SK Group lobbies Seoul to ease IPO rules for Solidigm ahead of potential Nasdaq listing

SK Group is pushing South Korean regulators to relax capital-raising rules so that Solidigm, its US-based NAND flash and enterprise storage unit, can pursue a listing on the Nasdaq. The lobbying effort comes just weeks after SK Hynix, the conglomerate’s semiconductor arm, pulled off a record-shattering $26.5 billion ADR debut on the same exchange. What SK Group is actually asking for South Korea’s ruling party proposed in mid-July 2026 to ease capital-raising rules for chipmakers, specifically to stimulate AI-related investments. The regulatory discussions center on making it simpler for Korean companies involved in mergers and acquisitions to raise capital abroad, removing friction that currently complicates paths to foreign listings like the one Solidigm is eyeing. Solidigm itself is reportedly seeking between 5 trillion and 10 trillion won, roughly $3.5 billion to $7 billion, in pre-IPO funding. That fundraise would target a valuation of approximately 50 trillion won, a substantial markup on the roughly $9 billion Intel acquisition price that created the company in the first place. SK Hynix, which wholly owns Solidigm, filed a regulatory clarification in early August 2026 statin...