[RightWhale]

Investors want some guarantee of return. They expect something to be put up to match their investment--collateral. What are you going to offer, your reputation in space mining?

How about a deed to the carbonacious chondritic asteroid? Ownership of the resource comes first, then we'll see if there is some possible interest in resource extraction.

[repentant_pundit]

What did Cousteau have as collateral before he had his ship ?

Since the Apollo days, I recall, there have been international agreements against claiming territory on the moon or elsewhere. Again, raw materials and real estate are not the only marketable products, here or up there. Scientific data and entertaining multimedia presentations are valuable commodities as well.

There is such thing as High-Risk Venture capital. Get an eccentric billionaire on board. Literally. Remember that rich old guy who paid millions to the Russians for flying him into space ?