Joint venture will back brands benefiting from global rise of K-culture, Asian lifestyle trends Hanwha Asset Management CEO Kim Jong-ho (right) and Robbie Robinson, managing partner and CEO of MarcyPen Capital Partners, pose for a photo during a new venture launch ceremony in Seoul on Wednesday. (Hanwah Asset Management) Hanwha Asset Management and US-based MarcyPen Capital Partners have launched MarcyPen Asia, a joint venture aimed at investing in high-growth consumer brands in South Korea and across Asia.First announced in December 2025, the venture was launched after receiving regulatory approval. It will use Korea as its regional base to identify companies with strong cross-cultural appeal and global expansion potential.MarcyPen Asia will invest in consumer brands tied to cultural content, products and experiences, including businesses benefiting from the global rise of K-culture and broader Asian lifestyle trends.MarcyPen will own 60 percent of the joint venture and lead management and operations. Hanwha Asset Management will hold the remaining 40 percent and provide regulatory support, local market expertise and investment capabilities across Korea and Asia.MarcyPen said it sees growing opportunities as K-culture and Pan-Asian lifestyle brands increasingly shape global consumer trends. The firm said it chose to partner with Hanwha Asset Management rather than enter the Asian market alone, citing Hanwha’s more than four decades of investment experience and track record in cultural industry and intellectual property investments.Hanwha Asset Management said the partnership will strengthen its capabilities in cultural industry investing, where strategies differ from those used for traditional alternative assets, while expanding its global investment network.“This joint venture reflects our commitment to growing alongside MarcyPen as a responsible business partner,” said Hanwha Asset Management CEO Kim Jong-ho.“By combining the strengths of both firms, we plan to build a strategic network across the cultural content, product and experience sectors and contribute to a healthy investment ecosystem."Robbie Robinson, managing partner and CEO of MarcyPen Capital Partners, said Korea’s influence on global consumer trends made it a natural base for the firm’s expansion into Asia.“We believe global cultural insight drives long-term market leadership and value, and South Korea, as a cultural nexus influencing global trends in beauty, food, lifestyle and beyond, is an ideal gateway,” Robinson said.He added that MarcyPen Asia reflects the firm’s ambition to become “the partner of choice for category-defining consumer brands with global reach.”