Insurance
Japan Post Insurance has acquired a minority stake in Hoken Minaoshi Hompo Group (HMHG) with a view to bolster its distribution capabilities and deepen its relationship with global private equity. HMHG, a prominent Japanese insurance distributor, has been a portfolio company of KKR since its acquisition by the private equity
venture capital
Novastar Ventures, a prominent fixture in the African venture capital landscape, has completed the final close of its "Africa People and Planet Fund III" at $147 million. While the total falls short of the firm’s initial $200 million target—reflecting a broader global tightening in private equity
venture capital
Sumitomo Corporation is doubling down on its domestic startup ecosystem with its venture capital arm, Sumisho Venture Partners (SVP), establishing a new ¥10 billion-scale fund and transitioning its Japanese corporate venture capital (CVC) activities to a dedicated fund-based structure. The new fund, which includes existing investments currently under management, is
artificial intelligence
SMBC Group has entered into a strategic capital and business alliance with ExaWizards, a prominent AI solution provider. Under the terms of the agreement, SMFG will acquire a 10% voting stake in ExaWizards through a third-party allotment of shares. The deal, valued at approximately 5.395 billion yen (approx. $35.
Economics
The Japanese bond market is entering a period of renewed volatility as a "perfect storm" of domestic policy shifts and Middle Eastern geopolitical tensions pushes interest rates toward new highs. According to a fresh analysis from Sony Financial Group, the era of low rates is facing its most
broker/dealer
SBI Securities and Okasan Securities have entered into an absorption-type split agreement. Under the terms of the deal, Okasan Securities will transfer a significant portion of its "Okasan Online" business to SBI Securities, the industry leader. The transfer, scheduled to take effect on October 13, 2026, marks a
regional banks
In September 2025, The Chiba Bank and The Chiba Kogyo Bank have jointly declared their resolution to pursue a management consolidation. Formalized at the time through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the move aims to establish a new bank holding company that will serve as the wholly-owning
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
digital asset treasury
BITPOINT Japan, a subsidiary of the SBI Group, has entered into a landmark four-party strategic partnership to integrate Distributed Validator Technology (DVT) into its Ethereum management infrastructure for corporate clients. The alliance sees SSV Labs, the developers of the world’s largest DVT protocol "SSV Network," joining an
banking
Daiwa Connect Securities and GMO Aozora Net Bank have entered into a partnership to cross-promote corporate accounts and "Workplace NISA" services. The collaboration aims to realize synergies between two major FinTech players: Daiwa Connect, a smartphone-native brokerage under the Daiwa Securities Group umbrella, and GMO Aozora Net Bank,
regional bank
Following the recent announcement to engage with Infcurion in the face of the 2027 promissory note phase-out, Nara-based Nanto Bank continues to push forward the modernization of its banking stack by entering into a three-way collaboration with Money Forward X and IBM Japan to develop an integrated digital platform for
venture capital
Plum, the Bengaluru-based health insurance and employee benefits platform, has successfully secured $20 million (approximately ₹193 crore) in a Series B funding round. While the round was led by Peak XV Partners, a significant highlight of this latest capital injection is the participation of GMO Venture Partners, who joins the