UCK Partners, a domestic private equity fund (PEF) manager, will acquire wedding hall operator Umoment. It will once again take into its fold a company it bought 10 years ago, grew directly, and then sold successfully.
On the 3rd, according to the investment banking (IB) industry, UCK Partners recently signed a stock purchase agreement (SPA) to acquire 100% equity in Umoment held by shareholders including domestic PEF managers Stonebridge Capital and Evergreen PE. The transaction size is around 200 billion won, and the firm is said to use its third blind fund currently under management for the acquisition.
Umoment is Korea's largest wedding hall specialist corporations, operating brands such as Apelgamo, The Chapel, and Rubell in Seoul. It currently operates 12 wedding halls across nine locations in Korea. Last year, it expanded its footprint by opening a new venue under The Chapel brand in Samseong-dong, Gangnam.
Results are on an upward trend. Revenue in 2025 is estimated to have exceeded 110 billion won, up nearly 14% from 96.6 billion won the previous year. Last year's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) came to around 25 billion won, up more than 15% over the same period. The rise in performance stems from demand consolidating around top brands as small wedding halls shuttered after the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2016, UCK Partners acquired the wedding hall business unit, including the Apelgamo brand, from CJ Foodville and sold the company to Evergreen PE in 2019. Stonebridge Capital became the largest shareholder in 2024 by participating in Umoment's paid-in capital increase, and Evergreen PE remained the second-largest shareholder.