capital markets
In a global financial landscape increasingly defined by non-linear volatility and the failure of traditional linear models to anticipate market shocks, the strategic partnership between Mitsui Sumitomo Banking Corporation (SMBC) and Toshiba represents a paradigm shift in financial engineering. This collaboration addresses the systemic need for next-generation risk
ai agents
SMBC Nikko Securities has entered into a strategic collaboration with blockchain infrastructure firm Nethermind, aiming to prototype a secure, compliant gateway for Japanese investors to access Decentralized Finance (DeFi) markets, utilizing advanced "agentic AI" to manage trading and risk. The initiative marks a pivotal step for one of
artificial intelligence
Lens, a provider of governance and risk management solutions, has deployed its third-party management cloud solution, "Lens RM," at GMO Aozora Net Bank. By incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into the increasingly complex risk assessment process associated with expanding startup transactions and its Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS)
venture capital
Virtual asset firm Hyperithm has made a seed investment in Cork Protocol, a platform specializing in on-chain risk management. The investment is part of a larger $5.5 million (approximately 7.7 billion KRW) seed funding round co-led by crypto accelerator a16z CSX and Road Capital. The round
corporate venture capital
Japanese banking giant Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) has made its first-ever investment through its new corporate venture capital (CVC) fund. The fund, named the "SMBC Fin Atlas Beyond Fund" and launched in collaboration with Fin Capital, has participated in the recent $58 million funding round for
quantum computing
SC Ventures by Standard Chartered Bank, which builds and invests in breakthrough ventures in and beyond banking, together with Fujitsu, a leading developer of quantum software and hardware, are set to join forces to incubate Project Quanta. The project will integrate multiple software and hardware technologies to provide clients a
generative ai
The "Guidelines for the Use of Generative AI in Financial Institutions" is a comprehensive framework designed to help Japanese financial institutions navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of Generative AI. Version 1.1 represents a significant update to the initial release, incorporating a year's worth of practical
artificial intelligence
Tokio Marine dR (TdR) and Corpy & Co. will begin a strategic business partnership from July 2025 aimed at supporting the promotion of AI utilization by Japanese companies. Through this partnership, TdR's AI governance-related expertise will be combined with Corpy's advanced AI technology to contribute
regional bank
In a January 2025 report, the Nikko Research Center analyzed the public disclosures of 99 regional banks - 10 internationally operating banks, 53 regional banks excluding the internationally operating banks, and 36 second-tier regional banks. Under various interest rate scenarios, the change in value of securities, loans, deposits, etc. was