SK Hynix indirectly became the largest shareholder of Kioxia through SPC

According to Nikkei News, the largest shareholder of the Japanese NAND manufacturer Kioxia has changed from Toshiba to the special purpose company BCPE Pangea Cayman 2 (SPC2), which holds 14.19% of Kioxia's shares, slightly higher than Toshiba's reduced stake of 14.06%. SPC2 is the entity through which SK Hynix invested via convertible bonds (CB).

From July 15 to August 3, Toshiba reduced its stake in Kioxia in seven transactions, decreasing its holding from 15.10% to 14.06%. In 2018, SK Hynix invested approximately 40 trillion won in Kioxia through two SPCs, one of which, SPC1, co-funded with Bain Capital, completed its share sale when Bain Capital exited in June this year, while SPC2, which was solely funded by SK Hynix with about 13 trillion won, continues to hold its shares. If the CB is converted into stock, SK Hynix will gain voting rights. However, industry assessments suggest that the actual impact on Kioxia's operations is likely low, as exercising voting rights requires approval from various countries' competition and antitrust authorities. The Japanese government may not easily approve this due to considerations for protecting its domestic semiconductor supply chain. Kioxia is currently the third-largest NAND manufacturer in the world, following Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.