NPS gains timberland, Europe tech exposure in Q1
Apax Partners, Stafford Capital Partners added as NPS outside managers By
(Courtesy of Stafford Capital Partners)
The National Pension Service has gained exposure to timberland and the European mid-market tech sector in the first quarter of this year, adding two British investment firms Apax Partners and Stafford Capital Partners as its new outside managers, according to its recent public disclosure.
The South Korean pension scheme is believed to have committed between $200 million and $300 million to Apax Partners 10th flagship fund that raised $11 billion at the final close.
The UK private equity firm specializes in mid-market technology companies. Since its foundation in 1969 as a venture capital firm, Apax has expanded into the realm of buyout and growth-stage investments.
Chip shortage hits Korea’s COVID-19 diagnostic device manufacturers
The shortage for the test devices may last longer than for the larger-sized industries such automobiles By
PCL s researcher inspecting the COVID-19 testing process.
The global chip shortage is impacting South Korea’s COVID-19 test device makers. They are paying up to 10 times the normal price of semiconductor chips for their devices but are still failing to secure the desired volume.
According to industry sources on Jun. 6, a Korean test device manufacturer has recently halted its production line for the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) devices as it could not obtain enough microcontroller unit (MCU) chips. The MCU chips are used to maintain the constant voltage level of the devices.
Naver to challenge Amazon with launch of Smart Store platform in Spain By
South Korea’s top online portal operator Naver Corp. is taking its online shopping platform Smart Store to Spain to support small merchants in the country and gain a foothold in the growing European e-commerce market.
According to information technology industry sources on June 6, Naver plans to launch Smart Store in Spain and is also seeking support from the Spanish government for the project.
Smart Store is an online shopping mall directly operated by Naver to provide smaller retailers with a site for e-commerce, payment and settlement systems and other tools for online transactions.
Taiwan fabless firms outwit Korean rivals in chip supercycle
Foundry capacity shortage widens gaps in sales and profit margins By
(Courtesy of Silicon Works, South Korea s No. 1 fabless semiconductor company)
Taiwanese fabless semiconductor firms, with the backing from their hometown foundry companies, are reaping the benefits from higher chip prices and soaring demand from electronic goods brands to automakers. In contrast, their Korean rivals have yet to fully benefit from the global chip industry boom, struggling to find manufacturers of chips they designed.
This year, Taiwanese fabless companies are expected to further expand their presence even in the premium markets such as the segment for organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displayer driver IC (DDI) chips dominated by South Korean chipmakers such as Samsung Electronics Co., Silicon Works Co. and MagnaChip Semiconductor Ltd., analysts said.
Musinsa founder and chief executive, Cho Man-ho to step down as CEO Gender-discrimination controversies are rattling South Korean retailers, with two companies