EQT to sell Acuon Group, a Leading Korean Independent Financial Platform
- EQT has agreed to sell Acuon Group to a consortium led by Hanwha Life and Centroid PE
- Under EQT ownership, Acuon has undergone a significant digital and operational transformation, with the Group's total assets nearly doubling to approximately KRW 10 trillion and Acuon Savings Bank growing from #9 to #5 savings bank in Korea by total lending assets
- The transaction marks the next phase of Acuon's development under a new strategic ownership and reflects EQT's track record of supporting business transformation and long-term growth across its portfolio
ABU DHABI, UAE, Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- EQT today announced that the EQT BPEA Private Equity Fund VII ("EQT") has agreed to sell Acuon Group ("Acuon" or the "Company"), a leading independent financial platform in Korea, to a consortium led by Hanwha Life Insurance ("Hanwha Life"), part of Hanwha Group, together with Centroid Investment Partners ("Centroid PE").
Acuon comprises Acuon Capital and Acuon Savings Bank, which provides corporate, commercial and retail financing services in Korea. Acuon Capital is Korea's largest independent capital company, and Acuon Savings Bank, established in 1972, ranks fifth among Korea's savings banks by total lending assets. Together, the Group manages approximately KRW 10 trillion in total assets. The transaction marks the next phase of Acuon's development, bringing the Company together with a new strategic ownership group led by Hanwha Life, an established Korean life insurer and financial services provider.
EQT invested in Acuon in 2019, seeing an opportunity to support its growth in Korea's small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) and retail lending markets while helping to accelerate the Company into a leading, digitally enabled non-banking financial platform. Over EQT's holding period, Acuon strengthened its corporate governance, modernized its core digital infrastructure, and fortified its underwriting and risk management capabilities, diversifying the company into a well-balanced operating asset portfolio and improving operating efficiencies. Acuon Savings Bank is one of only three savings banks in Korea operating a modern Java-based core banking system, and its mobile app has grown to over one million subscribers. Consumer loan origination has been fully digitalized, and the use of data, AI-based credit scoring and automation has reduced loan disbursement times from 36 hours to just under five minutes. These initiatives have helped strengthen Acuon's platform, improve operating efficiency and enhance the customer experience, while maintaining solid asset quality ahead of industry averages.
Dayea Yeon, Head of Private Capital Korea at EQT, said: "Our partnership with Acuon reflects our approach in Korea and across Asia: working with strong local businesses and investing in the technology and institutional capabilities that support long-term growth. Acuon has strengthened its market position, diversified its platform, and transformed how it serves its customers, particularly through digitalization. We are proud of what we have achieved together and excited to see Acuon enter its next phase of growth."
Jungmu Lee, CEO of Acuon Capital, said: "Over the past several years, Acuon has strengthened its business and built an agile, customer-focused platform with EQT's support. We are proud of what we have achieved together and look forward to building on this progress in this next chapter to better serve our customers."
The transaction is subject to customary conditions and regulatory approvals.
EQT was advised by UBS, Citigroup, and Shin&Kim.
Contact
EQT Press Office, [email protected]
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