> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.fintechobserver.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # HiJoJo Partners Secures Regulatory Approval to Trade Unlisted Startup Shares on Global Private Markets - URL: https://www.fintechobserver.com/hijojo-partners-secures-regulatory-approval-to-trade-unlisted-startup-shares-on-global-private-markets/ - Published: 2026-09-29T05:40:18.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-29T05:40:18.000Z - Author: Norbert Gehrke - Tags: capital markets, secondary trading, unlisted stocks, japan, startups Independent Japanese asset manager HiJoJo Partners has secured a key regulatory registration in Japan, clearing the way for domestic startups to access global private liquidity networks and delay premature public listings. The Tokyo-based firm completed its registration for a Type I Financial Instruments Business (Specially Permitted Intermediary Service for Unlisted Securities) with the Kanto Local Finance Bureau. The broker plans to join relevant self-regulatory organizations—including the Japan Securities Dealers Association—and launch operations before the end of the current fiscal year. The move marks the first time a Japanese financial institution will broker unlisted share trades in overseas private secondary markets. Transactions will be facilitated through platforms such as the Nasdaq Private Market and Britain’s VentureBeam, granting global institutional heavyweights—including Fidelity and Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, GIC—direct exposure to Japanese private equity assets. ## Sign up for Japan FinTech Observer Cutting through the noise of Japanese Finance & FinTech Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Bridging the Valuation Gap The initiative aims to address a long-standing structural weakness in Japan’s venture ecosystem. Local startups have historically opted for early initial public offerings (IPOs) to allow early founders and venture funds to exit, often resulting in sluggish post-listing growth and capped market capitalizations. By deepening secondary market liquidity, HiJoJo’s platform will allow early-stage investors, university endowments, and corporate venture arms to monetize their holdings while keeping promising growth companies private for longer. HiJoJo’s expanded offerings will focus on: - Connecting global institutional investors with startup founders and funds seeking liquidity. - Brokering equity transactions for university-backed ventures and spin-offs. - Assisting large corporations in monetizing stakes in internal startup incubations. ### Expanding Global Appetite for Private Equity The strategy aligns with rapid growth in the global secondary market, where transaction volume is projected to reach $260 billion this year—an 8% year-over-year increase, according to Jefferies Financial Group. High-profile U.S. AI developers such as Anthropic and OpenAI trade regularly on private exchanges like the Nasdaq Private Market ahead of multi-trillion-dollar listing targets. In contrast, Japan’s domestic unlisted share venues—managed separately by the Japan Securities Dealers Association and the Tokyo Stock Exchange—processed just 9.4 billion yen and 7.5 billion yen in transactions last year, respectively. Founded in 2017 by Co-CEO Spyridon Mentzas, HiJoJo has placed over ¥60 billion in late-stage investment funds through June 2026\. The firm is backed by major domestic financial and venture backers, including Mizuho Securities, the SBI Group, Mitsubishi UFJ Innovation Partners, and SMBC Venture Capital. Japanese regulators, including the Financial Services Agency, are revising relevant securities rules to encourage secondary market activity, with rival fintech firms like Tokyo-based Smartround also preparing to launch competing brokerage services. --- [HiJoJo Partners Secures JPY 1bn in Series B1, Completes “Mega-Bank Trifecta” with SMBC BackingHiJoJo Partners, an independent asset management firm specializing in democratizing access to global unicorn investments for Japanese investors, has completed its Series B1 funding round. The firm raised approximately 1 billion yen via a third-party allotment, bringing its cumulative equity financing since inception to roughly 2.8 billion yen.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/46/cb/46cbd57f-e0e8-41a4-a1e2-710103a4267b/content/images/icon/Newsletter-Small-e19bf582-c487-4236-b77b-dc7ed97ac82c.png)Japan FinTech ObserverNorbert Gehrke![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/46/cb/46cbd57f-e0e8-41a4-a1e2-710103a4267b/content/images/thumbnail/HiJoJo-Partners-fd76554b-5ca9-4ab9-852c-5bdd73470ded.png)](https://www.fintechobserver.com/hijojo-partners-secures-jpy-1bn-in-series-b1-completes-mega-bank-trifecta-with-smbc-backing/)