2025
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10
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15
JIC Venture Growth Investments Inc. (JIC VGI), the managing entity of JICVGI Opportunity Fund No. 1 Investment Limited Partnership (OPF1), has announced the execution of a stock subscription agreement regarding its investment in ispace, inc. (ispace).
OPF1 is a fund established in September 2023, with JIC VGI serving as its General Partner. The fund’s strategy focuses on providing capital to direct secondary deals and listed startups. OPF1 is part of Japan Investment Corporation (JIC)’s initiatives under the government’s Startup Development Five-Year Plan. The fund aims to accelerate the growth trajectory of startups, promote the creation of unicorns, and serve as a platform to support the sustainable and exponential growth of promising listed startups. Additionally, OPF1 aims to create successful investment precedents in the direct secondary and aftermarket areas, stimulating private investment flows, revitalizing the domestic secondary and growth markets, and contributing to the overall strengthening and expansion of Japan’s startup ecosystem. This investment marks OPF1’s fifth investment under its aftermarket strategy.
ispace is a company that is engaged in the commercialization of lunar development, including high-frequency, low-cost transportation services to the Moon’s orbit and surface, utilizing lunar landing spacecraft. To date, it has conducted two missions—each involving an attempted lunar landing and surface exploration. Building on the data and expertise gained from these missions, the company aims to accelerate the full-scale commercialization of its lunar transportation services from Mission 3, while also expanding into adjacent business domains such as lunar data acquisition, with the aim of achieving sustainable and accelerated growth.
In the field of lunar development, which requires a long-term perspective and substantial upfront investment, OPF1 aims to support the company’s growth strategy through this investment, enabling it to achieve sustainable and significant growth both domestically and internationally. Furthermore, as the establishment and expansion of an industrial foundation in the space sector have become key national policy priorities, OPF1’s support for the only domestic company engaged in lunar resource development is also intended to contribute to the advancement of Japan’s space technology and the fostering of a robust space industry.
The funds raised through this investment will be allocated to launch expenses, development costs, and working capital for Mission 3 and subsequent missions.
The information contained in this notice is current at the time of publication and subject to change without notice and is the notice of the execution of stock subscription agreement, not a notice of completion of investment.
