digital payment platform
Scope
Date
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Metaverse
Softbank joins $190 mn fundraising by Naver metaverse platform
Naver Corp.’s metaverse platform secured $190 million from Softbank and other investors to expand its business in a market marked by fierce co...
Dec 01, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Blockchain
MediBloc aims to promote safe exchange of medical data using blockchain
As the adoption of artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent, the value of data also increases rapidly. The quality and quantity of data...
Dec 01, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Gaming platform Planetarium attracts $42 mn, valued at $293 mn
South Korea’s non-fungible token (NFT)-based open source gaming platform Planetarium, under Nine Corp. Inc., is slated to attract around 50 ...
Nov 28, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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E-commerce
KoreaCenter acquires Danawa, paving way for MBK’s bolt-on deal
KoreaCenter Co. has been named the new owner of Danawa Co., one of South Korea’s first-generation e-commerce platforms – a move that is ...
Nov 26, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Proptech platform Olim Planet eyes 2022 Kosdaq IPO
Olim Planet, a South Korean property technology startup, has begun the process to go public on the junior Kosdaq market as early as the second half ...
Nov 26, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Executive reshuffles
KakaoPay chief tapped as co-CEO in Kakao management shakeup
Young-joon Ryu and Min-soo Yeo, slated as Kakao Corp. co-CEOs come March Korea’s largest mobile messenger provider Kakao Corp. is slated ...
Nov 26, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Mergers & Acquisitions
Korea’s Toss operator invests $5 mn in US startup fintech platform Republic
Viva Republica Inc., a leading South Korean fintech unicorn and operator of mobile financial super app Toss, is investing $5 million in Republic, a ...
Nov 24, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Music copyright trading platform Musicow revitalizes Korea’s startup scene
“Music becomes Cashcow” is the slogan for Korea’s hottest startup of the year, Musicow, Inc., and cash cow it has been. Indus...
Nov 22, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Korean startups
Resale platform Bunjang to raise funds at over $300 mn valuation
South Korea's leading resale platform Bungaejangter Inc., also known as Bunjang, will raise 83 billion won ($70 million) in fresh funding at a valua...
Nov 22, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Venture capital
Fractional investing platforms for art to Rolex lure VCs
The growing popularity of fractional investment in celebrated artworks, music copyrights and luxury items has spurred a flurry of venture capital in...
Nov 17, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Alternative investments
EQT doubles down on sustainability and digitalization to fuel returns
With higher energy prices, creeping inflation and strained supply chains just a few of the headwinds to future economic growth, investors may find i...
Nov 17, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Biotech
Celltrion looks beyond biosimilars to develop its own mRNA drugs
South Korea’s Celltrion Inc. has long been a biosimilar player, producing replicas of original drugs, a growing market in the pandemic era.Ear...
Nov 16, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Private equity
AIIB commits $60 mn to STIC Asia Infra Innovation Fund
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has committed $60 million to the STIC Asia Infrastructure Innovation Fund managed by South Korea&r...
Nov 12, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Retail
SK to invest $340 mn in Vietnam’s major retail platform The CrownX
South Korea’s conglomerate SK Group said on Nov. 11 that it agreed to invest $340 million in The CrownX, a retail platform of Masan Group Corp...
Nov 11, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Entertainment
DearU’s value nears YG Entertainment after strong Kosdaq debut
Shares of DearU Co., a K-pop fandom platform in South Korea, fell on Thursday, the day after a strong Kosdaq debut, which briefly put the company&...
Nov 11, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Pension funds
NPS, Tishman form $1.5 bn JV to invest in US housing
The National Pension Service (NPS) of South Korea, the world’s third-largest pension fund, and New York-based global real estate investment ...
Nov 10, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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E-commerce
MBK seeks to buy two S.Korean e-commerce platforms
MBK Partners is in talks to buy management rights of two e-commerce platforms listed on South Korea's Kosdaq market in a package deal, according to ...
Nov 09, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Venture capital
Travel startups draw new funds amid digital transformation
As South Korea loosened social distancing measures for a gradual return to normal life this week, investors are rekindling their interest in travel ...
Nov 05, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Tech, Media & Telecom
Google allows alternate in-app payment options in South Korea, though familiar fees remain
SEOUL—Alphabet Inc.’s Google plans to continue charging South Korean app developers a service fee for in-app purchases, even as users fo...
Nov 05, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Entertainment
Netflix to strengthen partnerships with ISPs through network technology
Netflix Inc. has confirmed it will focus on partnerships with South Korean internet service providers (ISPs) through its in-house distribution netwo...
Nov 04, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Earnings
Kakao becomes Korea’s top platform firm, besting archrival Naver
Kakao Corp., best known for South Korea’s top mobile messenger app KakaoTalk, has become the country’s top platform company in terms of ...
Nov 04, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Entertainment
K-pop fan engagement platform DearU prices IPO above range
DearU Co, a K-pop fandom platform in South Korea, priced its initial public offering above the price range on Thursday thanks to heated demand. The ...
Oct 28, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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ASK 2021
Goldman picks three key factors for alternative investment
A number of clear trends will play out for alternatives in the future, notably digitization, customization, and values-based investing, Goldman Sach...
Oct 27, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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ASK 2021
KIC to raise alternative investments to 25% by 2027
Korea Investment Corp. (KIC) plans to increase alternative investments to a quarter of its portfolio by 2027 from the current 16%, its CEO Jin Seoun...
Oct 27, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Metaverse
Masayoshi Son to bet $170 mn on Naver metaverse platform
Softbank Group founder Masayoshi Son is slated to bet $170 million on Naver Corp.’s metaverse platform. The investment is expected to help Nav...
Oct 24, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Tech, Media & Telecom
Naver launches Japan-focused e-commerce platform
South Korea's top online portal Naver Corp. launched its e-commerce platform dedicated to Japan last month, taking its first step toward a global on...
Oct 22, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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K-pop copyright trading platform Musicow prepares for IPO
Musicow Inc., South Korea's first music copyright trading platform, has embarked on the process to go public on the back of its eye-catching growth ...
Oct 21, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Entertainment
Korean OTT platform TVing to go abroad with Naver's LINE
South Korea's over-the-top (OTT) streaming platform TVing Co. will make its inroads into Japan and Taiwan next year and into the US in 2023, tapping...
Oct 19, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Entertainment
DearU: A K-pop fan engagement platform success story
No company would know better than DearU Inc. that powerful fandom can turn into fast money.The South Korean startup that started as a software devel...
Oct 18, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
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Alternative investments
CalSTRS, POBA co-invest $317 mn in US debts in 2021
The California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) and South Korea's Public Officials Benefit Association (POBA) have invested a combi...
Oct 15, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)
Latest News
- 1 Hyundai, Waymo forge multi-year, strategic partnership for self-driving vehicles
- 2 AI startup MarqVision raises $16.5 mn to close Series A
- 3 Taihan Cable wins $630 mn power grid project in Singapore
- 4 Korean startup scene is gloomy, say 2 out of 5 startup CEOs
- 5 MBK ups stakes for Korea Zinc to match buyback offer