South Korea
Affirma to buy Korean cosmetics manufacturer
Affirma Capital, a GP established through the spin-out of Standard Chartered’s private equity business, has agreed to acquire a controlling stake in South Korea-based Hwa Sung Cosmetics.
Vietnam inbound investment: Regional rivals
Strategic interest in Vietnam is growing, especially among companies within Asia looking to tap growth no longer available at home. PE investors see them as partners – and sometimes as competitors
VIG hits $530m first close on fourth Korean fund
VIG Partners has reached a first close of $530 million on its fourth Korea-focused fund, with international investors accounting for more than 60% of commitments received so far.
Kyobo Life: The mother of all puts
Put options amount to threats seldom acted upon. By demanding that the chairman of Korea’s third-largest life insurer buy back their shares, a group of investors has taken Asian PE into uncharted territory
GP profile: IMM Private Equity
As one of oldest GPs in South Korea, IMM Private Equity has helped to show both domestic and global investors that the PE community can bring major benefits to the country’s corporate sector
IMM buys Linde's Korea gases business for $1.2b
Global industrial gases business Linde has confirmed the sale of its Korea-based assets to IMM Private Equity for $1.2 billion.
Blackstone buys Korean drug distributor
The Blackstone Group has acquired Geo-Young, a South Korean wholesale drug distributor, working in conjunction with the founders. It facilitates an exit for local GP Anchor Equity Partners, which invested in the company in 2013.
Korean online grocery player secures $88m Series D
Market Kurly, a four-year-old Korean start-up that provides online grocery delivery services, has raised KRW100 billion ($88 million) in Series D funding.
Korea's Standigm raises $11.5m Series B
Mirae Asset Capital has led a $11.5 million Series B round for Standigm, a Korean drug discovery and development company that uses artificial intelligence (AI).
Golden Gate, Hanwha target SE Asia's Series B rounds
Singapore-based venture capital firm Golden Gate Ventures has partnered with South Korea's Hanwha Asset Management to invest in Series B rounds for Southeast Asian start-ups.
MBK-owned Homeplus abandons plan for Korean REIT
Homeplus, a South Korean supermarket retailer that an MBK Partners-led consortium acquired from Tesco for $6.4 billion in 2015, has abandoned plans for the IPO of a real estate investment trust (REIT).
Korean cloud services provider gets $42m
MegazoneCloud, a Korean IT services provider that helps companies incorporate cloud-based systems, has raised $42 million from a group of domestic investors, including the National Pension Service (NPS).
HarbourVest promotes Minjin Chung to managing director
HarbourVest Partners has promoted Minjin Chung (pictured), a principal based in Korea, to the level of managing director with responsibility for North Asia.
Affinity secures third Korea deal in three months
Affinity Equity Partners has announced its third Korea deal in as many months with an agreement to acquire a majority stake in ServeOne, LG Group’s maintenance, repair and operation (MRO) unit, for KRW602 billion ($535 million).
MBK to buy Asia retail assets from chocolate maker Godiva
MBK Partners has agreed to buy Belgian chocolate maker Godiva’s distribution operations in Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand in a deal reportedly worth more than $1 billion.
C-Bridge helps Korea's Samsung Bioepis with China expansion
C-Bridge Capital has announced a licensing agreement with Samsung Bioepis that is intended to help the Korean biopharmaceutical specialist expand into the China market.
Korea's Orchestra buys electronic darts machine maker
Korean middle market investor Orchestra Private Equity has completed the KRW122 billion ($109 million) acquisition of Hong International, the largest global manufacturer of electronic darts machines.
Korean beauty products player gets $35m Series D
JJDC, an investment arm of healthcare and consumer goods giant Johnson & Johnson, has led a $35 million Series D round for South Korean online beauty products retailer Memebox.
4Q analysis: Defined by uncertainty
Korea comes to the fore as investment in China slows; venture capital and pan-regional players remain preeminent in Asia fundraising; IPO weakness reflects investor wariness
AVCJ Awards 2018: Firm of the Year - Large Cap: Bain Capital
Bain Capital’s recent investment and exit activity underlines the importance of cross-border competencies. The GP also won the awards for Deal of the Year - Large Cap and Exit of the Year - Large Cap
Rohatyn's Korea team spins out
The Rohatyn Group’s (TRG) Korea team has spun out to form a new private equity firm called Elevation Equity Partners.
AVCJ Awards 2018: Deal of the Year - Mid Cap: Joy Rent a Car
Joy Rent a Car was a small-ticket acquisition by Hahn & Company’s standards, but the GP has big plans to turn the company into a change agent in Korean used car financing
Deal focus: Bonchon flies the coop
VIG Partners acquires Bonchon, a Korean-headquartered fried chicken restaurant chain with a global presence, with an eye to growing the business worldwide
2018 in review: Volatility vortex
Pan-regional funds attract the bulk of capital while the renminbi space withers; mixed fortunes for internet IPOs and trade sales; big buyouts fail to deliver but growth-stage tech stays strong