venture capital
This Sushi Tech panel discussed the theme of "Rethinking Japan's Startup Ecosystem: Priorities for the Next Decade." Moderated by Akio Tanaka, Founding Partner of Headline Asia, the panel consisted of industry experts who offered their perspectives on the current state of Japan's startup landscape,
venture capital
Global VCs are increasingly drawn to Japan, recognizing its evolving tech scene, strong research capabilities, and a rising generation of talent embracing entrepreneurship. They seek startups with global visions, a "Silicon Valley" mindset, and the potential to disrupt industries beyond Japan's borders. While Japan's
ASEAN
The panel discussion emphasized the opportunities and challenges for startups in the Southeast Asian region. It highlighted the need for realistic valuations, strategic collaborations, a deep understanding of local markets, and a focus on long-term commitment in order to succeed in the region. In short, relationships are key in Southeast
payments
Digital Garage has invested in Phi Commerce, a leading Indian payment service provider. Additionally, DG Financial Technology, the payment business company within the Digital Garage Group, has signed a business alliance agreement with Phi Commerce. Phi Commerce is a reliable payment service provider licensed and certified by the Reserve Bank
Weekly
Welcome to the one hundred tenth edition of the Japan FinTech Observer. The decades-long (if not forever) pricing system for Japanese sake has been broken. It has not happened overnight, rather it has been a slow, post-pandemic process as far as I could tell, but by now most of the
venture capital
Layer 1 blockchain platform "Kaia" has secured investments and strategic partnerships from renowned global venture capital firms in the blockchain space, including 1kx and Blockchain Capital (BCAP), aimed at expanding its ecosystem. These VCs, which support the growth of scalable Web3 ecosystems worldwide, highly value Kaia's
venture capital
UTokyo Innovation Platform (UTokyo IPC) has decided to invest in Abies Ventures Fund II, managed by Abies Ventures, through its Academic Startup Acceleration (ASA) Fund—a university startup support fund operated under the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s “Global Innovation with STARTUPS” initiative. Backing Deep-Tech Champions with Global Execution Capabilities Founded
venture capital
Volution has launched a new $100m fund to back the next generation of high-growth FinTech, AI and SaaS businesses tackling productivity challenges in capital markets and enterprise. The fund has been launched in partnership with leading Japanese venture capital investors SBI Investment through a Co-GP arrangement that leverages the strengths
Weekly
Welcome to the one hundred ninth edition of the Japan FinTech Observer. We are entering our own Japanese-style "triple witching" week. First, Golden Week has started, typically a good time to stay pat in Tokyo when everyone is traveling. However, travel has become expensive for Japanese residents, and
startup
Last week, SMBC Group made two announcements concerning their support for startup exits. 1. Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and FOR STARTUPS have begun a collaboration aimed at diversifying exit strategies for startups 2. Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, SMBC Venture Capital Management, and Bee Alternatives Japan have established a secondary fund
broker/dealer
Alpaca, a self-clearing broker-dealer and brokerage infrastructure API, announced its $52 million Series C funding round today from its new office in Manhattan, New York. This significant milestone further accelerates Alpaca’s global expansion and development of its industry-leading product offerings. This round saw participation from both new and returning
RWA
Saison Capital, BRI Ventures, and Coinvestasi have officially launched Tokenize Indonesia, a new accelerator program aimed at identifying and supporting Real-World Asset (RWA) start-ups in the blockchain and tokenization space. The initiative seeks to drive innovation and adoption of tokenized assets in Indonesia, building on findings from the November 2024