Bring fan culture to investing. Funds’ strategy to overturn conventional wisdom through finance × community

Startup companies achieve dramatic growth by identifying societal pain points and needs, turning them into business opportunities, and scaling up their operations.
Since startups are generally expected to achieve rapid growth in a short period of time, they must secure the business resources—people, materials, and capital—as quickly as possible.
Therefore, they must drive their business forward by fully utilizing not only internal but also external resources. And sometimes, the insights and experience of employees seconded from other companies can support that growth.

“The BUDDIES” is a series that spotlights Dentsu Inc. employees who, acting as “running partners,” are seconded to startups, maintain their Dentsu Inc. affiliation, and commit themselves to the business.
In Part 3, we focus on a Dentsu Inc. employee who was seconded to “Fans, ” a startup founded in 2016 that has garnered attention for its “fixed-return” investment platform.
What drives this “running mate” to propose new initiatives that are key to growth, oversee their implementation, and continue to dedicate themselves to Funds even after their secondment ends?

*This article is reprinted from a sponsored article by NewsPicks Studios.

A partner who’s willing to do everything possible

Funds was founded in 2016. At the time of its founding, the company was known as Crowdport.
The company provides “Funds*,” a platform that matches individuals who want to invest and grow their money with companies seeking to raise capital.

Individual investors lend money to companies—primarily publicly traded ones—and receive interest.
Meanwhile, companies borrow money from individual investors to use as working capital.
The point of connection is a fund established for each specific project, and the launch and fundraising for these funds take place on the Funds platform.

*Companies can borrow funds indirectly from individuals through Funds.
*This does not guarantee future investment performance. Depending on investment results, there is a possibility of delayed distributions or loss of principal.

Yuichiro Fujita, Founder and CEO of Funds, explains:

“While making money is the most important thing when investing, what sets Funds apart is that we value the sense of being able to engage as a ‘fan’ in the company’s operations and challenges ahead, rather than simply entrusting our money,” says Mr. Fujita.

In the approximately six years since the service launched in January 2019, more than 500 funds have been established, and the cumulative investment amount from individual investors surpassed 100 billion yen in October 2025.
Furthermore, there have been absolutely no instances of principal loss or distribution delays, maintaining a perfect “zero” record (as of December 2025).

“We aim to alleviate the various financial anxieties people face in society, and our mission is ‘Answers that don’t yet exist for the anxieties of the future.’
Our vision for achieving this is to ‘create a nationwide asset management service.’ We aim to create new options that allow many people to manage their assets with a sense of security as a matter of course,” said Mr. Fujita.

Yoshiaki Takai of Dentsu Inc. is working alongside them to realize this mission and vision.

Mr. Takai was seconded to FUNZ for two years starting in 2020.
During that time, he fully leveraged his personal network—including contacts in talent and corporate partnerships—to support Funds and played a leading role in energizing internal initiatives.
Although his secondment ended in 2022, he continues to maintain a relationship with Funds as a valued partner.

“Mr. Takai has a very strong ‘for FUNZ’ mindset and will truly do anything he can.
In particular, when it came to introducing new services to the public, he went above and beyond to help us figure out the best messaging and channels to reach as many people as possible,” said Mr. Fujita.

Launched New Initiatives and Won the Acceleration Program

This is because Funds faced significant hurdles when it was first founded.

“Funds is a ‘two-sided platform’ that needs to bring together both individuals who want to invest money and companies seeking to raise funds.
In the beginning, we struggled particularly hard to recruit companies to form funds.
This was because our target companies were primarily listed firms, many of which could borrow money from banks at low interest rates, making it difficult for them to borrow through Funds.
“To break through this barrier, we turned to Dentsu Inc.,” said Mr. Fujita.

It was under these circumstances that a new solution called FinCommunity Marketing was born.

Companies that borrow through Funds not only repay the principal to individual investors with a return on investment but also offer special benefits such as products, services, discounts, coupons, and even products and services not yet available to the general public.

“Through lending, investors gain a return plus added value and become fans of the company. Companies can not only raise funds but also market to individual investors.
In other words, we emphasized that Funds is a solution that fosters a community between individual investors and companies through investment,” said Mr. Takai.

This initiative led Mr. Takai to win Dentsu Inc.’s acceleration program in 2019 and was the deciding factor in his decision to join Funds on secondment.

“Rather than simply handing over a solution proposal, I wanted to take responsibility for helping bring it to fruition, which is why I left Dentsu Inc. to join Funds” (Mr. Takai).

After his secondment, Mr. Takai was involved in core operations, including the execution of fintech community marketing, and supported Funds’ growth every step of the way.
Regarding his role as a “partner in growth,” one employee had this to say:

“When it comes to marketing and promotions—such as sales campaigns and events—he’s truly battle-hardened.
For example, he has detailed insights—such as how phrasing a survey question can elicit a certain response, or how to report to clients—and his expertise was a huge help.”

