Gentle Monster Parent Company Lands Fresh Funding From ZWC Partners

The buzzy South Korean eyewear statement Gentle Monster‘s genitor institution Iicombined has completed a caller circular of backing from ZWC Partners, an Asian backstage equity firm.

Terms of the woody were not disclosed, but the capitalist said that the woody volition enactment Gentle Monster and its sister brands’ merchandise innovation and fortify its retail web successful cardinal markets specified arsenic Japan and Europe.

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According to section media reports, the transaction valued Iicombined astatine astir 3.35 trillion won, oregon $2.18 billion.

“We greatly respect Hankook Kim and his team’s unwavering committedness to creativity and plan excellence,” said Michael Yao, spouse astatine ZWC Partners, of the brand’s singular laminitis and main enforcement officer. “Iicombined’s seamless integration of plan and exertion has positioned the radical arsenic an manufacture pioneer. This strategical alignment resonates powerfully with ZWC Partners’ long-standing absorption connected the user and exertion sectors,” added Yao.

ZWC Partners has a way grounds of investing successful premium user and retail businesses, including sportswear radical Amer Sports, proprietor of Arc’teryx, Salomon, Wilson, Peak Performance and Atomic, arsenic good arsenic the Italian luxury linen marque Frette. Other investments listed connected the firm’s website see Chinese electrical conveyance shaper Xpeng, C-beauty marque Chillmore, wellness nutrient institution Honlife, and noodle concatenation Hefu Noodle.

Apart from its flagship marque Gentle Monster — which contributes to astir 80 percent of full radical income — Iicombined besides counts the fragrance and tegument attraction marque Tamburins, café and teahouse concatenation Nudake, headwear statement Atiissu, and tableware marque Nuflaat successful its increasing unchangeable of manner brands.

Known for its “Jennie sunglasses” — a notation to its erstwhile marque ambassador Jennie of Blackpink, income astatine the eyewear marque reportedly fell for the archetypal clip successful 2025, according to section media reports. Sales reached 789.1 cardinal won, oregon $514.7 million, for 2024, up astir 30 percent year-over-year compared to 2023.

Iicombined counts L Catterton, IDG, and Google arsenic investors. Last year, Google announced a $100 cardinal concern successful Gentle Monster to relaunch its astute eyewear business.

Gentle Monster, launched successful 2011, roseate to planetary fame aft K-drama prima Jun Ji-hyun and British histrion Tilda Swinton wore its sunglasses. The marque counts astir 45 stores globally. Almost fractional of its stores are located wrong mainland China. Last year, its latest experimental retail format Haus Nowhere was launched successful Seoul’s Seongsu-dong district.