Comprehensive Credit Information Company 'SCI Pyeongga Jeongbo' Up for Sale... Preliminary Bidding for Management Stake This Month

Received Investment Prospectuses from Over 20 Potential Investors, Anticipating Success
Only Comprehensive Credit Information Company in Korea... Opportunity to Enter Credit Information Market Based on License

SCI Credit Information, a comprehensive credit information company, has launched a preliminary bidding process for the sale of its controlling shares. The merger and acquisition (M&A) process is gaining momentum, with bids being accepted until August to shortlist qualified buyers.

According to the investment banking (IB) industry on the 10th, Samsung Securities, the lead manager for the sale of SCI Credit Information, will accept preliminary bids (NBO) until the 31st to select a shortlist. So far, about 20 potential investors, including strategic investors (SI) and financial investors (FI), have received the information memorandum (IM), signaling strong interest. Last week, a process letter detailing the sale procedure was distributed to preliminary buyers.

The sale target is approximately 57% of the controlling shares held by Jinwon Holdings Company and its special affiliates, the major shareholders of SCI Credit Information Co., Ltd. It is understood that multiple SIs and FIs are reviewing the acquisition of shares either individually or as a consortium. SCI Credit Information is reportedly open to various types of share sales, including the full sale of the major shareholder’s stake or selling a large portion including controlling shares while remaining as the second-largest shareholder.

SCI Credit Information is the only comprehensive credit information company in Korea holding a total of eight credit information business licenses. The credit information industry is a field where authorities are unlikely to issue additional licenses due to strict management systems for sensitive personal financial information. As a rare company comes onto the market, it has attracted significant interest from potential investors even before the preliminary bidding. This represents a rare business entry opportunity for investors wishing to enter this sector.

SCI Credit Information has steadily expanded its business scope over about 30 years, starting from its predecessor Seoul Credit Information obtaining a credit investigation license. It currently provides a variety of credit information-related services to individuals, companies, and financial institutions, including personal credit scoring and comprehensive credit management, real-name verification and authentication services, corporate credit evaluation, technology credit rating, credit inquiry services, debt collection, and non-performing asset management.

It also holds a 95% stake in its credit rating subsidiary, Seoul Credit Rating. Currently, Seoul Credit Rating holds a partial license allowing it to evaluate only short-term bonds with maturities of one year or less. Because of this, it does not yet reach the status of the three major credit rating agencies in Korea: NICE Credit Rating, Korea Investors Service, and Korea Ratings. However, it is considered a top candidate for the fourth credit rating agency license, which the financial authorities plan to grant after market competition assessments next year, indicating significant potential.

The company’s performance is stable. On a consolidated basis, SCI Credit Information posted sales of 40.9 billion KRW last year, with operating profit and net income of 4.6 billion KRW and 2.3 billion KRW, respectively. During the same period, EBITDA reached 6.7 billion KRW. An IB industry insider commented, "Utilizing big data on personal and corporate credit information, which platform companies and internet banks find difficult to access, could create synergy effects across various business sectors," adding, "There is a high likelihood that potential buyers from diverse fields will participate in the share sale bidding."

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