Fulcrum Asset Management, a UK-based fund manager, has launched a real assets fund for Japanese clients of Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank (SuMi).

Fulcrum says the launch formally marks the start of a partnership with SuMi and it comes after the appointment in 2018 of Akio Ohtsuka (pictured), who has held various roles with Sumi, as Fulcrum’s Japanese adviser.

Liquid and illiquid real assets are targeted for SuMi pension funds clients and the fund is managed by Fulcrum’s alternative strategy team under Matthew Roberts.

Daisuke Maeda, managing executive officer of SuMi, said Japanese pensions have accessed real asset exposure predominantly through illiquid funds with long term lock ups, but there is increasing interest in more liquid investments in the same asset class.

Andrew Stevens, Fulcrum co-founder and chief executive, said the partnership was a significant step for the development of the firm, which has around $5 billion (€4.5 billion) of assets under management, and came about through Ohtsuka and a long relationship with SuMi.

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