‘Venture Investment Powerhouse’ LB Inve, Becoming a Global Investment Firm Through IPO

Hive, Pearl Abyss, Kakao Games, Musinsa, and Others Hold Unicorn Investment Records
Post-IPO Increase in Equity Stakes and Expansion of Investment Areas and Overseas Investments

LB Investment, known as a "venture investment powerhouse," held a press conference at Yeouido 63 Square to introduce the company and announce its growth plans post-listing.

LB Investment is the successor of LG Startup Investment, established in 1996 with capital from LG Electronics and LG Cable. The company changed its name to LB Investment in 2008. Over 27 years, LB Investment has invested in approximately 540 promising domestic and international companies. Among them, 111 companies have successfully gone through IPOs and M&As, with a cumulative investment amount reaching 1.7 trillion KRW. Recently, it successfully raised a fund worth about 250 billion KRW, increasing its assets under management (AUM) to approximately 1.2 trillion KRW.

LB Investment is known in the venture capital industry as a unicorn factory. It has attracted market attention by successfully investing in more than 10 unicorn companies. Notably, it invested early in companies such as HYBE, Pearl Abyss, Zigbang, and Kakao Games, nurturing them into unicorns and achieving returns exceeding tenfold. Currently, it holds a portfolio of next-generation unicorns growing rapidly, including Musinsa, Ably, and Musicow.

LB Investment is recognized as a leading venture investment firm in Korea through its differentiated strengths, including ▲industry-leading performance, ▲top-tier domestic partnerships, ▲a strategy of selection and concentration, and ▲industry-specialized manpower.

Based on stable fund management capabilities, LB Investment has expanded its AUM to about 1.2 trillion KRW. The average Gross IRR of all funds under management reaches 33.3%, demonstrating high profitability. In this process, the company has generated performance fees for 10 consecutive years, with the amount averaging 12.8 billion KRW over the past three years, achieving industry-leading results.

As a member of the broader LG Group, LB Investment maintains close partnerships across various areas such as fund formation, deal sourcing, and growth support for portfolio companies. Additionally, it has established itself as a preferred venture capital firm for LPs (Limited Partners) based on reliable and stable shareholders, high profitability, and transparent management with no regulatory or rule violations in its 27 years since establishment.

The "selection and concentration" strategy is LB Investment’s unique investment approach. It selects startups with high potential and makes large initial investments of around 3 billion KRW. Through active follow-up investments and comprehensive support, it has grown more than 10 startups into unicorns and holds many portfolios expected to become the next-generation unicorns.

Led by CEO Park Ki-ho, a representative venture capitalist in Korea, LB Investment boasts top-tier professional manpower with industry-specific insights. It has numerous investment experts with rich experience, achievements, and expertise in fields such as ‘SW·Services·Consumer Goods,’ ‘Games·Content·Entertainment,’ ‘IT Convergence,’ and ‘Bio·Healthcare.’

After listing, LB Investment plans to continuously generate performance by recovering portfolios held by its funds under management. It intends to increase the GP (General Partner) investment ratio through public offering proceeds and future performance and management fees, and aims to expand AUM through continuous large fund formations to maximize the company’s scale and profits.

LB Investment will continue to play the role of a growth partner even after listing by expanding its investment areas. It plans to invest not only in unlisted companies but also in post-listing investments and management equity holdings. Furthermore, based on its accumulated overseas investment experience, it plans to secure high-quality overseas portfolios in the U.S., Europe, and China, and will actively pursue investments in Southeast Asia through the establishment of additional overseas offices.

Park Ki-ho, CEO of LB Investment, stated, "LB Investment is recognized as a venture investment powerhouse boasting unparalleled investment performance, profitability, and reliability," adding, "We will actively invest in promising domestic and international startups after listing to become a true global venture investment powerhouse."

Meanwhile, LB Investment plans to offer approximately 4.62 million shares in this public offering. The expected price range per share is 4,400 KRW to 5,100 KRW, with a maximum anticipated offering amount of about 23.6 billion KRW. After demand forecasting on the 13th and 14th and general subscription on the 20th and 21st, the company is scheduled to be listed on the KOSDAQ market at the end of March. The lead underwriter is Mirae Asset Securities.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.