SoftBank Ventures Asia
Scope
Date
~
-
Batteries
LG to drive future growth in emerging markets with battery prowess
LG Group, South Korea’s fourth-largest conglomerate by assets, should step up its efforts to foster future growth with promising technologies,...
6 HOURS AGO
-
Venture capital
Naver Ventures to plant flag in Silicon Valley with TwelveLabs bet
Naver Ventures, the first dedicated Silicon Valley venture capital arm of Naver Corp., has made its debut investment in Nvidia Corp.-backed TwelveLa...
9 HOURS AGO
-
Tech, Media & Telecom
Korea’s KT signs $95 million AI partnership with Vietnam’s Viettel Group
South Korea’s leading telecommunications service provider KT Corp. said on Tuesday it has signed a 130 billion won ($95 million) strategic par...
May 27, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Energy
SK Earthon secures rights to explore 2 offshore oil blocks in Indonesia
SK Earthon Co., the petroleum exploration and production (E&P) unit of South Korea’s top energy company SK Innovation Co., has secured rig...
May 22, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Alternative investments
Hamilton Lane invests in IMM infrastructure fund in secondary deal
Global private market investor Hamilton Lane Inc. has acquired a stake in Seoul-based alternative investment firm IMM Investment’s infrastruct...
May 20, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Tech, Media & Telecom
S.Korea’s Naver to launch Silicon Valley venture arm in aggressive AI push
Naver Corp., South Korea’s top internet portal operator, plans to set up a dedicated venture capital arm in Silicon Valley in a move seen as a...
May 16, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Real estate
Greystar hires ex-Samsung SRA manager to launch Seoul office
Greystar Real Estate Partners, the largest housing investment firm in the US, has hired Kang Junghwan, former managing director and head of portfoli...
May 16, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Automobiles
Used SUVs pricier than new ones? Yes, in South Korea thanks to Russia
Prices of certain used sport utility vehicles in South Korea are defying the broader economic slowdown, with used models like Hyundai Motor Co.'s Pa...
May 12, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Earnings
KakaoBank posts record Q1 profit, eyes Thai expansion after Indonesia
KakaoBank Corp., a leading South Korean internet-only bank, posted its highest quarterly profit in the first quarter, defying a drop in interest inc...
May 08, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Mergers & Acquisitions
Soon for sale: Altos Ventures-backed Cafe Knotted operator
Silicon Valley-based Altos Ventures-backed Good Food For Good (GFFG), operator of South Korea’s popular dessert cafe, Cafe Knotted, will likel...
May 07, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Arts
Seoul appeal: Korean art captivates Indonesia’s affluent connoisseurs
JAKARTA – Last Thursday, Baik Art gallery in Jakarta, Indonesia, was crowded with well-heeled art patrons eager to meet a revered artist from ...
May 01, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Alternative investments
Meritz backs half of ex-manager’s $210 mn hedge fund
Meritz Financial Group Inc., one of South Korea’s most aggressive alternative asset managers, has committed 150 billion won ($105 million) to ...
Apr 23, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Culture & Trends
S.Korea’s medical tourism thrives on weak currency
Foreign visitors to South Korea jumped nearly 20% early this year, largely driven by a sharp depreciation in the country’s currency value agai...
Apr 18, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Asset management
South Korea’s young rich vs old rich: Coins, art outpace bonds, funds
Young South Korean millionaires, placing bold wagers on unconventional financial assets such as cryptocurrencies and art, are gaining ground fast, g...
Apr 17, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Business & Politics
S.Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol ousted; new presidential election coming
South Korea’s Constitutional Court permanently removed President Yoon Suk Yeol from office on Friday, making him the country’s second pr...
Apr 04, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Real estate
Asia Property to buy WeWork building in Seoul
Seoul-based real estate investment firm Asia Property has been picked as the sole preferred bidder for an office building currently occupied by cowo...
Apr 04, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Travel & Leisure
SoftBank-backed Yanolja raises stake in Modetour as No. 2 shareholder
South Korea’s top travel and accommodation booking platform operator Yanolja Co. has increased its stake in travel agency Modetour Network Inc...
Mar 27, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Private equity
South Korea emerges as private equity firms’ global hub
New York-based Apollo Global Management and London-based Intermediate Capital Group (ICG) have joined the ranks of global private equity firms that ...
Mar 11, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Business & Politics
Asia’s defense stocks climb on hopes of more European arms spending
Defense stocks in key Asian markets jumped on Tuesday, buoyed by expectations that European nations will boost security spending amid fears that the...
Mar 05, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Alternative investments
Korea Investment & Securities aims to be Asia's top securities firm
Korea Investment & Securities Co. will step up its asset management business by launching innovative global investment products, aiming to surpa...
Feb 20, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Electronics
LG Innotek ventures into automotive AP module market
LG Innotek Co., a major South Korean electronics parts developer, has forayed into the automotive application processor (AP) module market, poised f...
Feb 19, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Automobiles
Hyundai Motor launches future strategy division overseeing M&As
Hyundai Motor Group has created a future business strategy division that serves as a control tower for the automotive group’s expansion into n...
Feb 16, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Real estate
PAG raises $4 bn for opportunistic Asia real estate fund
PAG, an Asia Pacific-focused alternative investment firm, on Friday announced the final close of its 10th opportunistic real estate fund at $4 billi...
Feb 14, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Mergers & Acquisitions
MBK-led consortium to take over Japan’s FICT for $656 mn
MBK Partners, the largest private equity firm in North Asia, will acquire a controlling stake in FICT Ltd., a semiconductor printed circuit board (P...
Feb 06, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Artificial intelligence
OpenAI, SoftBank tap Samsung for Stargate AI initiative
Samsung Electronics Co. Chairman Lee Jae-yong discussed potential collaboration on the Stargate AI initiative with OpenAI co-founder and CEO Sam Alt...
Feb 04, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Petrochemicals
HS Hyosung Advanced Materials seeks to sell tire steel cord business
South Korea’s HS Hyosung Advanced Materials Corp. is seeking to sell its tire steel cord business to secure funds for its new growth ventures ...
Jan 23, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Economy
Political crisis ups downside risk to S.Korea’s economy: S&P, Moody’s
Global credit rating agencies are warning of looming downward pressure on South Korea’s sovereign credit rating about a month after Asia&rsquo...
Jan 10, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Economy
Foreign direct investments in Korea hit record $34.57 billion in 2024
Foreign direct investments in South Korea hit a record high in 2024, driven by Chinese and Japanese investors in the manufacturing sector, the Minis...
Jan 07, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Foreign exchange
South Korea’s forex reserves drop to 5-year low in 2024
South Korea’s foreign exchange reserves shrank to a five-year low at the end of last year after the country’s foreign exchange authoriti...
Jan 07, 2025 (Gmt+09:00)
-
Food & Beverage
S.Korea's office cafeteria firms expand into overseas markets
South Korea's office cafeteria companies, including Hyundai Green Food Co., Ourhome, and Samsung Welstory plan to expand overseas markets with the p...
Dec 30, 2024 (Gmt+09:00)
Latest News
- 1 Lee Jae-myung to meet with top business leaders this week ahead of G7 summit
- 2 Korea to allow non-profits to buy bad consumer loans
- 3 LG to drive future growth in emerging markets with battery prowess
- 4 South Korean President Lee, Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba seek closer ties
- 5 Naver Ventures to plant flag in Silicon Valley with TwelveLabs bet