(Kakao Mobility) Kakao Mobility is pursuing a potential Nasdaq listing in the US, according to an exclusive report by Herald Business on Wednesday, signaling a possible shift away from its previously expected domestic IPO route.Citing investment banking industry sources, the report said Kakao Mobility recently began a re-audit of its financial statements for 2023-2025 in preparation for a possible US market debut.The mobility platform operator had consistently denied speculation about a Nasdaq listing, but industry officials said the company signed an external audit contract in mid-April as part of overseas listing preparations.Deloitte Anjin is reportedly conducting the audit. Sources said internal notices regarding the engagement were circulated within the accounting firm, as employees are typically required to disclose stock ownership or potential conflicts of interest involving newly contracted audit clients.“Recently, there was an internal notice within Deloitte Anjin that Kakao Mobility had been registered as a new audit client related to a US IPO,” an industry official said.Industry observers said the apparent pivot to the US market reflects mounting pressure from early investors seeking an exit after years of delays to the company’s IPO plans.One of the key investors is TPG, which first invested in Kakao Mobility in 2017 and remains the company’s second-largest shareholder. Industry estimates suggest TPG’s cumulative investment has approached 1 trillion won ($675 million).As the IPO process stalled, alternatives such as selling the stake to another private equity firm or having Kakao repurchase the shares became increasingly difficult, industry officials said.“Kakao Mobility has a dominant position in Korea’s taxi-hailing market and strong platform influence, but it has also faced persistent criticism over commission fees and monopoly concerns,” an investment banking source was quoted as saying in the report. “The company appears to have concluded that the US market would be relatively more receptive to platform companies.”(This article was produced with the assistance of AI. — Ed.)