lending
Leading financial services software firm Finastra has gone live with the Loan IQ platform at the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). This project aims to modernize JICA's core system for private-sector investment finance, an increasingly expanding initiative that provides loans to private sector projects in developing countries. The
Weekly
Welcome to the one hundred twenty-fifth edition of the Japan FinTech Observer. Chaos, chaos, everywhere! The subway line to the Osaka Expo 2025 broke down, leaving thousands of people stranded late into the night. McDonald's offered a Pokemon promotion, leading to piles of "Happy Meals" discarded
venture capital
TRUSTART, which supports DX transformation of users' real estate-related operations through proprietary real estate big data collection, has raised 1 billion yen through third-party allotment to HIRAC FUND (MoneyForward Venture Partners), Daiwa Corporate Investment, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital, Japan Venture Capital, Asia Air Survey, Iwagin Future Investment, GMO VenturePartners, mint,
venture capital
The Japan Securities Dealers Association has been holding a "Roundtable Meeting on the Supply of Growth Funds to Startup Companies and Other Entities" to consider issues regarding the trading system for unlisted shares based on the needs of market participants, and the FSA has been participating in this
banking
The Financial Services Agency (FSA) held a series of meetings with Japan's financial industry associations, outlining its key priorities and concerns. The discussions reveal a strong focus on enhancing governance, strengthening cybersecurity, and ensuring customer-centric operations across the entire financial system. I. Common Points Raised Across Associations Several
payments
Digital Garage's (DG) first-quarter results for the fiscal year ending March 2026 present a stark dichotomy that requires careful dissection. The headline figure—a consolidated pre-tax loss of ¥1.3 billion—paints a misleading picture of the company's health, triggering a market sell-off. This loss was
ecommerce
Introduction Mercari is committed to achieving the mid-term policy announced in FY2024.6, which aims for double-digit CAGR growth in revenue and a CAGR of at least 25% in core operating profit in FY2027.6. These targets remain unchanged. Following Mercari's basic policy to essentially aim for top-line
artificial intelligence
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation announce the development and deployment of an "AI-CEO" at Sumitomo Mitsui Bank as part of their efforts to establish their brand as an "AI-leading Financial Institution." Background and Objectives As AI technology has shown remarkable development in
mergers & acquisitions
Resona currently holds 12.42% of Digital Garage's shares (ratio to total voting rights as of March 31, 2025), acquired through third-party allocation and market purchases, and Digital Garage positions Resona as a strategic partner for Digital Garage's medium- to long-term growth. By acquiring 8,520,
consumer finance
AEON Financial Services has submitted an amended securities report and other documents for the fiscal year ending February 2025 to the Director-General of the Kanto Regional Financial Bureau on July 31, 2025, and has also corrected its financial results summary, as detailed below. As announced on July 9, 2025, regarding
interest rates
Takeshi Ueno, Chief Economist at the NLI Research Institute, published an update to his interest rate outlook this past week. The report analyzes the recent surge in Japan's long-term interest rates (10-year JGB yield) and provides a forecast for the coming 18 months. The key argument is that
credit card
The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) has announced its approval of a commitment plan submitted by Visa Worldwide. The plan resolves an investigation into Visa's business practices, which the JFTC suspected were in violation of Japan's Antimonopoly Act. This decision concludes the matter without a formal