corporate venture capital
Habit Factory, a Seoul, South Korea-based AI-driven fintech company, has raised KRW 35 billion in Series D funding. The round was led by Z Venture Capital (ZVC) and Smilegate Investment, with participation from Industrial Bank of Korea, IBK Venture Investment, Kolon Investment, KB Investment, and Shinhan Venture Investment. Z Venture
regional bank
MILIZE announces the introduction of a life plan simulation function developed by the company into the "Chibagin App," a smartphone application provided by The Chiba Bank. Background of Implementation In recent years, personal life planning has become an increasingly important issue due to rapid social changes and the
stablecoin
Japan's three megabanks are planning to jointly issue corporate-use stablecoins pegged to legal tender like the yen and the dollar, aiming to promote their use in the country. MUFG Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. and Mizuho Bank intend to issue the stablecoins under a unified standard for use
payments
PayPay Corporation has launched "PayPay Gift," which allows users to send digital gift certificates to friends and family for use at partner stores. Senders can set the gift certificate amount in 1-yen increments as desired, and send them with personalized messages such as "Thank you" or
cross-border payments
NTT Data has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NPCI International Payments Limited, a subsidiary of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). The MoU establishes the foundation to enable acceptance of Unified Payments Interface (UPI), India's leading real-time payment system for Indian tourists in Japan. This
credit card
Nudge's next-generation credit card "Nudge" has reached its 4-year service anniversary in September 2025, while the company has implemented various feature expansions to enhance the user experience over the past year. Background and Mission Japan has high trust in and acceptance of cash compared to other
stablecoin
Soramitsu and Soramitsu CBDC have launched consulting and development support services for domestic Japanese business operators. These services support the design, construction, and operation of stablecoin issuance systems in compliance with the Payment Services Act and other regulations. This service extends the national-scale infrastructure development expertise in central bank digital
regional bank
The Snowflake World Tour stopped by in Tokyo on September 11 & 12, with some interesting Finance case studies on the agenda. This presentation details the successful project by Chiba Bank, one of Japan's largest regional banks, which has embarked on an ambitious digital transformation (DX) initiative aimed
loyalty
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Sumitomo Mitsui Card Company, Culture Convenience Club, and CCCMK Holdings have reached an agreement regarding the capital restructuring of CCCMKHD, which operates "V Point." Sumitomo Mitsui Card will acquire additional shares of CCCMKHD, making CCCMKHD a subsidiary of Sumitomo Mitsui Card. Also, through CCCMKHD&
mergers & acquisitions
Seven Bank is entering into a capital and business alliance with ITOCHU to adapt to a changing financial landscape (digital payments, new competition) and drive new growth. The goal is to combine Seven Bank's expertise in ATMs and retail financial services with ITOCHU's vast consumer-related business
securities
Rakuten Bank's and Rakuten Securities' Money Bridge service, connecting customers’ Rakuten Bank and Rakuten Securities accounts, has surpassed 6 million accounts as of September 2025. Rakuten Bank and Rakuten Securities began offering Money Bridge to improve the convenience of services for private asset building and management. Anyone
banking
SBI Sumishin Net Bank will become a consolidated subsidiary of NTT DOCOMO as of October 1st, 2025. Following the consolidation, starting on the same date, the service will be rebranded as “d NEOBANK”, which is representing the wide range of services directly provided by SSNB to both individual and corporate