Meiji Yasuda to Invest JPY 200bn with Man Group and Acquire 5% Stake in Expanded Alliance
Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company has expanded its strategic partnership with UK-based asset manager Man Group, agreeing to allocate ¥200 billion ($1.27 billion) in investments and mandates over the next three years and outlining plans to acquire an equity stake of approximately 5% in the firm.
The agreement, finalized on October 26, 2026, broadens a collaboration first launched in February 2025. While the initial pact focused primarily on private assets, the expanded framework extends into quantitative investment strategies, artificial intelligence (AI), and broader asset management products. The initiative also includes cross-organizational knowledge sharing and personnel exchanges, including secondments of Meiji Yasuda employees to Man Group.
To cement the medium- to long-term alliance, the Japanese insurer plans to purchase approximately 5% of Man Group’s outstanding shares on the open market. Any investment would be subject to a three-year lock-up and a restriction preventing Meiji Yasuda from increasing its holding above 19.99%.
The move aligns with Meiji Yasuda’s three-year business plan running through fiscal 2026, dubbed "MY Mutual Way Phase II," which targets enhanced asset management returns through private asset expansion, quantitative tools, and AI.
"Through this expansion of our strategic partnership, we will further promote access to a broad range of investment strategies, the sharing of advanced knowledge, and personnel exchanges, thereby further enhancing our asset management capabilities," said Hideki Nagashima, President and Group CEO of Meiji Yasuda.
Robyn Grew, CEO of Man Group, stated that the insurer's increased capital commitment underscores Man Group's capabilities in private credit and its capacity to service global institutional insurance clients, adding that Meiji Yasuda's planned equity stake aligns the two companies' long-term interests.
The signing ceremony took place at the British Embassy in Tokyo, attended by Nagashima, Grew, and British Ambassador-designate to Japan Corin Robertson CMG.
Founded in 1783 and based in London, Man Group managed $270.9 billion (approximately ¥43 trillion) in assets under management as of September 30, 2026.
Norbert Gehrke