His ability to approach major corporations was also said to be remarkable.
Since we deal with financial products, public trust and credibility are paramount.
In that regard, while case studies of large companies using our services are highly persuasive, it is difficult for Funds to develop such relationships on its own.
Mr. Takai actively played a role in facilitating the formation of these benchmark funds.

Continuing to Drive Business Co-creation Even After the Secondment Ended

“For me, being seconded to Funds has become a valuable asset.
I was delighted to experience firsthand both the challenges and the excitement of creating the future together.
Above all, through the experience of working with startups to solve problems and bring ideas to life, I gained diverse perspectives and a broader vision,” said Mr. Takai.

For his part, Mr. Fujita reflects on Mr. Takai’s contributions as follows:

“It was truly appreciated to have someone within the company who could bring perspectives we couldn’t reach on our own—and to have them walk alongside us.
Startups lack everything—not just people, resources, and money, but also credibility and trust.
Mr. Takai filled in all the gaps. It is precisely because of that support that Funs has grown to where it is today,” (Mr. Fujita)

Even now that Mr. Takai’s secondment has ended, he continues to support Funs in various ways as a partner.
One such effort is the launch of a video series, created in collaboration with Funs, that explains corporate IR in an easy-to-understand way.

Mr. Takai currently holds a concurrent role as COO of NewsPicks Studios (a joint venture between Userbase and Dentsu Inc.), where he oversees the planning and production of economic video content.
As part of this work, he collaborated with Fanz members to create “ONE IR, ” an economic news program that presents corporate “IR information”—which is often verbose and difficult to understand—in an accessible way.

Mr. Takai began producing the program with FANZ because he believed it would allow him to leverage FANZ’s unique strengths.

“Through its interactions with individual investors, Funs has gained a deep understanding of their perspectives. Funs also employs people with backgrounds in securities firms, who bring highly professional insights to the table.
By combining that with NewsPicks Studios’ content expertise, we should be able to create programs that are useful for business professionals and that people actually want to watch,” said Mr. Takai.

Underlying this is the challenge companies face in communicating with individual investors.
While many companies recognize the importance of building relationships with individual investors, current efforts are limited to initiatives such as shareholder benefits.

“Funds is the perfect platform to address this challenge.
And if ‘ONE IR’ allows individual investors to view corporate information in an easy-to-understand way, it truly kills two birds with one stone,” said Mr. Takai.

Leaving a Legacy Through Projects Rather Than Names

Drawing on the experience he gained at Funds, he also promotes startup support through “Startup Growth Partners,” an organization he founded with colleagues at Dentsu Inc.
Focusing primarily on the marketing field, they provide a wide range of support, including business development and alliances, human resources and organizational development, and finance.
As part of these efforts, Dentsu Inc. employees are seconded to startups to support their growth while carrying out their assigned missions at those companies.

Furthermore, upon their return, they make the most of Dentsu Inc.’s domestic assets to promote innovation through collaboration between major corporations and startups, thereby contributing to both startups and major corporations.
This is precisely the cycle that Mr. Takai followed, and the goal is to continuously create and accelerate such cycles.

“When I take on a project, I am conscious of ensuring that it leaves a lasting impact on the world, inspires people, and enriches society, even if only slightly.
It is not necessary for my name to be in the spotlight; I want to cherish the ‘aesthetics of the behind-the-scenes role.’
While paying the utmost respect to the entrepreneurs shaping the future, I work closely with them to help bring their exciting visions to life—making them even more compelling and beneficial for society. That is my job,” says Mr. Takai.

Working behind the scenes to leave a lasting legacy through projects and shape the future of startups—that is Mr. Takai’s philosophy.

This article is not intended to solicit the purchase of financial products.

<About Funds, Inc. and Funds>
Funds, Inc. Type II Financial Instruments Business License: Kanto Local Finance Bureau (Financial Instruments) No. 3103; Member of the General Incorporated Association of Type II Financial Instruments Business Operators

Fees, Risks, and Other Information Regarding Funds

• Funds does not charge any fees for account opening, management, or investing. However, you are responsible for any transfer fees incurred when sending funds from your financial institution to your deposit account. Please check with your financial institution regarding transfer fees.
• The debt instruments that serve as the source of dividends for the funds handled by Funds are not traded on financial markets and therefore do not have a market price; however, market trends may influence the price at which they are sold to third parties.
• As a general rule, a cooling-off period of 8 days, including the subscription date, applies to funds offered by Funds; however, early redemption is not permitted. Additionally, the sale of fund shares is restricted and requires the consent of both our company and the fund sponsor.
• The funds offered through Funds do not guarantee the return of principal, and losses may occur. Please carefully read the Important Information Statement and other documents for details regarding the terms, risks, and nature of each fund.

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Written by: Akihiro Tajima
Design: Kimie Tanaka
Edited by: Ryoya Kaida
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Watch the YouTube videos for The BUDDIES #3 here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3X8pcUjtTIE