Japan, Oct. 8 -- Sumitomo Corporation has invested in "Coalis Fund No. 1" (hereinafter "the Coalis Fund"), a vehicle established and managed by Coalis Capital Inc. (Head Office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; General Partner: Akinori Harada). This is Japan's first specialist fund to acquire unlisted growth-stage startups using buyout methods. The Coalis Fund totals JPY 20 billion, of which Sumitomo Corporation will contribute up to JPY 5 billion as a principal limited partner investor.Background and PurposeIn Japan, compared with Europe and the United States, initial public offerings (IPOs) overwhelmingly dominate as the means for startup founders and investors to liquidate their shareholdings, while M&A-driven exits remain limited. At the same time, m...