What Hahn & Co does

Hahn & Co. (legal name: Hahn & Company) is Korea's largest private equity investment group, founded in Seoul in 2010 by Scott Sang-Won Hahn and Yeo-eul Yoon. The firm specializes in corporate buyouts and ownership transformation of Korean businesses, executing what it describes as an active, hands-on ownership model in which it acquires controlling stakes, restructures operations, and exits via strategic sales, IPOs, or secondary transactions. As of early 2026, the firm had completed 35 acquisitions in South Korea, with disclosed portfolio companies spanning shipping (SK Shipping), dairy and consumer goods (Namyang Dairy Products), semiconductor materials (Solmics, formerly SKC's fine ceramics business; SK Specialty, the CMP pad division acquired from SK Enpulse), aviation services (Korean Air Catering & Duty Free Service), used-car retail (K Car), chemicals (SK Group PET business, SK Chemicals biofuel business), automotive components (Halla Visteon Climate Control), medical aesthetics (Cynosure LLC, integrated with Lutronic), and renewable energy (12.52% stake in SK Eternix).

Hahn & Co. generates returns through capital gains on portfolio exits rather than a product or SaaS revenue model. The firm manages buyout funds on behalf of Korean institutional investors including the National Pension Service, mutual aid associations, and the Korea Investment Corporation, earning typical private equity management fees and a share of profits on realized exits. Notable documented operational improvements under Hahn & Co.'s ownership include SK Shipping's EBITDA growth from 232 billion won to 641 billion won (nearly 3x) and a 5.4-fold increase in operating profit to 395.7 billion won since the 2018 acquisition; Korean Air Catering & Duty Free Service reaching EBITDA of 124.1 billion won in 2025; and Namyang Dairy's return to operating profit within one year of the January 2024 management transition. The firm is headquartered at 21F Ferrum Tower, 19 Eulji-ro 5-gil, Chung-ku, Seoul, and is led by Executive Chairman Yeo-eul Yoon (formerly 21 years at Sony Group, including President & CEO of Sony Group Korea) and CEO Scott Sang-Won Hahn (formerly 15 years at Morgan Stanley, including CIO of Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia and founder of Morgan Stanley Private Equity Korea).

Name

Hahn & Co

Legal name

Hahn & Company

Website

http://www.hcompany.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Hahn & Co. is Korea's largest private equity firm, founded in 2010 in Seoul, specializing in controlling-stake buyouts and operational transformation of Korean businesses across shipping, semiconductors, dairy, automotive, and consumer sectors for institutional investors including pension funds and mutual aid associations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Equity Buyout Investment Management

NAICS

Other Financial Vehicles (52599)

SIC

Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)

akta.pro primary industry

Family/Founder Succession Buyout (FSANABAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industry-Specialist Buyout (Sector-Focused) (FSANABAE)

Keywords

• Private equity buyouts
• Corporate acquisitions
• Portfolio management
• Ownership transformation
• Institutional fund management

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Portfolio Company Divestment Gains: Hahn & Co. generates returns through acquiring controlling stakes in Korean companies, transforming their operations and strategic value, then selling them at a profit. Revenue is realized through exits of portfolio companies via strategic sales, IPOs, or secondary transactions.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Hahn & Co. is a private equity firm that acquires controlling stakes in Korean companies, applies hands-on operational management to transform their performance, and later divests the businesses through strategic sales, IPOs, or secondary transactions. The firm manages buyout funds for institutional investors and has executed over 35 acquisitions across industries including shipping, dairy, semiconductors, automotive platforms, and aviation services.

Product overview

Hahn & Co is Korea's leading private equity investment group founded in 2010. As a private equity firm, it does not offer technology products or services. The company focuses on acquiring, operating, and divesting businesses across Korea's industries including technology manufacturing, business services, industrial goods, consumer goods, and transportation/logistics. Hahn & Co's portfolio companies include Solmics (high-purity materials for semiconductor manufacturing), Namyang Dairy Products (dairy and infant formula), K Car (used-car platform), SK Shipping (shipping services), and Korean Air Catering & Duty Free Service. The firm provides hands-on management to transform acquired businesses and create globally competitive companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hahn & Co. Buyout Funds
• Corporate Ownership Transformation Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Korean Air C&D Service achieved EBITDA of 124.1 billion won ($87.3 million) in 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Phu Thai HoldingscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2026Namyang Dairy Products (managed by Hahn & Co.) signed a 70 billion won ($47.2 million) three-year MoU with Phu Thai Holdings to expand K-food exports to Vietnam, centered on infant formula. This partnership strengthens Namyang's foothold in the Vietnamese market as part of Hahn & Co.'s first-of-its-kind participation in a presidential business mission to Vietnam.
• Pan OceanminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 12 February 2026Hahn & Co.-owned SK Shipping sold its Korea wet tanker business (10 VLCCs) to Pan Ocean for $668 million. The transaction included transfer of long-term shipping contracts with major domestic cargo owners and refiners.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MBK Partners: MBK Partners is the largest Korea and North Asia-focused private equity buyout firm and Hahn & Co.'s most direct domestic competitor. Both firms pursue controlling-stake buyouts of Korean corporations with active operational improvement and large institutional LP bases.
• Affinity Equity Partners: Affinity Equity Partners is an Asia-focused private equity firm that pursues control buyouts of mid-to-large companies in Korea and Greater China. Both firms share a focus on operational value creation in Korean and broader Asian businesses.
• PAG (Pacific Alliance Group): PAG is an Asia-focused alternative investment firm with a private equity strategy targeting buyouts across North Asia and Greater China. Its deal size and operational approach overlap meaningfully with Hahn & Co.'s Korean platform.

Broad incumbents

• KKR & Co. KKR is a global alternative asset manager with a significant Asia Pacific private equity practice that has transacted in Korea (e.g., SK Eternix acquisition from Hahn & Co.). Both firms compete for large Korean corporate buyouts and divestitures from chaebol groups.
• Bain Capital Asia: Bain Capital operates one of the most active Asia-Pacific PE platforms, including meaningful Korean deal activity. Both firms compete for large Korean corporate carveouts and consumer/industrial buyouts.
• CVC Capital Partners: CVC is a large global private equity firm with an established Asia Pacific strategy and a track record of Korean buyouts. Both firms serve global institutional LPs and pursue similar control transactions in Korean industrials and consumer businesses.
• Carlyle Group Asia: Carlyle's Asia Pacific buyout practice pursues large-cap control transactions in Korea and across the region. Both firms compete for chaebol divestitures, family succession deals, and corporate carveouts in Korea.

Regional players

• IMM Investment: IMM Investment is one of Korea's largest alternative asset managers with private equity, credit, and venture activities. It is a relevant Korean-domiciled peer competing for similar buyout and growth opportunities, though with a broader mandate.
• STIC Investments: STIC Investments is a Seoul-headquartered private equity and venture capital firm that invests across Korean mid-market buyouts and growth equity. It is comparable to Hahn & Co. in its Korea-centric orientation and institutional LP base.
• Korea Investment Partners: Korea Investment Partners is the private equity arm of Korea Investment Holdings, managing Korean buyout and growth funds with significant domestic pension fund capital. It competes with Hahn & Co. for Korean corporate acquisitions and LP relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hahn-and-co

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A8 records

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hahn & Co