Kwangmoo Acquires Additional Stake in Epicamtech, Accelerates Leadership in Secondary Battery Business

Kwangmoo, a KOSDAQ-listed company, announced on May 19 that it had acquired an additional 50,000 shares (0.49%) of Epicamtech, a precision chemical materials specialist, through an over-the-counter transaction.

With this purchase, Kwangmoo's stake in Epicamtech has increased from 9.80% to 10.29%. The purchase price was 10,000 won per share, for a total acquisition amount of 500 million won.

Previously, on February 16 of last year, Kwangmoo participated in Epicamtech's paid-in capital increase with the aim of strengthening its secondary battery materials business, securing a 10% stake and becoming the second-largest shareholder. At that time, the acquisition price was 19,000 won per share, with a total investment of approximately 19.4 billion won. Subsequently, due to an increase in the number of shares following the capital increase, Kwangmoo's stake was diluted to 9.80%. With this recent over-the-counter purchase, Kwangmoo has once again restored its shareholding to over 10%.

The company stated, "We made the strategic decision to acquire an additional stake, considering that Epicamtech's over-the-counter share price has declined compared to last year," adding, "This increase in shareholding is intended to strengthen our leadership in the secondary battery materials business and secure long-term growth drivers."

Epicamtech specializes in the development and production of high-purity precision chemical materials such as secondary battery electrolytes (LiFSI), additives, and separator binders, and is recognized for its technological capabilities in the global battery materials market. In December 2023, the company received an A rating in the Korea Exchange's technology evaluation and is currently pursuing a KOSDAQ technology special listing.

Kwangmoo plans to accelerate efforts to enhance its competitiveness in the secondary battery materials business by increasing its control over Epicamtech.

Kwangmoo used its cash assets for this share acquisition. As of the end of the first quarter of this year, Kwangmoo's consolidated cash and cash equivalents (including deposits at financial institutions) amounted to 165.6 billion won. The company maintains a debt ratio of 22.24%, a borrowing dependence of 8.63%, and a current ratio of 739.99%, effectively continuing a virtually debt-free management policy. Since 2019, the company has maintained a stable financial structure without any large-scale expenditures other than fixed capital expenditures.

A Kwangmoo representative stated, "We are internally reviewing ways to secure a more active stake in Epicamtech," adding, "Going forward, we will respond flexibly by comprehensively considering the price trends in the over-the-counter market and overall market conditions."

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