Daily Capital Raises $2.17 Million for Taiwan-Japan Media Projects

A new investment vehicle for cross-strait media production has raised most of its initial capital, signaling a formalized pipeline for creative collaboration between Taiwan and Japan. The fund, named Daily Capital, debuted at the TIFFCOM market in Tokyo on October 28.

The fund is targeting NT$100 million, equivalent to approximately $3.1 million, to finance at least five film, television, and animation projects over the next 24 months. Founder Chang Chen-yu stated that 70% of this target amount has already been secured. Operations are scheduled to commence by the end of the current year.

The fund has established partnerships with two major Japanese entities to support development and distribution. K2 Pictures, co-founded by producer Kii Muneyuki, provides access to directors including Iwai Shunji, Miike Takashi, Nishikawa Miwa, and Kore-eda Hirokazu. Remow, backed by groups such as Shueisha, Toei, and TBS Holdings, offers access to intellectual property libraries and established distribution networks.

Chang explained that the fund intends to inject capital during the development or pre-production phases. This allows the investors to participate in script discussions and help assemble core creative teams. The fund aims to recover its primary capital within a three-year period. Chang noted that investment sizes will vary based on the specific scale and requirements of each project.

The first announced investment is a 10-episode series titled "Love Ends in Bloom." The historical romance is set in 1930s Chiayi and Alishan during the Japanese colonial period. The narrative follows a Japanese geisha who arranges a cross-border marriage to save her mother and subsequently enters a romance with a Taiwanese timber magnate. The project is written by Juliana Hsu and directed by Sun Jie-heng.

Filming for the series is scheduled to begin in February 2027, with a targeted release for mid-2028. Chang said the project originated in 2023 while he was in his hometown of Chiayi during a railway station renovation. He stated that the fund’s success will be measured by whether its projects reach Japanese broadcasters, regional platforms, and global streamers while meeting financial projections. He added that these results could facilitate the raising of a second fund focused on wider Asian co-productions.