Simplex Asset Management Co. is taking some lessons from Tokyo's iconic wholesale fish market as it starts a fund to invest in companies looking to move their listings to the Topix index.

The new fund is betting that companies moving their listings to the Topix will benefit from a broader base of investors and higher valuations, just like fishermen who bring their catch to the Tsukiji market can expect to command higher prices, Hiromasa Mizushima, chief executive and founding partner of Simplex said in an interview.

Simplex's new fund is part of a corporate governance strategy with a total of ¥136.4 billion under management. The fund will start with ¥3 billion and has set a limit of ¥30 billion, Mizushima said.