12 Jul, 2024
TOKYO – July 12, 2024 – ispace, inc. (ispace) (TOKYO: 9348), a global lunar exploration company, announced today that it has secured approximately $62 Million USD in new financing as part of a loan agreement with Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and Mizuho Bank, Ltd.
This loan is not only ispace’s largest-ever debt financing to date, but also its second-largest financing after Series A, a record in Japan at the time in December 2017. Including the loan, cumulative total investment in ispace has risen to approximately $489.8 million USD. ispace intends to allocate the funds from the new loan as working capital for the development and operation of lunar landers and micro rovers for future missions.
ispace signed a bridge loan with Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation in April 2024, but discussions continued with other banking institutions, which resulted in the permanent syndicated loan. The loan involves a total of seven banks, including two that are first-time lenders to ispace. The agreement was arranged by Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation with Mizuho Bank, Ltd., serving as co-arranger.
“I am extremely pleased that we have reached this syndicated loan agreement with Japan’s leading financial institutions. We believe they recognized ispace’s solid progress towards the realization of our vision, which makes this step possible,” said Jumpei Nozaki, Director & CFO of ispace. “We will continue to leverage our unique strength, our global presence and diverse workforce, to achieve high-frequency, low-cost lunar transportation services.”
ispace is leveraging its global presence through its three business units in Japan, the U.S., and Luxembourg, for the simultaneous development of upcoming missions. Mission 2, utilizing the RESILIENCE lunar lander is planned for 2024, and is led by the ispace Japan entity. Mission 3, debuting the APEX 1.0 lunar lander, is led by the ispace U.S. entity and is expected to launch in 2026. Mission 6, which will utilize the Series 3 lander, currently being designed in Japan, is scheduled to be launched by 2027.
Summary of Syndicated Loan Agreement
| 1. Amount | 10 billion JPY (Approximately $62 Million USD) |
| 2. Interest Rate | Floating interest rate (base rate + spread) |
| 3. Date | July 31, 2024 (tentative) |
| 4. Period | 3 years and 3 months |
| 5. Use of proceeds | Working capital |
| 6. Repayment Method | Bullet repayment on due date |
| 7. Collateral | No collateral or guarantee |
| 8. Arranger and Agent | Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation |
| 9. Co-arranger | Mizuho Bank, Ltd. |
| 10. Lenders | Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, |
| Mizuho Bank, Ltd., | |
| Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, Limited, | |
| The Shoko Chukin Bank, Ltd., | |
| SBI Shinsei Bank, Limited, | |
| Aozora Bank, Ltd., | |
| Resona Bank, Limited |
About ispace, inc. (https://ispace-inc.com)
ispace, a global lunar resource development company with the vision, “Expand our planet. Expand our future.”, specializes in designing and building lunar landers and rovers. ispace aims to extend the sphere of human life into space and create a sustainable world by providing high-frequency, low-cost transportation services to the Moon. The company has business entities in Japan, Luxembourg, and the United States with more than 300 employees worldwide. For more information, visit: www.ispace-inc.com and follow us on X: @ispace_inc.