Whalebook 2-in-1
Scope
Date
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Korean startups
Five startups join the ranks of unicorns in the first half of this year
Five South Korean startups joined the ranks of unicorns in the first half of 2022, the largest such figure for six months. With that, the total...
Jul 22, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Aerospace & Defense
KAI targets to sell 1,000 units of FA-50 light attack aircraft worth $30 billion
Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd., South Korea’s sole military aircraft manufacturer, is seeking to sell 1,000 units of the FA-50 light combat a...
Jul 22, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Online study assistant operator Bebridge receives $1.9 mn in pre-Series A
South Korean startup Bebridge Inc. announced Thursday it raised 2.5 billion won ($1.9 million) in pre-Series A round from Magna Investment, Bluepoin...
Jul 21, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Batteries
Samsung SDI to build new battery plant in Malaysia by 2025
South Korea’s battery manufacturer Samsung SDI Co. held a groundbreaking ceremony for Plant 2 to make cylindrical batteries in Seremban, Mal...
Jul 21, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Warehouse robotics maker Floatic raises $2.6 million in pre-Series A
Warehouse automation startup Floatic Robotics wrapped up its pre-Series A round with 3.4 billion won ($2.6 million). The Seoul-based company is...
Jul 21, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Private equity
SK Square makes its first exit seeking new target firms
South Korean investment firm SK Square Co. has sold all of its shares in Korean biotech NanoEntek Inc., a 28.4% stake, for 58 billion won ($44.3 mil...
Jul 20, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean chipmakers
SK Hynix puts $3.3 billion factory plan on hold amid global uncertainty
SK Hynix Inc., the world’s second-largest memory chipmaker, has decided to hold off on a 4.3 trillion won ($3.3 billion) plan to build a new N...
Jul 20, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Artificial intelligence
AI-powered translation startup XL8 raises $2.7 million in bridge investment
Artificial intelligence-powered translation startup XL8 Inc. said on Monday it raised 3.6 billion won ($2.7 million) in a bridge round prior to Seri...
Jul 18, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Future mobility
SK Telecom to take lead in UAM biz with telco know-how
BUSAN -- South Korea’s top mobile carrier SK Telecom Co. aims to dominate the urban air mobility market based on its expertise and know-how in...
Jul 17, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Foreign exchange
Won may head to 1,400 against the dollar for 1st time since 2008-09 crisis
The South Korean won is expected to weaken to 1,400 against the dollar, a level not seen since the 2008-09 global financial crisis as the country&rs...
Jul 15, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Bain Capital, Lotte Chem. among shortlisted bidders for Iljin
A US private equity firm Bain Capital and South Korea’s major petrochemical manufacturer Lotte Chemical Corp. were among the shortlisted candi...
Jul 13, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Upcoming IPOs
South Korea’s unicorn startups, including Viva Republica, delay IPOs
South Korean startups that exceed $1 billion in valuations, known as unicorns, are pushing back their initial public offering (IPO) dates.The move c...
Jul 11, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Hansol Paper joins Series A funding for RIU worth $1.5 mn
Hansol Paper Co. announced Thursday that it participated as a strategic investor in a Series A funding worth 2 billion won ($1.5 million) for South ...
Jul 08, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
SD Biosensor, SJL Partners to acquire Meridian Bioscience for $1.53 bn
SD Biosensor Inc., the world's largest COVID-19 test kit seller, and private equity firm SJL Partners LLC are jointly acquiring Meridian Bioscience ...
Jul 07, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Shipping & Shipbuilding
Hyundai Heavy’s KSOE wins $2.2 billion order for 10 LNG carriers
Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co. (KSOE), the intermediate holding company of the world’s top shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Indust...
Jul 07, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Automobiles
Hyundai Motor raises N.America workforce, cuts China staff
Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea’s top automaker, ramped up its workforce in North America by more than 50% last year where its presence is grow...
Jul 07, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Foreign exchange
Korean won forecast to weaken further after hitting 13-year low
The South Korean won is expected to further depreciate after touching its lowest level since the 2008-2009 global financial crisis, on concerns that...
Jul 07, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Private equity
Small S.Korean PE firms flex muscle during pandemic
Private equity firms registered in South Korea enjoyed a 20% jump in their accumulated commitments in 2021 as a whole, led by small and medium-sized...
Jul 06, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Economy
Korea faces risk from record $114 bn in inventory assets
South Korea’s major listed companies held record inventory assets as they piled up raw materials to deal with the global supply chain disrupti...
Jul 06, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean chipmakers
LG Innotek to invest $1.1 bn to ramp up substrate, camera module output
South Korea’s LG Innotek Co. said on Wednesday it will invest 1.4 trillion won ($1.1 billion) in expanding facilities for semiconductor substr...
Jul 06, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Automobiles
Infotainment, telematics define LG’s new future with $6.2 billion in orders
When LG Electronics Inc. surprised the market last year by announcing that it was exiting the mobile phone business, one of its mainstay businesses,...
Jul 05, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Unison Capital puts Korea dental scanner maker up for sale
Unison Capital Inc., a middle-market focused private equity firm, put the world’s third-largest 3D dental scanner maker on the market. The dea...
Jul 05, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Batteries
LG Energy surrenders No. 2 EV battery position to BYD
LG Energy Solution Ltd., South Korea’s leading battery maker, gave up its second-largest position in the global electric vehicle cell market...
Jul 04, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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IPOs
Online lender K Bank revs up for IPO in Nov on surging net profit
K Bank submitted a preliminary assessment request to the Korea Stock Exchange on Thursday, the first step to an initial public offering. The on...
Jul 01, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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IPOs
Korea’s Socar gets pushback for high valuation ahead of IPO
South Korea’s mobility unicorn Socar Inc. faces controversy over its valuation after the car-sharing startup set the price guidance for its in...
Jun 30, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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IPOs
Aramco-backed Hyundai Oilbank wins prelim nod for H2 IPO
South Korea's Hyundai Oilbank Co. on Wednesday won preliminary approval for an initial public offering on the Korea Exchange, which may provide its ...
Jun 30, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Corporate investment
LG eyes clean tech supremacy with $1.5 bn spending on green projects
South Korea’s fourth-largest conglomerate LG is setting its sights on clean energy technology as it steps up efforts to transform into an eco-...
Jun 30, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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IPOs
Mobility platform Socar targets $1.2 bn value for Aug IPO
South Korea’s car-sharing platform Socar Inc. has estimated its corporate value at up to 1.6 trillion won ($1.2 billion) for an initial public...
Jun 27, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Bio & Pharma
1 in 4 biotech firms struggles with decreasing cash reserves
South Korea’s biotechnology firms – public and private alike – are facing increasingly negative financial conditions. T...
Jun 26, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean stock market
S.Korea stocks see dead cat bounce; outlook remains gloomy
South Korea’s shares on Friday rebounded after tumbling in the previous two straight sessions, outperforming their peers in Asia, but few expe...
Jun 24, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)