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MarcyPen Capital Partners, the U.S. investment firm co-founded by Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, is preparing a global push into Korean popular culture with a planned investment of more than $500 million. The move comes as K-culture’s influence continues to grow across music, film, beauty, gaming, food and digital entertainment, and as investors worldwide look for exposure to the region’s fast-scaling consumer brands.
The firm is working with Hanwha Asset Management, one of South Korea’s largest investment houses with about $84 billion under management as of late October 2025. Together, the two companies plan to raise a dedicated fund targeting businesses tied to K-culture and broader Pan-Asian consumer markets. Fundraising is expected to begin in the second half of next year, with outreach to global institutions, sovereign wealth funds and wealthy private investors.
Seoul joint venture eyes global growth
The collaboration follows the two firms’ agreement to create MarcyPen Asia, a joint venture that will be based in Seoul and majority-owned by MarcyPen. The firm will identify and back growth-stage companies across South Korea and neighboring markets, focusing on brands that can carry their appeal beyond Asia in a strategic move to support companies that already show strong consumer loyalty and have a clear path to expansion in the U.S. and Europe.
Robbie Robinson, managing partner and chief executive of MarcyPen, said the firm’s interest in Asia reflects years of watching how culture moves across borders. “South Korea has become a center of influence in beauty, entertainment, food and lifestyle,” he said. “It’s a place where global tastes are shaped, and that makes it a natural home for our partnership with Hanwha.”
James Kim, chief executive of Hanwha Asset Management, said the partnership brings together two companies that understand how modern consumer markets evolve. He described the venture as a chance to connect East and West in a deliberate way and to give promising Asian brands access to capital and operational support. “We see this as a long-term investment in the future of our industry and a step toward strengthening Hanwha’s global presence,” he said.
MarcyPen extends reach to Asia
MarcyPen, founded in 2018 by Jay Brown, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, D’Rita Robinson and Robbie Robinson, has a proven track record of backing innovative, inclusive companies. It has backed several fast-growing companies in the United States, including Savage x Fenty, Spatial Labs and Partake Foods.
The firm is known for supporting founders from diverse backgrounds and for investing in businesses that influence fashion, food, music and everyday consumer habits. The expansion into Asia builds on that mission, with the rise of K-culture offering a natural extension of MarcyPen’s focus on brands that shape how people live, shop and connect.
With the new partnership, MarcyPen positions itself to play a larger role in the global consumer economy. And for South Korean brands seeking to reach new markets, the venture offers a direct link to U.S. capital, industry guidance and a network shaped by one of the world’s most recognizable cultural figures.
