South Korea
ICG invests in Korean tutoring business
Intermediate Capital Group (ICG) has invested an undisclosed sum in Time Education, a privately-owned education company in Korea that provides tutoring services from kindergarten through high school.
Korea’s Posco, Green Cross lead round for US-based Juventas
South Korea-based Posco Capital and biopharmaceutical player Green Cross have led a $7.5 million round for Juventas Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotech development company based in the US.
Fund focus: Unison hones in on South Korea
Comparisons can be drawn between Unison Capital’s debut Korea buyout fund and its first Japan vehicle raised more than 15 years ago. The targets are small- to mid-size companies that have growth potential but need help realizing it, particularly in...
Unison closes debut Korea fund at $280m - update
Japan-based private equity firm Unison Capital has closed its first-ever Korea-dedicated buyout fund at approximately KRW300 billion ($280 million).
Portfolio: IMM Private Equity and Korea's Hollys Coffee
IMM Private Equity thinks Hollys Coffee has what it takes to become a homegrown star in Korea’s fiercely competitive coffee house industry. Two years into the investment, rejuvenation efforts appear to be paying off
Ticket Monster tools up for e-commerce fight
EBay paid $1.2 billion for a dominant position in Korean online retail in 2009 with the privatization of NASDAQ-listed Gmarket. It was the leading e-commerce marketplace, accounting for KRW3.99 trillion (then $2.6 billion) of the country’s estimated...
Korea’s NPS ups alternatives exposure to 9.9%
The National Pension Service of Korea (NPS) increased its alternatives allocation from 9.4% to 9.9% over the course of 2014 as total assets grew by 10.3% to reach KRW470 trillion ($435 billion).
KKR, Anchor buy controlling stake Korea's Ticket Monster
A consortium led by KKR and Anchor Equity Partners has agreed to buy a controlling stake in South Korean mobile e-commerce company Ticket Monster from US-listed Groupon for $360 million.
PE consortium closes in on Korea's Ticket Monster - report
A group of private equity investors including KKR is set to buy Korean e-commerce mobile app Ticket Monster from US-based Groupon in a deal that could value the company as highly as $800 million.
Hahn & Co-backed Cowell e Holdings targets $153m offering
South Korea-focused GP Hahn & Co. is set to make a partial exit from electronics manufacturer Cowell e Holdings as the company seeks to raise up to HK$1.19 billion ($153 million) through its Hong Kong IPO.
Lotte outbids PE, strategics for KT Rental with $908m deal
Lotte Group has agreed to buy South Korean car rental firm KT Rental from KT Corp. and other investors for KRW1.02 trillion ($908 million), beating out several other private equity and strategic players.
South Korea's Memebox raises $17.5m from VCs
Beauty-focused e-commerce start-up Memebox has raised a $17.5 million Series B round of funding from a consortium of VC backers.
Hahn & Co-owned Cowell e Holdings files for Hong Kong IPO
Cowell e Holdings, a portfolio company of South Korea-based Hahn & Co. portfolio and a major supplier of camera modules used in Apple devices, has filed for an IPO in Hong Kong.
Korea's SMBA, IDG form $91m VC fund
IDG Capital Partners and South Korea's Small and Medium Business Administration have agreed to form a KRW100 billion ($91 million) VC fund that will help Korean businesses enter the China market.
Biopharma venture raises $7.3m from Korean investors
Korean healthcare-focused VC firm InterVest and tech-focused E&Investment have together invested $7.28 million in G-treeBNT, a Seoul-based diversified bio pharmaceutical business.
Kumho Asiana to buy back Korea bus unit from IBK, Kstone
IBK Capital and Kstone Partners are set to exit South Korea-based Kumho Buslines after domestic conglomerate Kumho Asiana Group said it would buy back its former subsidiary.
Korean education social network raises $3.2m
Classting, a South Korean social networking site for students and teachers, has raised a KRW3.5 billion ($3.17 million) Series B round of funding led by Partner Investment, a tech-focused PE firm based in Seoul.
KIC, Kingdom Holdings to partner on PE investments
Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) and Kingdom Holding Company (KHC), an investment company controlled by Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, have agreed to collaborate on private equity investment opportunities.
US-based 500 Startups unveils $15m South Korea fund
US-based accelerator 500 Startups has launched another $15 million Asian satellite fund in Korea - called 500 Kimchi - a little over a week after it announced a similar vehicle in Thailand.
Vogo to exit South Korea's Tong Yang Life to China insurer in $1b deal
South Korean GP Vogo Investment is exiting its majority stake in Tong Yang Life Insurance to China's Anbang Insurance Group in a KRW1.13 trillion ($998 million) deal.
Unitas Capital's Korea team to spin out
Unitas Capital's Eugene Suh and Jay Lee will spin out to raise a Korea-focused fund. They will take the four-person Seoul-based team with them.
Hahn & Co gets $1.9b for two funds
Christmas holidays are a rarity at Hahn & Co. The Korean buyout firm’s acquisition of Posfine, a slag powder business owned by steelmaker Posco, closed on December 30. The 2013 seasonal period was dominated by negotiations over a majority stake in Hanjin’s...
Hahn & Co closes Fund II at $1.2b, raises $700m co-invest vehicle
Hahn & Co has reached a final close on its second South Korea buyout fund at the hard cap of $1.2 billion, and raised a separate $700 million co-investment pool to support the $3.6 billion acquisition of Halla Visteon Climate Control Corporation (HVCC).
Carlyle promotes Hiroyuki Otsuka to partner in Japan
The Carlyle Group has promoted Hiroyuki Otsuka, a member of its Japan buyout team, to partner as part of global round of 59 appointments, including five in Asia.