GPs – could make or break them
AVCJ at 25: Michael B. Kim of MBK Partners
Michael B. Kim, founding partner of MBK Partners, left The Carlyle Group in 2005 to set up his own private equity firm. The time was right, the capital was available, and there was a desire to become more local
MBK appoints advisor for ING South Korea bid - report
North Asia-focused buyout firm MBK Partners is said to have hired Barclays to advise on a bid for ING's South Korean life insurance business.
Advantage Partners sells Komeda coffee shop chain to MBK
Advantage Partners has agreed to sell its controlling stake in Japanese coffee shop chain Komeda to MBK Partners.
Illinois Teachers commits up to $125m to MBK’s third fund
Illinois Teachers' Retirement System has committed up to $125 million to MBK Partners III. The pension plan previously committed $25 million to the North Asia-focused private equity firm’s second vehicle in 2008.
MBK reaches first close of $1.25b on Fund III
MBK Partners has reached a first close of $1.25 billion on its third buyout fund, industry sources have told AVCJ. The vehicle launched in September and has a full target of $2.25 billion. MBK declined to comment.
MBK’s Coway deal revived after court approval
MBK Partners’s acquisition of a significant minority stake in water purifier manufacturer Woongjin Coway appears to be back on track after a South Korean court approved the KRW1.2 trillion ($1.1 billion) deal. The deal was put on hold last month after...
Asia fundraising: A divided market
Global and local players are in the market trying to raise new regional and country vehicles. The former can rely on institutional relationships and IR might to get the job done. The latter face a resources squeeze
Korean court says Woongjin will honor MBK’s Coway deal
A South Korean court overseeing bankruptcy proceedings of Woongjin Holdings has said that the company’s biggest shareholder will honor an agreement to sell a controlling stake in subsidiary Woongjin Coway to MBK Partners. The deal was put on hold last...
Bankrupt Woongjin halts $1.1b Coway sale to MBK
MBK Partners’ KRW1.2 trillion ($1.1 billion) investment in water purifier business Woongjin Coway appears to be on shaky ground after parent company Woongjin Holdings filed for court receivership on Wednesday and put the deal on hold.
MBK targets $2.25b for fund III
MBK Partners has launched its third buyout fund with a target of $2.25 billion, AVCJ has been told. It is the latest in a string of large-cap pan-regional funds to enter the market, joining the likes of KKR, TPG Capital, The Carlyle Group and RRJ Capital.
Asia PE investment: Korea makes a splash
With four deals of $350m or more in the last few weeks, South Korea has made its mark on Asia’s private equity investment league table. Why is it happening and can it continue?
MBK agrees $1.1b deal for Korea’s Woongjin Coway
MBK Partners has agreed to pay KRW1.1 trillion ($1.1 billion) for a 31% stake in Woongjin Coway, the water purifier business of South Korean conglomerate Woongjin Holdings. It is the country’s joint-largest private equity transaction this year and brings...
Korea’s Woori sale fails yet again as no bidders materialize
The South Korean government’s latest attempt to exit its controlling stake in Woori Finance Holdings has failed after no one submitted a preliminary bid. The country’s financial regulator subsequently said “it would be difficult to mount another...
Want Want China unsure about CNS purchase conditions
Want Want China, leader of a group seeking to buy Taiwan cable TV provider China Network Systems (CNS) from MBK Partners, said Thursday that the $2.4 billion sale remains uncertain because of conditions imposed by regulators.
MBK beaten by Lotte in $1.1b Hi-Mart take-private
MBK Partners has officially been beaten to the punch in its attempt to privatize Hi-Mart, as Lotte Shopping signed a deal to acquire the South Korean electronics retailer for KRW1.25 trillion ($1.1 billion).
MBK named preferred bidder for Korea’s Hi-Mart
MBK Partners has been chosen as the preferred bidder for South Korean electronics retailer Hi-Mart. The company said in a statement to the Korean Stock Exchange that its largest shareholder, Eugene Corp, had made the decision.
Ontario Teachers win Kyobo Life stake - update
Canada's Ontario Teachers Pension Plan has become the preferred bidder for a stake in Kyobo Life Insurance edging out other interested party, Affinity Equity Partners. Contrary to earlier media reports, the pension fund did not team up with existing shareholder...
Regulatory delays add $300m to MBK’s CNS price tag
MBK Partners' exit from Taiwanese cable television business CNS could collapse because the prospective buyer is unhappy at how delays in regulatory approvals have added up to NT$10 billion (US$341 million) to the original price tag.
Korean government plans another attempt at Woori sale
The South Korean government will make another attempt to divest its stake in Woori Finance Holding, setting a July 27 deadline for preliminary bids. Prospective buyers must bid for at least 30% of Woori, which means the deal would be worth at least KRW2.9...