South Korea
Goldman Sachs, SK back Korea cold chain play
Goldman Sachs and SK Group have committed a combined KRW50 billion ($43 million) to a Korean expansion by cold chain logistics operator Belstar Superfreeze.
VIG reaches $810m final close on fourth Korean fund
VIG Partners has closed its fourth Korea-focused fund at $810 million, with approximately half the commitments coming from international investors. This compares to 30% for Fund III, which closed at $600 million in 2017.
Delivery Hero to buy Korea's Woowa Brothers for $4b
Food delivery start-up Delivery Hero has agreed to acquire Korean peer Woowa Brothers in a deal that values the target at $4 billion and will facilitate exits for several private equity investors.
Macro uncertainty to drive increased Korean M&A
Difficult economic and political conditions bode well for the Korean PE industry in the near term, according to Michael Chung (pictured), head of Korea at Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia (MSPEA).
KKR announces eight promotions in Asia
Chung Ho Park, a member of KKR’s private equity team and co-head of the firm’s Korea business, has been promoted to partner level. A further seven Asia-based professionals, across different strategies, were named managing directors.
Deal focus: One Store brings service to videogaming
A freshly spun-out private equity arm of SK Securities is helping Korea’s One Store break up a local monopoly in mobile videogame marketing.
MBK, Mirae buy stake in Asia assets of Korea's CJ CGV
MBK Partners and Mirae Asset Daewoo Private Equity have agreed to pay KRW333.6 billion ($286 million) for a minority position in the China and Southeast Asia assets of Korean cinema chain operator CJ CGV.
IMM set for 2.3x return from Korea's Tailim Packaging
IMM Private Equity is expected to deliver a 2.3x return on its investment in Tailim Packaging Group following an agreement to sell the cardboard box manufacturer to Sae-A Trading for an enterprise valuation of around $1.5 billion.
Korean mobile app market One Store gets $86m
One Store, a Korean mobile app market controlled by SK Telecom, has raised a KRW100 billion ($86 million) round led by local VC firm Kiwoom Investment.
PAG, Centurium win firm of the year prizes at AVCJ Awards
PAG Asia Capital and Centurium Capital secured the two firm of the year prizes at the 2019 AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Capital Awards, while Renuka Ramnath of India’s Multiples Alternative Asset Management won the AVCJ Special Achievement Award.
PE & QSR: Ambition on a bun
Many private equity investors think they can make a fast buck from fast dining, but rolling out a Western-style brand in Asia requires discipline on valuation and competence in execution
German VC firm DTCP opens Korea office
DTCP, a Germany-based VC firm controlled by Deutsche Telekom and Korea’s SK Telecom, has opened its first Asian office in Seoul.
Korea blockchain developer Iconloop gets $8m
Iconloop, a Seoul-based blockchain technology developer focused on digital currency services, has raised a KRW10 billion ($8 million) Series A round led by Korea Technology Finance Corporation (KOTEC).
Korea's ACE Equity buys stake in semiconductor testing player
ACE Equity Partners, a Korean private equity firm that operates on a project fund basis, has agreed to invest KRW205 billion ($174 million) in local semiconductor testing specialist Tesna.
Fund focus: Hahn eyes more big buyouts
With $3.2 billion in dry powder, Hahn & Company is looking for larger deals in a Korean market that already punches above its weight in private equity terms
VIG acquires Korean education business
VIG Partners has agreed to pay KRW165 billion ($137 million) for a controlling stake in D.Share, an online-offline English language education provider in Korea.
Glenwood agrees $263m Korean glass carve-out
Glenwood Private Equity, a GP led by the son of Samsung Group’s former vice chairman, has agreed to buy the Korean glass-making operation of France-based Saint-Gobain for an enterprise value of EUR240 million ($263 million).
Carlyle recruits Goldman Sachs banker as Korea head
The Carlyle Group has appointed John Kim (pictured), previously of Goldman Sachs, as a managing director in its Asia buyout team and head of all investment activity in Korea.
Korea's Hahn & Co raises $3.2b for Fund III, co-invest sidecar
Hahn & Company has closed its third Korea-focused buyout fund with $3.2 billion in commitments – the largest vehicle ever raised by an independent manager for investment solely in the country.
Q&A: Pomona Capital's Michael Granoff
Michael Granoff, founder and CEO of Pomona Capital, discusses raising capital from Asian LPs, how GPs can be differentiated in a crowded secondaries market, and why he’s not keen on fund restructurings
Korea fintech player Tera Funding gets $18m
Korean financial technology provider Tera Funding has secured an $18 million Series B round from a group including SBI Investment Korea and KB Investment.
LPs warn of co-investment risks - AVCJ Forum
The boom in LP appetite for co-investment has made it harder to secure access to deals and created adverse selection risk as private equity firms push beyond their comfort zone, investors told the AVCJ Korea Forum.
Deal focus: Gong Cha’s global push pays off for Unison
Unison Capital achieves a rare feat in helping the Korea franchise of bubble tea retailer Gong Cha take over its Taiwanese parent before facilitating a sale to TA Associates. Entering Japan has been a key value-add
Korea start-ups: The graduates
Korea’s start-ups are internationalizing and becoming more technically advanced as the ecosystem matures. A rapidly multiplying flock of local VCs will have to do the same to keep up with them