South Korea
Korean GP EQ Partners gets investment from Reorient Group
Hong Kong-listed financial services provider Reorient Group has bought a one third stake in Korean private equity firm EQ Partners from Dongah Tire & Rubber, a Korean auto parts manufacturer, for KRW4.5 billion ($4.1 million).
Vogo, KTB-backed LG Siltron withdraws IPO
LG Siltron, a silicon wafer manufacturer owned by LG Group, Vogo Investment and KTB Private Equity, has abandoned plans to raise at least $275 million through an IPO. The company won listing approval on October 31 but decided not to proceed because domestic...
Hahn & Co. in $130m bankruptcy buyout
Sourcing deals through South Korea's bankruptcy courts is notoriously complicated, but even by these standards Korea Line presented a challenge. The sale process was officially launched late afternoon on December 21, the Friday before what most people...
Secondaries in vogue in Korea
Among South Korean LPs there such a thing as the flavor of the month. We have seen global buyout and credit phases over the years, during which international private equity and credit houses mopped up more allocations than ever before. The last 12 months,...
Hahn & Co to buy Korea Line via bankrupcty process
Hahn & Co. has been selected by a bankruptcy court as the preferred bidder for a 50% controlling stake in Korea Line, South Korea’s fourth-largest shipping company. The enterprise value of the transaction is KRW1.1 trillion ($1 billion), with Hahn &...
PSERS to invest in Morgan Stanley PE Asia’s fourth fund
Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia (MSPEA) has received a commitment of up to $100 million for its fourth fund from Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS). The pension system previously invested in global funds launched by Morgan...
BlackRock appoints head of alternatives for North Asia
BlackRock has appointed Jeong Hoon Lee as head of its alternative investment strategy group for North Asia.
Softbank Ventures Korea invests $1.4m in KnowRE
Softbank Ventures Korea (SBVK), the venture capital unit of Japan's Softbank Corporation, has invested $1.4 million in KnowRe, an education technology company specializing in adaptive online learning services.
Asia PE fundraising drops by one third to $46.8b in 2012
Private equity fundraising in Asia Pacific slumped by more than one third to $46.8 billion in 2012 from $72.9 billion a year ago as capital committed to China-focused vehicles dropped off markedly over the course of the year. It is the lowest annual total...
Korean couples app raises $3m Series B funding
Korean social media application Between has raised a $3 million Series B funding round from new and existing venture capital players. The proceeds will be used to expand the company's presence outside its home market.
Samsung Ventures invests in Fixmo
Samusung Venture Investment Corp, the venture capital unit of Samsung Group, has invested in Canada's Fixmo, a mobile security solutions firm. Details of the transaction were not disclosed.
Korea Teachers to invest in Hamilton Lane, Paul Capital
Korea Teachers Pension Fund (KTPF) will invest $30 million each to Hamilton Lane and Paul Capital as it looks to increase its global exposure to 15% of its overall private equity portfolio by 2018.
KKR boosts Asia business by offering outbound deal access
Building relationships and generating deal flow in Asia doesn’t necessarily involve starting in Asia, according to Joe Bae, regional head of KKR. The private equity firm has made inroads in Japan, South Korea and China by providing local partners with...
Positive vibes spread on Korea
As I noted in a viewpoint piece last September, private equity in South Korea is seeing a revival internationally. The market has steadily worked its way back from one populated almost exclusively by local GPs – most of them subsidiaries of securities...
Korea’s EQ Partners supports ArcelorMittal deal – report
South Korean private equity firm EQ Partners is said to be part of the Asian consortium that has acquired a 15% stake in ArcelorMittal Mines Canada (AMMC) for $1.1 billion. Other investors include South Korean steelmaker Posco and Taiwan’s China Steel...
2012: That was the year that was
The broad trends and particular highlights of private equity fundraising, investment and exit activity in Asia
Headland offers toymaker succession solution
Big eyed and rosy cheeked, Kong Suni the potty-training baby doll is the must-have toy in South Korea this year. Her ability to eat, fill her diaper and pass wind has attracted headlines both home and abroad. The doll is a creation of South Korean firm...
Korean PE fundraising to surpass $7b in 2012
The aggregate amount of private equity funds raised in South Korea this year is set to surpass KRW8 trillion ($7 billion), a record high for the country.
Illinois Teachers commits up to $125m to MBK’s third fund
Illinois Teachers' Retirement System has committed up to $125 million to MBK Partners III. The pension plan previously committed $25 million to the North Asia-focused private equity firm’s second vehicle in 2008.
Headland completes $55m buyout of South Korea’s YoungToys
Headland Capital Partners has a acquired a 96.5% stake in South Korean toy manufacturer YoungToys for KRW60 billion ($55 million). It is the 10th investment from Headland Private Equity Fund 6.
MBK reaches first close of $1.25b on Fund III
MBK Partners has reached a first close of $1.25 billion on its third buyout fund, industry sources have told AVCJ. The vehicle launched in September and has a full target of $2.25 billion. MBK declined to comment.
Korean start-up accelerator appoints new GPs
Korean start-up accelerator SparkLabs has appointed Jay McCarthy and Awy Julianto as general partners. They are managing partner and general partner, respectively, at Singapore-based boutique M&A and financial advisory firm Pacific Advisors.
Lone Star starts arbitration proceedings against Korean government
Lone Star Funds has initiated arbitration of its claim for damages suffered as a result of alleged unlawful intervention by the Korean government with the private equity firm’s rights as a major shareholder in Korea Exchange Bank (KEB) and other companies...
MBK’s Coway deal revived after court approval
MBK Partners’s acquisition of a significant minority stake in water purifier manufacturer Woongjin Coway appears to be back on track after a South Korean court approved the KRW1.2 trillion ($1.1 billion) deal. The deal was put on hold last month after...