South Korea
Deal focus: IMM seeks to ride the Korean wave
IMM Investment has become the latest private equity firm to buy into the Korean cosmetics story, paying $330 million for a majority stake in Able C&C through a tender offer and the acquisition of shares from the founder
Placement agent First Avenue opens Korea office
Private funds and corporate placement agent First Avenue has opened an office in Seoul, adding to its existing Asia Pacific bases in Hong Kong and Sydney.
MBK to buy Modern House from Korea's E-Land for $626m
MBK Partners has agreed to buy Modern House, the household and consumer goods unit of Korean retail giant E-Land Group, for KRW700 billion ($626 million).
Prostar buys majority stake in Korean gas distributor
Energy-focused private equity firm Prostar Capital and its co-investor BlackRock have acquired Korean gas distributor Kyungnam Energy, facilitating an exit for local GP Anchor Equity Partners.
VIG-owned Samyang targets up to $74m in Korea IPO
Samyang Optics, a Korea-based camera lens manufacturer owned by VIG Partners, is seeking to raise as much as KRW82.4 billion ($73.5 million) through a domestic IPO.
MBK secures partial exit from Korea's Coway
MBK Partners has sold part of its stake in Korean water purifier business Coway – having abandoned plans for a full exit last year – generating proceeds of approximately KRW370 billion ($330 million).
Korea's KIC boosts alternatives exposure to $15.1b
Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) hiked its alternatives allocation from 12.4% to 13.7% - reaching $15.1 billion - over the course of 2016 as the overall portfolio posted a positive return following an investment loss in 2015.
Highland closes Asia, US healthcare fund at $147m
Highland Capital Management has raised approximately $147 million for an Asia and North America-focused healthcare fund, having received an anchor LP commitment from South Korea’s National Pension Service (NPS).
VCs back South Korean biopharma player ExoCoBio
South Korean biopharmaceutical developer ExoCoBio has raised an $11 million Series A round from investors including SBI Investment, Atinum Investment, ID Ventures, and Dt&Investment.
Excelsior buys Office Depot Korea business
Hong Kong-based private equity firm Excelsior Capital has bought the South Korea business of business products supplier Office Depot.
CDIB invests in South Korean skincare company
CDIB Capital, the private equity arm of Taiwan’s China Development Financial, has invested an undisclosed sum in L&P Cosmetic, a skincare company based in South Korea.
South Korea's Ticket Monster raises $115m
Ticket Monster, a PE-backed e-commerce operator based in South Korea, has received a $115 million investment aimed at expanding its grocery shopping and travel services businesses.
Deal focus: Autoplus primed as industry consolidator
Autoplus is the only independent player of the three groups that dominate used car sales in South Korea. Having bought the business for $97 million, VIG Partners expects the company to strengthen its grip on the market
Korea healthcare: Quickening pulse
Korea’s government is playing a long game by propping up the local health tech start-up ecosystem. VCs that share this vision are identifying the obstacles and planning for growth
IMM commits $266m to Korean shipbuilder
IMM Investment has agreed to invest KRW300 billion ($266 million) in Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries (HSHI).
MBK-owned ING Life to raise $972m in Korea IPO
MBK Partners will make a partial exit from ING Life Korea as the insurer raises KRW1.1 billion ($972 million) in its domestic IPO.
IMM launches tender offer for Korean cosmetics player
A consortium led by IMM Investment has agreed to pay KRW188.2 billion ($166 million) for a 25.54% stake in Korean cosmetics manufacturer Able C&C and launched a tender offer to secure control of the business.
VIG buys Korean used car retailer for $97m
VIG Partners has agreed to acquire 100% of South Korea-based used car retailer and maintenance provider Autoplus for KRW110 billion ($97 million). The plan is to build the business into a local equivalent of CarMax, which is the leading player in the...
Bain to invest in Korean botox manufacturer - update
Bain Capital Private Equity has agreed to buy a controlling stake in Hugel, a South Korean manufacturer of botox and other health-related pharmaceuticals, for approximately KRW927.4 billion ($830 million).
Korea to create $7b restructuring fund
South Korea has announced plans for a KRW8 trillion ($7 billion) fund – of which half will come from private sector feeder vehicles – as part of government efforts to initiate a more market-based approach to corporate restructuring.
Korea to invest $102m in life science start-ups
The South Korean government has pledged to establish a KRW113.5 billion ($102 million) fund to support life science start-ups through related ecosystem and infrastructure investments.
Deal focus: PayPal backs Korean counterpart Viva Republica
Viva Republica has confirmed its preeminence in Korea's peer-to-peer payments space with rival provider PayPal joining existing investors in the company's $48 million Series C round
Goodwater leads $48m investment in Korea's Viva Republica
US-based venture capital firm Goodwater Capital has led a KRW55 billion ($48 million) Series C funding round for South Korean financial technology company Viva Republica.
PE and funeral services: Untapped eternity
Increased urgency around demographic tailwinds in the funeral services space has coincided with a spate of investment activity in recent years. Private equity could be well positioned to play a leading role