Korea Investment Corporation (KIC), the sovereign wealth fund of South Korea, has acquired a minority stake in US-headquartered Golub Capital’s management companies, according to a statement.
The minority stake, which is passive and non-voting, expands the strategic partnerships between the two firms. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed but the announcement said it will give KIC a less than 5% stake in Golub’s management companies.
Golub Capital said it will use the proceeds from the investment to enhance its financing solutions to private equity sponsors. Proceeds from the transaction will remain invested in the company, it added.
“Our strategic partnership with KIC provides Golub Capital with more resources to advance our mission to be the best in sponsor finance,” said Golub Capital president David Golub.
With offices in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and London, Golub Capital specialises in financing solutions to companies backed by private equity sponsors. As of October 1, 2022, the firm had over $55 billion of capital under management and about 725 employees.
For KIC CEO Seoungho Jin, the investment in Golub reflects KIC’s confidence in the firm as a preeminent private credit asset manager.
“As a long-term investor, we believe our strategic partnership with Golub Capital will help us continue to diversify KIC’s alternative asset portfolio and deliver strong long-term investment performance,” Jin added.
As South Korea’s sovereign wealth fund, KIC manages public funds entrusted by the Korean government, Bank of Korea, and other public funds, investing across traditional and alternative assets.
Traditional assets include listed or highly liquid financial assets such as equities and fixed-income investments, while alternative assets, which can capture risk premiums associated with illiquid investments, include private equity, real estate, infrastructure and hedge funds.
In August, KIC appointed Hoon Lee as the chief investment officer and Hoseok Jung as the chief risk officer.
Lee, who was promoted from Head of Investment Strategy and Innovation Division, joined KIC in 2014 and has developed the fund’s asset allocation and investment strategies. KIC’s assets under management more than doubled to $205 billion last year from $84.7 billion in 2014.