Japanese bank launches 10 billion yen fund to produce anime

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank announced on October 28 the creation of an investment fund dedicated to anime production. The bank is working with Comismart, the company that operates the manga app GANMA!, and Qzil.la, its animation studio. The goal is to raise up to 10 billion yen and finance around ten projects.

The fund will launch in June 2027. Under the plan, the money will come from Japanese companies and institutional investors, and later it will open to foreign funds and small investors. The idea is to give those who want to enter the anime business a way to do so, while studios get money without depending only on the traditional system.

The division of tasks is clear. Comismart, with more than 440 intellectual properties, will choose which works get adapted. Qzil.la will handle production. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust provides the fund structure and its investor network. The works will come from GANMA!, Comismart's manga and novel platform, and will seek distribution in Japan and abroad.

An alternative to the production committee

This move responds to a specific problem: the cost of producing anime keeps rising, and the dominant model, the production committee, splits rights among several companies but leaves little room for outside money. A fund like this opens a new route: investors from outside the sector can put in capital and studios get financing through another channel.

The numbers back the bet. In 2024, the anime market reached 3.8 trillion yen, a record high according to the Association of Japanese Animations. Growth was driven by the international market. The Japanese government also wants overseas anime sales to reach 6 trillion yen by 2033.

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust, Comismart and Qzil.la launch a fund of up to 10 billion yen for anime production.finance.biggo.jp

The fund doesn't remove the risk: if a work doesn't perform, the investor loses. But if the scheme works, other banks and studios could copy it. For now, we have to wait until 2027 to see which GANMA! titles get the green light.

What do you think about a bank getting into anime financing this way? Do you think we'll see more funds like this? Tell us in the comments.