venture capital
MUFG Bank and MUFG Innovation Partners (MUIP), both consolidated subsidiaries of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), have made an investment in LayerX, a startup focused on equipping society with AI-centered software. MUFG Bank also signed a strategic partnership memorandum of understanding with LayerX to further deepen their collaborative relationship. MUIP’
BaaS
Minna Bank has signed a business partnership agreement with Merpay to utilize Minna Bank's financial functions and services in the flea market app "Mercari". Background Minna Bank upholds "Integrating into everyone's 'lifestyle'" as one of its service concepts, and aims
trading
Webull Securities, the Japanese division of US-based Webull Corporation (NASDAQ: BULL), began offering its Japanese stock trading API on August 27, 2025. This addition to the existing US stock trading API (Webull OpenAPI) enables API-based trading functionality for Japanese stocks, making Webull the first major domestic online securities firm to
Insurance
The Financial Services Agency published a partial revision (draft) of the "Comprehensive Supervision Guidelines for Insurance Companies" and other documents from Monday, May 12, 2025 to Friday, June 13, 2025, and widely solicited comments. In response, the Agency received a total of 468 comments related to the partial
blockchain
Next Finance Tech has joined the Canton Network, a privacy-friendly open blockchain network governed by over 40 of the world's leading financial institutions and service providers, as a validator (node operator) from August 2025. Currently, there are over 400 ecosystem participants in Canton. Leveraging Next Finance Tech'
insurtech
Shift Technology, a provider of AI-driven decision automation and optimization solutions for the global insurance industry, has recently delivered generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) capabilities as part of their Shift Claims Fraud Detection and Shift Claims Intake deployments for Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance. Shift’s Gen AI-powered visual
venture capital
Tokyo and Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm DNX Ventures has completed the formation of the "4th Japan Annex Fund" with DNX as the general partner, totaling 24.7 billion yen. The 3rd Japan Annex Fund, which announced its final close in 2024, completed its full capital deployment early
crypto
gumi has resolved, at the Board of Directors meeting held on August 28, 2025, to purchase 2.5 billion yen worth of crypto assets (XRP). The purchase(s) will be carried out between September 2025 and February 2026. gumi will conduct a quarterly mark-to-market valuation of its held crypto assets,
Insurance
The FWD Group has published its interim results report for the six months ended June 30, 2025, its first since going public on the Hong Kong Exchange in July 2025, allowing for a look at its Japanese business. FWD entered the Japanese market in 2017 through the acquisition of AIG
mergers & acquisitions
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, its consolidated subsidiary MUFG Bank, WealthNavi, a consolidated subsidiary of MUFG Bank, and shareholders of Moneytree have entered into a stock transfer agreement dated July 31, 2025, and as August 29, 2025, MUFG Bank has acquired the issued shares of Moneytree. As a result, Moneytree will
venture capital
Visual Bank has raised 1.1 billion yen in equity financing through its Series B round. The round was led by Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Capital, with participation from CDIB Cross Border Innovation Fund, Incubate Fund, Aozora Corporate Investment, SMBC Venture Capital, W fund, and others. The Purpose of the Series
stablecoin
Densan System has concluded a basic agreement on joint study with Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and Ava Labs with the aim of creating new services related to future stablecoin payment, distribution, and management. Overview of the Agreement SMBC, Densan System, and Ava Labs will study approaches to the sound distribution