June 30, 2022
Fast Track Initiative (CEO: Hiromichi Kimura; headquarters: Tokyo, Japan; hereinafter referred to as ‘FTI’) is selected as a VC firm accredited by The Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) for funding under its Strengthening Program for Pharmaceutical Startup Ecosystem, a significant facet of AMED’s Strategy for Strengthening the Vaccine Development and Production System (the ‘Vaccine Strategy’). Through this visionary program, AMED subsidizes the development of therapeutic assets by providing additional grant funding to therapeutics companies in Japan that have received investments from the accredited VC firms.
As part of the program, AMED certifies VC firms that have a demonstrated track record of therapeutic investments and can provide specialized hands-on support ranging from preclinical to clinical stage drug development. A total of 350B JPY (2.6B USD) has been allocated to this initiative by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). Upon passing the specified AMED review, the companies funded by FTI will receive a research and development grant from AMED matching up to double the amount of FTI’s investment.
A total of 24 companies applied to AMED for this accreditation of which 8 VC firms were selected for certification.
For comprehensive details, please consult the public disclosure available on AMED’s official website here: AMED’s web site (Japanese only)
About Fast Track Initiative: Established in 2004, Fast Track Initiative, Inc. (FTI) is a life science venture capital firm, focusing its investments on grow seed and early-stage startups with a strong focus on biotech and therapeutics. FTI has a strict mission to make a ground-breaking impact on the quality of our life and human wellness through investments across a broad range of areas in the life science community including diagnostics, digital health, healthcare services, and more. The company provides full, hands-on operational support to its 30+ portfolio companies through business and R&D strategy, investor syndication, and more, including access to their exclusive network of leading industry professionals in Japan. Visit https://us.fasttrackinitiative.com for more details, or follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fast-track-initiative/.
For press inquiries or investor inquiries, please email: message.us@fasttrackinitiative.com
