South Korea
Asia’s LP landscape: North to south
Pools of institutional – and less institutional – capital in Asia are deepening, but it remains a multi-speed market with some investors just beginning their alternatives journey and others achieving maturity
Hahn acquires SKC's ceramics business for $267m
Korean private equity firm Hahn & Company is set for its sixth deal in five years involving local conglomerate SK Group, having agreed to carve out a fine ceramics business for KRW 360bn (USD 267m).
Diageo sells whisky brand to Korean turnaround investor
Global beverage giant Diageo has agreed to sell Windsor, Korea’s best-selling whisky brand, to Pine Tree Investment & Management following the collapse of a transaction involving other Korean private equity firms.
SparkLabs launches Korea deep tech fund
Early-stage VC investor and accelerator SparkLabs Korea has achieved a first close of USD 15m on a deep tech fund. That target corpus has not been confirmed.
Korea's STIC to exit biofuels player to PE-backed consortium
Korea’s STIC Investments has agreed to sell biofuels producer Daekyung Oil & Transportation to a consortium backed by SK Group, Korea Development Bank (KDB), and Eugene Private Equity.
Korea's VIG seeks $1.1b for Fund V
South Korean mid-market private equity firm VIG Partners has launched its fifth fund with a target of USD 1.1bn, seeking to replicate the even split between domestic and foreign capital achieved in the previous vintage.
East, SV target $100m for Southeast Asia-Korea fund
Indonesia-focused East Ventures and Korea’s SV Investment have launched dedicated Southeast Asia-Korea fund with a target of USD 100m.
SparkLabs launches US-listed SPAC
SparkLabs Group, which operates a network of start-up accelerators and venture capital funds with a strong presence in Asia, has raised USD 100m through a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) offering on NASDAQ.
Mubadala supports buyout of Korea's Osstem Implant
Mubadala Investment has invested in Osstem Implant, a Korean manufacturer of dental implants that was taken private by MBK Partners and UCK Partners (formerly Unison Capital Korea) earlier this year.
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.
Korea Credit Data raises $75m, achieves unicorn status
Korea Credit Data (KCD), the operator of a super app aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), has raised KRW 100bn (USD 75.7m) at a valuation of KRW 1.3trn (USD 1bn).
Deal focus: KKR thinks global with Korea’s Musinsa
KKR has made its first tech growth investment in Korea with Musinsa, an online marketplace for a carefully curated selection of streetwear brands with export potential
Singapore metaverse player raises $13m seed round
Singapore-based ZTX, which claims to be Asia’s largest metaverse platform, has raised a USD 13m seed round led by US web3 investor Jump Crypto.
MBK launches sixth North Asia fund, targets $7b
North Asia-focused buyout firm MBK Partners has set a target of USD 7bn for its sixth flagship fund, according to three sources familiar with the situation.
Korea’s UCK Partners surpasses $770m on Fund III
UCK Partners, a South Korean private equity firm formerly known as Unison Capital Korea, has accumulated approximately KRW 1trn (USD 777m) across two incremental closes on its third fund.
Goodwater raises $1b across two funds
Goodwater Capital, a US-based VC firm with a presence in Korea and significant Asia exposure, has raised USD 1bn across two funds. It brings assets under management to USD 3.3bn.
Asia deal financing: A selective market
Regional buyout activity is weak but leveraged loans are available for the right kind of target – in Japan, Korea, Australia, and beyond – and with a suitably customised structure
Korean investors pump $150m into fuel cell maker HyAxiom
Korea Investment Private Equity, KDB Investment–Hana Securities, and KB Asset Management have led an investment of approximately USD 150m in HyAxiom, a fuel cell manufacturer controlled by South Korean conglomerate Doosan Group.
Glenwood takes legal action over disputed Korea transaction
An arbitration proceeding has been initiated in Singapore regarding a dispute between Glenwood Private Equity and BPEA EQT over the failed sale of Korea-based industrial films producer PI Advanced Materials.
Hahn acquires Korea medical devices player
Hahn & Company has acquired a nearly two-thirds stake in Korea-listed medical laser maker Lutronic through a tender offer for about KRW 629bn (USD 497m).
KKR leads $190m Series C for Korea fashion platform
KKR has led a USD 190m Series C round for Korean online fashion platform Musinsa with support from Wellington Management.
Glenwood sells Korean films business to French strategic
Glenwood Private Equity has sold its majority stake in Korea-based industrial films producer PI Advanced Materials to France-headquartered Arkema for an enterprise value of EUR 728m (USD 817m) – six months after BPEA EQT pulled out of a deal to buy...
Korean battery materials supplier raises $302m
IMM Investment and Premier Partners are the largest participants in a KRW 400bn (USD 302.7m) funding round for EcoPro Innovation, a battery materials business of KOSDAQ-listed EcoPro.
Hahn & Co reaches $1.9b first close on fourth Korea fund
South Korean private equity firm Hahn & Co has reached a first close of USD 1.9bn on its fourth flagship buyout fund against an overall target of USD 3.25bn.