Inspire Advanced Technology Fund (IATF), which is administered by Inspire Technology Resource Management Corporation (hereinafter: ITRM, head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo, president: Toshio Ishii), an affiliated company of Inspire Corporation (head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo, president: Makoto Naruke), promoting transfers of patents and technology, accepts Meidensha Corporation as a new partner. The amount of investment by Meidensha Corporation is 200 million yen. Meidensha Corporation is the 7th subscribing company of the fund whose participants are the Boeing Company, Mitsubishi Corporation, Meitec Corporation, Mori Building Co., Ltd, the Tokyo Electric Power Company, Incorporated and Sumitomo Corporation.

IATF, the fund to promote transfers of patents and technology administered by ITRM since August 2001, has commercialized dormant patents currently held by companies, universities and research institutes and contributed foundation capital and operating money necessary for setting up business, product development and prototyping to companies which plan to transfer technology. ITRM focuses its investment in the fields of medical care, biochemistry, electric equipment, electronic equipment, raw material, nano-technology, chemistry, software, environment and energy. ITRM has invested in and nurtured 7 companies for 2 years since established, whose business are based on promising technology, for example Kringle Pharma, Inc. which is a Bio-venture company based on technology developed by Professor Toshikazu Nakamura of Faculty of Medicine, Osaka University, and Atashi Co., Ltd. which is a venture company developing and distributing the fluorine coating method applying the nonelectrolytic plating method and ameliorating heat-resistance and abrasion-resistance.
Meidensha Corporation has developed engineering business centering on heavy electric machinery for a long time. And in accordance with the new medium range business plan, “Challenge and Create Plan”, starting from this July, Meidensha aims to accelerate “creating new business”, and “creation of new technology and new products”, which is the focus of the plan, by investing IATF in this occasion promoting transfer of patents and technology. Concurrently ITRM will make a full effort to build deeper cooperation with middle-sized companies and universities in wider fields and to pick out profitable investments with partner investors including Meidensha Corporation.
Overview of the Fund
Name: Inspire Advanced Technology Fund (abbr.: IATF)
Objective: Investments in intangible rights related to manufacturing, as well as capital investments in corporations and businesses that leverage intangible rights, and technology transfer
Investment Focus: Advanced technologies contributing to manufacturing in fields of medicine,　biochemistry, electronics and computer software, as well as companies and business entities planning to commercialize such technologies.
Amount of Investment: 3 billion yen (scheduled)
Investors: the Boeing Company, Mitsubishi Corporation, Meitec Corporation, Mori Building Co., Ltd., the Tokyo Electric Power Company, Incorporated, Sumitomo Corporation, Meidensha Corporation
Period of Implementation: 10 years
Executor: Inspire Technology Resource Management Corporation