K-Unicorn
Scope
Date
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Beauty & Cosmetics
K-beauty makers focus on US as China business slows
South Korea’s major cosmetics makers are trying to lure more customers in North America as the K-beauty boom has been weakening in China, the ...
Jun 16, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Future mobility
Why Samsung didn't join race for S.Korea's air taxi project
Samsung, a name seen everywhere in South Korea from apartment complexes to home appliances, is missing on the list of bidders for the country’...
Jun 02, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Startup ministry taps 60 future unicorns for $240,000 assistance
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced Wednesday it has selected 60 promising startups to which it will provide financial assistance and expert...
Jun 02, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Corporate investment
CJ to beef up content, K-food sector with $9.7 billion investment
South Korea’s CJ Group, which operates the country’s largest food and beverage company CJ Cheiljedang Corp. and entertainment giant CJ E...
May 30, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Musinsa drops plan to buy Japan-focused rival fashion platform
South Korea’s top online fashion platform Musinsa withdrew a plan to acquire a local rival that focuses on Japanese shoppers.The move indicate...
May 25, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Startup accelerator D.Camp generates $22 billion in value in 10 years
Since its inception in 2012, the Banks Foundation for Young Entrepreneurs has generated more than $28 trillion won ($22 billion.)The goal of the fou...
May 23, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Food & Beverage
Tous les Jours, the next K-bakery to lure US customers
Tous les Jours, South Korea’s second-largest bakery franchise, is rapidly expanding its US business by attracting customers with greater varie...
May 23, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Entertainment
Korea's key movie firm to push content production M&As
In recent years, the content creation industry in South Korea has been a key investment sector for local investment banks. Some major content produc...
May 16, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Rebellions to join pre-unicorn list via Series A Funding
Rebellions Inc., a South Korean AI-powered fabless startup, is in the final stage of the Series A Funding Round with 70 billion won ($54.9 million) ...
May 10, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Fabless startup FADU eyes unicorn status with $157 mn funding
FADU Technology, a fabless startup that develops architecture for solid-state drive (SSD) controllers and storage products, is seeking to raise 200 ...
May 06, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Robotics
KT showcases AI-powered robots, traffic control program at tech fair
KT Corp., a major South Korean telecommunications company, unveiled its new digital transformation services using artificial intelligence, big data ...
Apr 20, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Venture capital
US and German startups funded by Mirae Asset join ranks of unicorns
Mirae Asset Venture Investment Co. is forecast to rake in more than 400 billion won ($325 million) for its investment in Moloco Inc. Mirae As...
Apr 15, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
S.Korea’s luxury e-commerce startups poised to become unicorns
South Korea’s e-commerce startups are enjoying massive hikes in their valuations on the back of robust online spending by millennials and memb...
Apr 14, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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K-pop
JYP Entertainment stocks skyrocket 70% in three months
Shares of JYP Entertainment Inc. have been skyrocketing in recent months. The record label stocks jumped more than 70% from its lowest price point s...
Apr 08, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Entertainment
SM Entertainment to find Saudi idols with Princess Haifa
South Korea’s entertainment behemoth SM Entertainment Co. will develop Saudi idols with Princess Haifa bint Mohammed Al-Saud as the kingdom ai...
Apr 07, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Tech, Media & Telecom
Slack gains more than 1,000 clients in S.Korea in just two years
The seven hottest tech companies and startups in South Korea earned a new nickname, a word combining their first syllables. What they also have in c...
Apr 06, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Corporate restructuring
Telecom giant KT considers turning into holding company structure
KT Corp., a major South Korean telecommunications company, is considering changing into a holding company structure in an effort to boost the compan...
Apr 01, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Shareholder activism
Activist fund wins over K-pop pioneer at SM Entertainment annual meeting
South Korea’s entertainment behemoth SM Entertainment Co. is poised to have a new outside auditor – a measure expected to bring a much-a...
Mar 31, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Food & Beverage
Daesang’s first Korean kimchi plant in US up and running
South Korean food maker Daesang Corp. has completed the construction of a kimchi plant in the US, its first factory outside Asia, which the company ...
Mar 29, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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IPOs
Kurly applies for Korea IPO to raise about $800 mn
South Korea's Kurly Inc. on Monday applied for a preliminary review of its initial public offering, the Korea Exchange said, as the operator of groc...
Mar 28, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Kakao hits snag in $815 mn SM Entertainment takeover plan
Kakao Entertainment Corp. has hit a snag in its talks to buy a controlling stake in SM Entertainment Co., according to those familiar with the neg...
Mar 28, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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The KED View
Springtime hopeful for K-Culture’s continued Belle Époque
In the spring of 2020, the South Korean stock market was still not over the COVID-19 scare. While going through the indices, I came across the ...
Mar 17, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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IPOs
Biotech startup Voronoi withdraws IPO plans
South Korea’s biotechnology startup Voronoi Inc. scrapped its plan to go public this month. The new drug developer announced Wednesday it...
Mar 16, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Visual effects startup VA Corp joins ranks of unicorns
Visual effects production startup VA Corporation announced Monday it received 100 billion won ($80.4 million) from private equity fund Paratus Inv...
Mar 15, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Companies
South Korea's contact lens exports surge in 2021
South Korea's contact lens brands accelerated their penetration into the global market estimated at $10 billion in 2021, thanks to the market's rebo...
Mar 10, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Private equity
K Car's evolution into top Korean used car sales platform
When Seoul-based private equity firm Hahn & Co. acquired K Car Co. from SK Group in 2018, the No. 1 used car retailer in South Korea controlled ...
Mar 08, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Entertainment
Korean content shares jump on Beijing’s eased restrictions
South Korean content shares finished Friday’s trade higher, buoyed by expectations of resumed exports to China and news that Disney+ will rele...
Mar 04, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Ridi becomes first Korean content platform unicorn
Ridi Corp., often referred to as South Korea's Kindle, has received funding of 120 billion won ($100 million) from Singapore's GIC and three domesti...
Feb 28, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Entertainment
BTS returns to Korean stage for 1st time since 2019
SEOUL — In the latest sign that life is going back to something that resembles the pre-pandemic past, BTS is returning to the stage in Seoul.The...
Feb 25, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Entertainment
K-pop shares rebound on return to offline concerts
Shares of major South Korean entertainment companies are on an upward trend this month. The rebound is thanks to eased COVID-19 restrictions leading...
Feb 24, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)