Former Citadel portfolio manager Takeo Serizawa is joining Invictus Investment Partners as chief investment officer, following the expiry of his one-year non-compete with the firm. The Hong Kong-based manager is preparing to launch a Japan-focused fund in early 2026, according to a report by Bloomberg.
Invictus is led by former Point72 Japan head Tomohiro Yamaguchi, who will serve as chief executive and oversee risk and operations. The new fund will target the 300 largest, most liquid Japanese equities, and run with low net exposure. Yamaguchi said in an earlier interview that an anchor investor has pledged $200m for a minimum two-year period, with trading expected to begin in the first quarter subject to regulatory approval.
The launch comes amid renewed allocator interest in Japan, driven by corporate governance reforms and stronger economic momentum. Japan’s main equity benchmarks have delivered annualised dollar returns of more than 6% over the past five years, while the MSCI China Index has fallen 2% over the same period.
Serizawa previously held roles at Marshall Wace, Balyasny Asset Management and UBS, before joining Citadel in 2023 to trade highly liquid Japanese stocks. Yamaguchi earlier worked at Segantii Capital Management before leading Point72’s Japan business.
