South Korea
PennSERS to invest $75m in Hahn & Co's Korea fund
Pennsylvania State Employees’ Retirement System (PennSERS) has agreed to commit up to $75 million to Hahn & Company’s third Korea-focused fund.
IMM invests $56m in Korea's Socar
IMM Private Equity has committed KRW60 billion ($56 million) to Socar, a car sharing company based in South Korea.
Q&A: IMM Private Equity’s Joseph Lee
IMM Private Equity’s Joseph Lee discusses the new sectors taking focus away from Korea’s traditional manufacturers, along with the potential for tender offers, IPOs and secondary sales in the market
IMM secures 2x return on Korea pharma investments
IMM Private Equity has fully exited its investments in Korean pharmaceutical developers Handok and Genexine.
Asia risk: Bullish on the brink
Investors appear to be discounting Asia risk in the face of rising political concerns, ranging from North Korea to Myanmar
Korean cross-border fund supports US solar panel buyout
The Corporate Partnership Fund (COPA Fund), a cross-border program backed by Korea's National Pension Service (NPS), has joined Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) in the acquisition of three US solar power projects.
VCs invest $27m in Asian expansion for US-based Yogome
US-based Exceed Capital Partners has led a group of international VCs in a $26.9 million investment aimed at supporting an Asian expansion by domestic educational technology company Yogome.
Korea Post seeks managers for global co-investment
Korea Post plans to commit $200 million across two funds that offer global private equity co-investment exposure.
Deal focus: VIG’s food supply chain upgrade
VIG Partners acquires Korean food wholesaler WinPlus in a bid to consolidate the country's food supply chain
Orchestra buys Korean post-production business
Orchestra Private Equity, a GP that focuses on Korea-Japan cross-border transactions, has invested KRW61 billion ($56 million) for an 87% stake in Seoul Vision, a Korean post-production house for TV commercials.
VIG buys Korean food wholesaler for $69m
VIG Partners has agreed to buy an 83.1% stake in Korean food wholesaler WinPlus for KRW74 billion ($69 million). The investment includes a primary capital injection of KRW45 billion.
Deal focus: ACE secures industry 4.0 buyout
ACE Equity Partners buys control of Woojin Electric Machinery from SkyLake Investment for $200 million with a view to launching a China expansion strategy
ACE Equity buys Korean electric machinery maker
ACE Equity Partners, a Korean private equity firm established last year by former SkyLake Investment executive David Ko, has purchased a 100% interest in Woojin Electric Machinery for approximately $200 million.
Affinity, BRV support Shinsegae e-commerce spin-out
Affinity Equity Partners and BRV Capital Management are supporting a spin-out of assets owned by South Korean retail conglomerate Shinsegae Group, which will see more than KRW1 trillion ($940 million) invested in a new e-commerce unit.
Atinum leads $9m round for Korean fintech player
Korean venture capital firm Atinum Investment has led a KRW10 billion ($9.4 million) funding round for domestic financial technology company Tera Funding.
Baring Asia realizes 2.4x return on Korea cement deal
Baring Private Equity Asia has completed its exit from Korean construction materials business Halla Cement, selling the asset to Asia Cement for an enterprise value of $723 million.
Korean political crises present PE opportunities
A turbulent 2017 for South Korea in both domestic and international politics has complicated private equity agendas across a number of sectors, but GPs are tracking some positive aftereffects.
Overseas LPs find entering Asia challenging
Overseas institutional LPs – in particular those willing to write larger checks – have found it difficult to access Asia's private equity market, industry participants told the HKVCA Asia Private Equity Forum.
Deal focus: VIG sees stability in shoes
Korea's VIG Partners completes its second OEM deal in six months with the $207 million acquisition of Youyoung, a supplier of materials used in running shoes
VIG buys Korean sports shoe materials supplier
VIG Partners has acquired Youyoung, a Korea-based supplier of materials used in running shoes, for an enterprise valuation of KRW220 billion ($207 million).
MBK promotes COO to partner
MBK Partners has promoted Bryan Byungsuk Min, currently the firm’s COO, to partner.
AVCJ Awards 2017: Deal of the Year - Mid Cap: Press & Converting
With Korean cosmetics brands trading at high valuations, VIG Partners thinks it got a bargain by moving upstream and buying a niche supplier to the skincare industry
ICG invests $200m in Korean injection molding company
Intermediate Capital Group (ICG) has invested $200 million for a substantial minority stake in Yudo China Holdings, a Korea-headquartered plastic injection molding specialist, as part of efforts to consolidate the business ahead of an IPO.
SCPE buys control of Korea’s Sung Gyung Food
Standard Chartered Private Equity (SCPE) has acquired a controlling interest in Sung Gyung Food, South Korea’s second largest toasted and seasoned seaweed producer, for $123.5 million.