Kakao online payments
Scope
Date
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Cryptocurrencies
Kakao’s Ground X to work on Korea central bank digital currency initiative
Kakao Corp.’s blockchain arm Ground X was selected as a simulator for the Bank of Korea-led central bank digital currency (CBDC) project, beat...
Jul 20, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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IPOs
Kakao Pay must refile IPO registration statement to FSS
South Korea’s financial regulator Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) on July 16 requested correction of Kakao Pay’s IPO registration st...
Jul 16, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Banking & Finance
Moody's urges Korean banks to beef up online platforms
South Korea's traditional banks, led by KB, Shinhan, Hana and Woori, will need to strengthen their online platforms as KakaoBank, the country's lead...
Jul 12, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Venture capital
Indonesia's HappyFresh draws half of new funding from Korea
Indonesia's online grocery platform HappyFresh will receive another $33 million from South Korean investors, including the Asian startup fund of Nav...
Jul 09, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Webtoons
Naver vs Kakao: Webtoon rivalry extends to superheroes
The fierce competition over webtoons between Naver Corp. and Kakao Corp. enters another round as the two South Korean platform giants join forces wi...
Jul 06, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Future mobility
LG invests $88 mn in Kakao Mobility as both seek new growth opportunities
LG Corp., the holding company of South Korea’s fourth-largest conglomerate LG Group, is investing 100 billion won ($88 million) in Kakao Mobil...
Jul 02, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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IPOs
Kakao Pay eyes August listing, seeks to raise near $2 bn
South Korea-based Kakao Pay Corp. is set to make a trading debut on the country's main bourse next month -- just a week after its sister company Kak...
Jul 02, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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IPOs
Online players head S.Korea's biggest month for IPOs
South Korea's initial public offering market in July is expected to see its largest-ever amount of share issues for a single month, worth over 8 tri...
Jul 01, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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IPOs
KakaoBank’s $2.3 bn IPO set to alter Korea’s banking landscape
KakaoBank Corp., the mobile banking unit of online messaging app giant Kakao Corp., is looking to raise as much as 2.55 trillion won ($2.26 billion)...
Jun 28, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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The Deep Dive
The butterfly effect: How the W Concept takeover stirred up Korea's fashion industry
“Just give us three weeks. We’ll offer a price by then.”This conversation took place in early March. A senior executive from retai...
Jun 22, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Markets
Kakao becomes 3rd most valuable company in Korea
Kakao Corp. is now the third most valuable company in Korea, after Samsung Electronics Co. and SK Hynix Inc.Kakao’s market cap on June 15 surp...
Jun 15, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Webtoons
Naver vs. Kakao: Global webtoon duel extends into Southeast Asia
The global webtoon battleground between South Korea's leading platforms Naver Corp. and Kakao Corp. has expanded into Southeast Asia with each compa...
Jun 14, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Banking & Finance
Hana Financial partners with Line to launch digital bank in Indonesia
Naver Corp.’s Japan-based messaging app affiliate Line Corp. is rapidly expanding its digital banking business in Asian countries outside Kore...
Jun 13, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Insurance
Kakao enters insurance sector for synergy with its online platforms
Kakao Corp.’s ambition to become an insurer is gradually becoming a reality. The platform giant’s application to start an insurance busi...
Jun 11, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Banking & Finance
Toss Bank to compete with K Bank, Kakao Bank from September
Toss Bank in September will enter the race of internet-only banks in South Korea as the third player, competing against K Bank and Kakao Bank. Toss ...
Jun 11, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Venture capital
NPS joins in TPG-led $125 mn funding for Kakao Mobility
The National Pension Service has committed $100 million to a TPG consortium that recently raised $116.8 million to invest in Kakao Mobility Co., Sou...
Jun 10, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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E-commerce
Kakao's fresh e-commerce strategy puts Naver, Coupang on guard
South Korea’s mobile platform Kakao Corp. is set to shake up the country's e-commerce market in the second half of the year with the launch of...
Jun 07, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Enterprise value
Kakao just behind rival Naver in market cap, may overtake soon
South Korean mobile platform giant Kakao Corp.’s enterprise value is rising backed by its strong business performance, threatening to overtake...
Jun 03, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
SM Entertainment emerges as next flashpoint for Kakao, Naver rivalry
As SM Entertainment Co., the label behind the global K-pop phenomenon, is up for grabs in the M&A market, the battle heats up between the countr...
Jun 01, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
K-pop content platforms team up to take lead in community market
Platform operators targeting global K-pop fans are mired in fierce competition as companies team up to vie for the lead in the fan community platfor...
May 31, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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OTT streaming
Kakao joins OTT race with INISOFT acquisition
Kakao Corp. is entering the over-the-top (OTT) streaming market. According to investment banking sources on May 27, Kakao’s entertainment and ...
May 27, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Webtoons
Concurrent deal closings by Kakao, Naver: Mere coincidence?
Early this month, when Anchor Equity Partners was in intense negotiations with Kakao Corp. over the terms of its 600 billion won ($530 million) inve...
May 24, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Fintech platform Toss seeks $180 mn in fresh funding
South Korean fintech startup Toss is seeking to raise 200 billion won ($177 million) in fresh funding, which would almost treble its valuation to 8 ...
May 21, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Webtoons
Kakao Japan secures over $500 mn from Anchor Equity; valuation tops $7 bn
Kakao Corp.’s Japanese unit is set to secure 600 billion won ($530 million) from South Korea-based private equity firm Anchor Equity Partners....
May 20, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Naver vs Kakao: Intense rivalry to extend beyond Asia
South Korea's two online giants Naver Corp. and Kakao Corp. have completed their respective acquisitions of storytelling platforms in the US and Can...
May 11, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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IPOs
Kakao Pay values itself at above-consensus $14 bn
Kakao Pay Corp., aiming to list on South Korea's main stock exchange this year, has valued itself at as much as 16 trillion won ($14.4 billion), or ...
Apr 27, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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IPOs
Fintech platform Kakao Pay applies for Kospi IPO
Kakao Pay Corp., a unit of South Korea's largest mobile messaging app Kakao Corp., submitted an application for its initial public offering with the...
Apr 26, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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IPOs
Kakao Bank applies for preliminary review of 2021 IPO
Kakao Bank, South Korea's No.1 mobile banking app., has kicked off the process to go public by applying for a preliminary review of its stock market...
Apr 15, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Tech, Media & Telecom
Naver, Kakao vie for Korean web novel platform
Naver Corp. and Kakao Corp., South Korea's two online giants, are competing to acquire Munpia Inc., their smaller domestic rival in the web novel ma...
Apr 15, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Platform valuations
Kakao Entertainment’s enterprise value seen above $8.9 billion
Kakao Entertainment Corp. is working to make a trading debut on the domestic bourse in the latter part of this year or in 2022 at the latest. And th...
Apr 09, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)