The investment, structured via convertible bonds, will see KKR take an active role in supporting Samsung SDS' next phase of development, including advising on M&A, capital allocation, and global expansion strategies. The company plans to deploy the capital to strengthen its infrastructure and expand its capabilities in end-to-end AI transformation services, as demand for cloud, data, and automation solutions continues to rise across industries. Chung Ho Park, Partner and Head of Korea at KKR, said, 'We look forward to leveraging KKR's global network, deep local experience, and operational expertise to take the company to its next stage of transformation as hands-on, active investors to drive long-term value creation for all shareholders and stakeholders.' The investment is being made primarily through KKR's Asia Fund IV and builds on the firm's track record in Korea and global IT services, including investments in companies such as FUJI SOFT, DATAGROUP, and Ensono. Subscribe to our Newsletter to increase your edge. Don't worry about the news anymore, through our newsletter you'll receive weekly access to what is happening. Join 120,000 other PE professionals today....

Steen Lund, Chief Executive Officer of RightShip, said: 'This investment is a strong endorsement of our strategy and impact. With Permira's global scale and expertise in technology and M&A and the continued support of our founding shareholders, we will accelerate investment in our products, data, AI, and people to grow RightShip's relevance and reach ' enhancing our mission of zero harm to people and the planet.' Daniel Tan, Partner at Permira, commented: 'RightShip plays a critical role in improving safety and transparency in the maritime industry. The Company's services and data offerings come together on its AI-powered platform to bring deeper insights, better decision making, and workflow automation to key stakeholders. Innovation thrives at RightShip ' as product-first growth investors, we are delighted to partner with management and existing shareholders on this exciting journey.' In a joint statement, representatives of BHP, Cargill, and Rio Tinto welcomed Permira as a shareholder, stressing that the combination of new capital and expertise will allow RightShip to expand its sustainability, safety, and efficiency offerings for the maritime ecosystem....

With launch partners including consumer services such as DoorDash and Uber, and online marketplaces like Priceline and StubHub, Operator's introduction validates the potential value of generative AI taking agency on behalf of shoppers. OpenAI users can share their shopping preferences and buying credentials with AI agents, which will, in turn, autonomously peruse available options and buy on behalf of shoppers. Commerce is a $2.7 trillion part of our economy ' which is why more than $200 billion is spent by retailers, marketplaces and brands each year on new commerce-related technology to better capitalize on all this opportunity. As active participants in the commerce tech ecosystem over the past 25 years, my colleagues and I believe we have a unique vantage point to see what's coming ' and we're convinced that agentic AI is the next wave of innovation that will massively change the commerce landscape. To set some context: The first wave of modern digital disruption in retail was driven by the emergence of e-commerce and fueled by the rise of Amazon, launching in 1994 and achieving dominance in the 2000s. A decade or so later, in 2007, the iPhone introduction ushered in the next wave ' moving digital commerce from the desktop to the mobile smartphone, enabling shopping anyplace, anytime....

Good morning & happy Tuesday! Today's issue is all about financial technology giants and their latest financial results ' We're going to look into Visa's Q1 2025, and how the digital payments juggernaut shows accelerating growth despite FinTech disruption fears (breaking down their latest numbers, what they mean & what's next + bonus deep dive into Mastercard & co), and Nasdaq whose digital transformation is bearing fruit (a closer look at their Q4 2024, why valuation is a concern here + what to expect next). So let's jump straight into the interesting stuff '' Earnings time ' Finance behemoth Visa V 0.00%' just reported stronger-than-expected earnings for the first quarter of fiscal year 2025, with earnings per share (EPS) of $2.75, surpassing the forecast of $2.66. The company also outperformed revenue predictions, posting $9.51 billion against an anticipated $9.35 billion. In short, Visa's Q1 2025 results demonstrate the company's continued dominance in the global payments ecosystem, with robust growth across key metrics and strategic initiatives positioning it well for the future....