asset management
Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Asset Management is revolutionizing its business operations by integrating Snowflake and generative AI to automate complex tasks. Executive Officer Matsumoto explained during the Snowflake World Tour Tokyo how the firm uses "skills" defined in natural language to replace traditional programming, allowing employees to build internal
payments
In a major disruption to Japan's digital payments ecosystem, Osaka-based credit card payment processor Zentoshin has entered bankruptcy proceedings, leaving 63 institutional lenders exposed to a massive debt pile. According to preliminary liquidation data compiled by Tokyo Shoko Research, the firm's total liabilities have reached
asset management
Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank (SuMiTB), a core subsidiary of Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group (SuMiTG), has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a 15% equity stake in Morrison, a prominent global infrastructure investment manager. The transaction, executed through a subscription to newly issued equity, will establish Morrison as an equity-
venture capital
In a major cross-border play to anchor the next generation of artificial intelligence, a consortium of global technology and financial leaders announced the creation of the IOWN AI Fund. Backed by telecom and technology heavyweights including NTT, SK Group, and Chunghwa Telecom, alongside the Development Bank of Japan (DBJ)
venture capital
Vinyl Equity, a Chicago-based financial technology infrastructure provider and SEC-registered transfer agent, has raised $20 million in a Series A funding round. The round was led by Jump Capital, with prominent strategic participation from MUFG Innovation Partners (MUIP), the corporate venture capital arm of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group.
venture capital
MeetsMore Inc., a Tokyo-based startup providing cloud-based platforms for the field service and social infrastructure sectors, has secured approximately 3 billion yen in an extended Series B funding round. The transaction, executed via a third-party allotment of new shares, brings the company’s total Series B funding
ATM
In a move to consolidate their footprint in the financial hardware market, Oki Electric Industry (OKI) and Hitachi have entered a definitive agreement to integrate their automated teller machine (ATM) and automated equipment businesses. The deal, structured as a joint venture, aims to combat the headwinds of a global shift
data
Legacy data fragmentation is a strategic liability that imposes an "intelligence tax" on every executive decision. In the current financial landscape, the volume of data has scaled beyond human cognitive limits, rendering traditional "data hoarding" obsolete. To maintain a competitive edge, organizations must pivot to a
stablecoins
Tokyo-based software developer Asteria Corporation (TSE: 3853) has partnered with blockchain engineering firm Angoya to launch "JPYC Explorer," a specialized audit-support tool for the Japanese yen-pegged stablecoin, JPYC. Slated for release on April 1, 2026, the new platform targets a critical bottleneck in the institutional
private credit
Japanese banking giant Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group has deepened its integration with London-based credit specialist AlbaCore Capital Group, unveiling a joint platform designed to capture the growing institutional demand for European and UK infrastructure debt. The strategic partnership will see the launch of dedicated investment-grade and high-yield
core banking
Hokkoku Bank has announced the full-scale launch of integrated loan approval and execution capabilities within its proprietary "IBPlatform," marking a significant step in the regional lender’s digital transformation strategy. Moving beyond the platform's initial scope as a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool, the new
venture capital
NTT DOCOMO Ventures (NDV), the investment arm of Japan’s leading mobile operator, has made a strategic investment in Bastion Platforms, a New York-based provider of regulated stablecoin infrastructure. The deal signals the telecommunications giant's deepening interest in integrating digital asset technologies into enterprise finance and consumer