South Korea
Formation Group closes debut US-Asia fund at $357m
Formation Group, a Silicon Valley and Asia-focused venture capital firm established by Brian Koo (pictured), co-founder of Formation 8, has closed its debut fund at $357 million.
MBK to buy Korean gas business from Goldman consortium
MBK Partners has agreed to buy Daesung Industrial Gases from a Goldman Sachs-led consortium that has majority-owned the South Korean industrial gas manufacturer since July 2014.
US materials group gets $15m for China, Korea push
A group of investors including GSR Ventures has committed $15 million to C3Nano, a US-based supplier for the touchscreen and digital display industry looking to expand its footprint in China and Korea.
China's Ant Financial invests $200m in Kakao payment unit
Ant Financial, the financial services affiliate of China’s Alibaba Group, has agreed invest $200 million in a dedicated mobile finance platform that will soon be launched by South Korean internet giant Kakao Corp.
Fund focus: VIG steps up for Fund III
South Korea VIG Partners closed its third fund at the hard cap of $600 million, having won over LPs with its past history and future prospects in buying and building middle-market consumer businesses
VIG reaches $600m final close on third Korea fund
VIG Partners has closed its third Korea-focused fund at $600 million, with support from new and existing investors including Korea’s National Pension Service (NPS).
MBK-owned ING Life files for Korea IPO
ING Life Korea, a Korean insurer that MBK Partners acquired in 2013 from ING Groep, has applied for regulatory approval for a domestic IPO.
Deal focus: Affinity captures Korea credit card exposure
General Electric's sale of its stake in Hyundai Card was complicated by joint venture partner Hyundai Motor Group staying involved. Affinity Equity Partners leveraged its existing relationship with the conglomerate to seal the deal
Q&A: STIC Investments' Hans Jung
STIC Investments has raised $530 million for a fund that will target restructuring opportunities involving Korean conglomerates. Executive Managing Partner Hans Jung explains the strategy
VIDEO: Kim Yong Kook, Invest Korea
Kim Yong Kook, head of Invest Korea, discusses key trends in the country's investment environment
Affinity-led consortium to buy GE stake in Korea's Hyundai Card
Affinity Equity Partners has teamed up with two LP co-investors - GIC Private and AlpInvest Partners - and Hyundai Commercial to acquire General Electric’s (GE) 43% stake in South Korean credit card business Hyundai Card.
Korea Teachers' Pension appoints new CIO
Korea Teachers’ Pension has appointed David Park, formerly CIO of Allianz Life Insurance Korea, as its new chief investment officer. His two-year term began on January 2.
Samsung launches $150m global VC fund
Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics has launched a $150 million global venture capital fund via its US-based incubation and acceleration unit.
Israel's Yozma to invest $41m in Korean health tech start-ups
Israeli venture capital firm Yozma Group has agreed to invest KRW50 billion ($41.4 million) in Korean biotechnology and healthcare start-ups, starting in the first half of 2017.
AVCJ Awards 2016: Exit of the Year - Large Cap: Loen Entertainment
Vertical integration and growing interest in Korean media assets enabled Affinity Equity Partners to secure a strong return on Loen Entertainment, far quicker than anticipated
KTB, Q Capital agree $354m exit from Korea's Dongbu Express
A consortium led by KTB Private Equity and Q Capital Partners has agreed to sell Korea-based logistics provider Dongwu Express to local conglomerate Dongwon Group for KRW420 billion ($354 million).
Korea’s Memebox gets extended Series C round
South Korean beauty products e-commerce company Memebox has raised another $60 million in an extended Series C round of funding.
Hahn & Co, Ssangyong Cement bid for Hyundai Cement
Hahn & Co. is continuing its consolidation efforts in Korea’s cement industry, having teamed up with listed Ssangyong Cement – in which it holds a controlling stake – to bid for industry rival Hyundai Cement.
The crystal ball: Predictions for 2017
From LPs looking for realizations from GPs as well as paper gains, to the factors contributing to more buyout opportunities in China, industry participants give their perspectives on the year to come
Two Korean strategics confirm bids for PE-owned Daesung
South Korean conglomerates Hyosung Corporation and SK Group have both entered the bidding for Daesung Industrial Gases, an industrial gas maker controlled by a Goldman Sachs-led consortium.
MBK closes fourth North Asia fund at $4.1b
MBK Partners has reached a first and final close on its fourth North Asia-focused buyout fund at $4.1 billion, a significant step up from the $2.7 billion it raised for Fund III.
Anchor-led group invests $107m in Korean mobile content platform
A consortium led by Anchor Equity Partners has committed KRW125 billion ($107 million) to Podotree, the mobile content platform of Korean internet giant Kakao.
GPs see the Asia risk premium narrowing - AVCJ Forum
Private equity investors still expect a risk premium in Asia, although given uncertainty in Western markets and the relative stability in Asia’s more mature economies, it is debatable how long the status quo will last, industry participants told the...
Macquarie Capital invests $10m in Korea's Yello Mobile
Korean mobile internet platform Yello Mobile has issued $10 million in convertible bonds to Macquarie Capital. The investment values the business at approximately $4 billion.