Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition Sponsor · Search Fund · Korea

Connecting Owners,
Successors
& Capital

Korea's premier Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition Sponsor, bridging the gap between retiring business owners, next-generation entrepreneurs, and global search fund capital.

For Investors The Opportunity
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The Market

Korea's Succession Wave

Tens of thousands of Korean SMEs are approaching a critical inflection point. Their founders are retiring — but most have no succession plan, qualified/willing heir, or clear path to a clean exit.


This is not a distressed-asset story. These are profitable, asset-backed businesses with decades of operating history. The problem is not the company. The problem is the transition.


NexBridge Alpha exists to solve exactly that — connecting proven businesses with the right successors and the right capital, structured for lasting value.

60,000+
Korean SMEs estimated to face ownership transition
over the next decade
<10%
Have a formal succession plan in place
Japan
Proven benchmark — ETA-backed acquisition of SMEs has produced consistent returns with downside protection from hard assets
What We Do

Our Model

01
Originate
Deal Sourcing
We identify and qualify acquisition targets from Korea's aging SME ownership base — businesses with strong cash flows, hard assets, and owners ready for a transition. Proprietary sourcing, not broker-dependent.
02
Structure
Deal Architecture
We design the full financing stack — senior secured debt, mezzanine, and search fund equity — while managing legal due diligence, ownership transfer, and regulatory compliance from a single point of accountability.
03
Transform
AX Value Creation
Post-acquisition, we support AI-enabled operational transformation (AX). Legacy SME operations gain modern systems, data infrastructure, and scalable processes — unlocking value that traditional PE often overlooks.
For ETA Sponsors & Investors

Investment Profile

  • EBITDA Margin > 10%
  • Revenue Range ₩3B – ₩30B
  • Asset Coverage Factory & machinery collateral (LTV ~60–70%)
  • Owner Profile Retirement-driven, clean exit intent
  • Sector Focus Manufacturing, B2B Services, Industrial
  • Geography South Korea (nationwide)

Typical Deal Structure

Senior Bank Debt 50 – 60%
Mezzanine / Bridge 10 – 15%
Search Fund Equity 30 – 40%

Korean manufacturing SMEs offer a compelling combination that is rare in global search fund markets: strong recurring cash flows, tangible asset coverage that protects downside, and an owner-operator demographic that creates a steady, low-competition deal pipeline.


The Japanese ETA model — where similar dynamics have produced consistent returns over a decade — serves as our closest benchmark. Korea's market is earlier-stage, and the opportunity is correspondingly larger.

Request Deal Flow

Co-investment and sponsor introductions available upon request.

Why NexBridge Alpha

The Edge

Legal Depth
Licensed Attorney at Law in Korea. Ownership structure, regulatory compliance, and clean title are managed from Day 1 — not delegated to outside counsel after the deal is signed.
Capital Access
Active relationships with ETA sponsors across the US, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. We match deals to the right capital partners — not the nearest available.
Proprietary Deal Flow
Direct outreach and trust-based relationships with Korean SME owners. Our pipeline is not sourced from brokers or intermediaries — it is built through years of on-the-ground engagement.
Single Point of Execution
From initial LOI to closing, one partner manages the process. No handoffs between deal sourcing, legal, and capital formation. Speed and coherence from start to finish.
The Firm

Managing Partner

Sung-Soo Choi, Managing Partner
Sung-Soo Choi 최성수
Managing Partner
Attorney at Law (Korea) MBA, IE Business School

Sung-Soo combines M&A legal practice with search fund advisory, working at the intersection of Korean SME succession, ETA capital structuring, and AI-driven operational value creation.

His dual background — legal expertise in Korean corporate law and an international business education — positions NexBridge Alpha to navigate deals that require both local regulatory depth and global capital market fluency.

sungsoo.choi@nb-alpha.com +82-2-6930-5864 15F, 373 Gangnam-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul 06621
Get in Touch

Let's Talk

We welcome introductions from owners, searchers, and capital partners.

Whether you are exploring a business acquisition, considering a succession exit, or evaluating Korean ETA as part of your investment mandate — we are happy to have a conversation.

E sungsoo.choi@nb-alpha.com
T +82-2-6930-5864
A 15F, 373 Gangnam-daero, Seocho-gu
Seoul 06621, South Korea