EIS invited Estonian companies to participate in the event "Japan Tech Day 2025: Financial Services", held on December 3, 2025, in Tallinn. Japan Tech Day 2025 was dedicated to digital solutions and ICT innovation in the financial services sector. The event brought together Estonian and Japanese companies to
The seventh and last corporate stop of our "ICT & FinTech Mission to Tallinn" last week, courtesy of Enterprise Estonia, led us to Wallester. The meeting provided an in-depth technical and operational overview of Wallester’s role as a card issuer and payment processor. The presentation focused on
The sixth, and penultimate corporate stop of our "ICT & FinTech Mission to Tallinn" last week, courtesy of Enterprise Estonia, led us to Cybernetica, where we were hosted by Sales & Business Development Representative Maarja Suiste from the Data Exchange Department, who talked us through Cybernetica’s role
In "Key Directives and Priorities of Japan's Financial Services Agency (October 2025)", we mentioned that Japan's Financial Services Agency (FSA) is advancing two primary programs aimed at strengthening the real economy and improving business financing, one of which is the Enterprise Value Charge (EVC,
The fifth stop of our "ICT & FinTech Mission to Tallinn" last week, courtesy of Enterprise Estonia, led us to Codeborne, where we were hosted by software entrepreneur Toomas Talts. The meeting provided a deep dive into Codeborne’s operational philosophy, technical methodologies, and its unique, long-standing relationship
FUNDINNO went public on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Segment on December 5, 2025, at the top of the indicated range from JPY 600 to 620. After reaching a high of JPY 935 during the first day of trading, the stock has since settled in around the JPY 800 mark,
The fourth stop of our "ICT & FinTech Mission to Tallinn" last week, courtesy of Enterprise Estonia, led us to Tuum, where we were hosted by Co-Founder & Chief Business Officer Rivo Uibo. Tuum is a next-generation core banking platform provider headquartered in Estonia, positioning itself under the
This article synthesizes the key discussion points, directives, and strategic priorities communicated by Japan's Financial Services Agency (FSA) during its October 2025 meetings with various financial industry associations. The purpose of this briefing is to provide a high-level strategic analysis of the FSA's primary focus areas,
The third stop of our "ICT & FinTech Mission to Tallinn" last week, courtesy of Enterprise Estonia, led us to salv, where we were hosted by Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer Taavi Tamkivi, as well as Kadri Pirn, Vice President of the Screening and Monitoring Business Unit. Here
Japan's Financial Services Agency (FSA) has recently published the minutes for its third AI Public-Private Forum, held on November 5, 2025, which brought together a distinguished group of experts to chart a course for the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence in the financial sector. The forum's
Welcome to the one hundred forty-first edition of the Japan FinTech Observer. Last week, we were delighted to participate in the "ICT & FinTech Mission to Tallinn" this past week, courtesy of EIS | Enterprise Estonia. As we are settling down back home, we are iteratively reporting on the
In order to further revitalize the startup ecosystem, it is important for each entity involved in funding startups to share a common understanding of the direction the ecosystem should aim for, further strengthen funding for startups, support their growth, and ensure that the benefits are reaped by each entity involved.
regional banks
Regional Financial Institutions (RFIs) are the cornerstone of Japan's local economies. As outlined in the "Working Group on Strengthening Regional Financial Capabilities" draft report, their role extends beyond simple financing to become a driving force for regional economic vitality. However, their capacity to fulfill this critical
artificial intelligence
Mizuho Financial Group is releasing the generative AI-powered platform "Wiz Base" and will earnestly promote large-scale PoCs (Proof of Concepts) in anticipation of full-scale implementation of AI utilization in the sales support domain. Wiz Base is a platform built by Mizuho on Amazon Web Services (AWS) to operate
security token
ALTERNA Trust, Mitsui & Co. Digital Asset Management, Daiwa Securities, and Progmat have completed the fundraising and issuance for the security tokenization (ST) of "Mitsui & Co. Group Digital Securities - Nagoya Prime Office - (Transfer Restricted)". This project marks the first ST issuance for both ALTERNA Trust,
Tallinn
We were delighted to participate in the "ICT & FinTech Mission to Tallinn" this past week, courtesy of Enterprise Estonia. Our second stop was Inbank, where we were hosted by Founder & Chief Executive Officer Priit Poldoja, as well as Chief Product & Technology Officer Erik Kaju. Introduction
loyalty
SBI VC Trade, a consolidated subsidiary of SBI Holdings operating a cryptocurrency exchange business, has launched the "Sapporo Draft Beer Black Label THE BAR Renewal Campaign" in collaboration with Sapporo Breweries, as part of a proof-of-concept experiment aimed at "expanding brand experiences." This campaign commemorates the
carbon credit
Nomura Securities has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with World Vision Japan (WVJ), a specified non-profit organization, to support the development of new projects using Japan’s Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM). Nomura has been actively engaged in research, framework design, and market development in the JCM space. In June
data
The Snowflake Industry Days 2025 Japan took place in November, with a Financial Services track session featuring Trust Base and the Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group, titled "Connecting Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group: Implementation and Governance of the Data Fabric Concept." Presenters: * Gen Uehara (Head of Financial Industry, Snowflake) * Satoshi
supervision
The Financial Services Agency (FSA) has published its annual report for the administrative year from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025, providing a comprehensive (400+ pages) and transparent overview of its activities. It is intended to inform its stakeholders—including financial institutions, market participants, and the public—about the
financial literacy
ABCash Technologies is beginning a collaboration with the investment trust service "mattoco+ (Mattoco Plus)," jointly operated by Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management and SmartPlus. Through this collaboration, mattoco+'s investment seminar content will be posted on ABCash's "Money Training" platform for students to view,
Tallinn
We were delighted to participate in the "ICT & FinTech Mission to Tallinn" this past week, courtesy of Enterprise Estonia. Our first stop was the e-Estonia Briefing Centre, where we were hosted by Marek Roostar, Director of Asia Region Markets, and Petra Holm, Digital Transformation Advisor. 1. Executive
mergers & acquisitions
Ambit Global Private Client, the wealth management arm of the Ambit Group - one of India’s premier financial services conglomerates, announced a landmark strategic development. Daiwa Securities Group has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a minority stake in Ambit Wealth Private Limited. This all-primary capital infusion of
tokenization
Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management, Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities, and Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking, together with Progmat, will commence collaboration on infrastructure development for a "Tokenized Money Management Fund" as the first step toward developing Japan's first tokenized investment trust. 1. Background for Moving to