banking
This past week has marked a pivotal moment in Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation's (SMBC) engagement with the African continent. Against the backdrop of the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), SMBC has announced a series of strategic partnerships and investments that underscore a deep and multi-faceted
banking
SBI Holdings has concluded a “Strategic Capital and Business Alliance Agreement” with TOHOKU BANK. Having completed the repayment of public funds for SBI Shinsei Bank, the group is now free to resume its regional banking rollup strategy in order to create the "fourth mega bank". Purpose of the
banking
Seven Bank agreed with ITOCHU Corporation, majority owner of Family Mart, on the commencement of capital and business alliance discussions including collaboration in a wide range of financial areas. Leveraging its domestic and international business foundation with strengths in the consumer sector, ITOCHU develops new services and businesses by capturing
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,