A First for Kyushu: Fukuoka-Based Minato Investment Secures Strategic Debt Financing to Scale Emerging Asset Management Business

Funding Overview

Minato Investment Co., Ltd., headquartered in Fukuoka—a designated "Special Zone for Financial and Asset Management"—has successfully secured debt financing for its startup phase. The capital was raised through a combination of the "New Business and Startup Support Loan" from the Japan Finance Corporation (JFC) and the "Fukuoka City Startup Support Loan" facilitated by Nishi-Nippon City Bank.

About Minato Investment

Based at Fukuoka Growth Next in Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City, Minato Investment is an emerging asset management firm. The company develops financial services that bridge individual investors with private companies through the formation and management of the "Minato Fund," a venture capital fund specifically tailored for individuals. The firm is also officially certified under the Cabinet Office’s National Strategic Special Zone framework for fund asset management business.

Strategic Background and Significance

Asset management firms typically face structural cash flow challenges, particularly the revenue gap that occurs from the time a fund is established until management fees are actually realized. This financing is designed to secure operational stability during this critical startup window.

In Japan, financing models that evaluate an asset manager's future management fees as a source of repayment are not yet well-established. Minato Investment has paved the way for others by successfully utilizing public startup support systems. Following the August 2023 Cabinet Order amendment affecting the finance and insurance industries, this represents the first case in the Kyushu region where an emerging asset manager has successfully combined JFC startup loans with local government institutional financing. This milestone was achieved with the support of the JFC (Fukuoka Startup Support Plaza), Nishi-Nippon City Bank (Business Support Center Fukuoka), the City of Fukuoka, and the Fukuoka Credit Guarantee Association.