August 18, 2017 @ 1:00 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

Kickstarter announced this week that it will be launching in Japan next month Plans for the crowdfunding giant to make its Japanese debut were revealed earlier this year. According to The Verge, Japanese creators will be able to use the funding portal to attract backers… Read More

August 10, 2017 @ 5:27 pm By Erin Hobey  |  

Tech Bureau Corp, a fintech and cryptocurrency solutions company, announced that leading Japanese VCs pledged over $9M investment in COMSA’s ICO. Nippon Technology Venture Partners, FISCO Capitals and ABBALab Inc will invest in COMSA ICO tokens and XEM. COMSA, a complete Initial Coin Offering fundraising… Read More

July 7, 2017 @ 3:36 pm By Cole Lyons  |  

It is fair to say that over the past couple years, Fintech has taken the financial industry by storm. Their new-age approach to classic finance has added value to both companies and consumers. Because of this, many countries have decided to ride this wave of… Read More

June 23, 2017 @ 8:10 am By JD Alois  |  

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and the Japan Financial Services Agency (JFSA) have announced a framework for co-operation to promote Fintech innovation in Japan and Australia. A formal “Exchange of Letters” ceremony between Australian Ambassador to Japan, the Hon Richard Court AC and State Minister… Read More

June 6, 2017 @ 8:09 am By Jonathan Nieh  |  

According to an article published on Bloomberg, the increased frenzy over bitcoin in Japan is causing some spill-over effects on some of the country’s small-cap stock market companies. The companies being affected are all related to bitcoin in some way and, as the article speculates,… Read More

May 18, 2017 @ 9:19 am By JD Alois  |  

Paytm has announced that SoftBank has invested in their parent company One97 Communications Limited. The $1.6 billion commitment is said to be the single largest funding round from a single investor in India. Crowdfund Insider reported this past week that Paytm was discussing an investment… Read More

May 15, 2017 @ 7:31 am By JD Alois  |  

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (MUFG) has announced a “functional realignment” of its group subsidiaries. The realignment includes a name change from The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd to MUFG Bank, Ltd. (subject to regulatory approval).  The company said they had two aims: adapting to domestic… Read More

April 20, 2017 @ 3:43 am By Erin Hobey  |  

Japanese investment bank Nomura has set up a fintech program in India, inviting entrepreneurs in Mumbai to build new tools for capital markets. The Voyager partnership aims to give Indian fintech specialists access to Nomura’s resources at the Mumbai innovation centre, enabling them to test their ideas using… Read More

April 8, 2017 @ 4:34 pm By Jonathan Nieh  |  

Only a few weeks since the SEC denied two separate bitcoin ETF applications, there may be some good news coming out of Japan for supporters of Bitcoin. On April 1, a new law went into effect in Japan allowing for the country’s first officially recognized… Read More

April 2, 2017 @ 10:44 am By JD Alois  |  

  According to a recent article in TechinAsia, 52% of Japan’s personal assets, or more than $15 trillion, are held as cash. That is incredible.  But it is also incredible in the fact that holding cash, when most current accounts pay less than inflation, means… Read More

March 27, 2017 @ 12:06 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

WorldRemit, announced on Monday it is launching its online money transfer services in Japan. This news comes less than a week after the company announced its launch in Hawaii and customers in Japan will now be able to send money to family and friends worldwide, using… Read More

March 13, 2017 @ 9:23 am By JD Alois  |  

Less than a week after Japan inked an agreement to partner with the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK, the Financial Services Agency (FSA) in Japan has announced a cooperation framework with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). Similar to other existing arrangements by MAS,… Read More

March 9, 2017 @ 8:29 am By JD Alois  |  

The Financial Services Agency of Japan (JFSA) and the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) have announced a “Co-operation Framework” to support innovative Fintech firms. This “Exchange of Letters” between the JFSA and the FCA is intended to provide a regulatory referral system for “Innovator Businesses”… Read More

January 11, 2017 @ 7:49 am By Jessica Pham  |  

Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) has cleared the Japan Exchange Group (JPX) to use blockchain in trading, according to Nikkei Asian Review.  Such fintech tools might make trading more efficient.  JPX operates the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE), the largest stock exchange in Asia and fourth largest… Read More

October 24, 2016 @ 4:42 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

Mizuho Bank recently announced the opening of its innovation center, which will be located in the Fintech Center of Tokyo Finolab. The company stated the center would be jointly operated by Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd., Dentsu Inc., and Information Services International–Dentsu, Ltd. Mizuho reported that… Read More

August 23, 2016 @ 12:05 pm By Erin Hobey  |  

Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said the central bank may finally apply fintech to its future operations  given its growing influence on global payments, settlements and financial services, reported Reuters. Signaling that the BOJ is ready to initiate research to promote Japanese fintech given it has “various… Read More

August 2, 2016 @ 7:28 pm By JD Alois  |  

Last week Paidly announced a $15 million Series B funding round. The Fintech firm is based in Japan and provides payment services via your smartphone. Paidly basically turns your phone into a credit card type service. Just submit your email address, phone number and create a PIN… Read More

July 12, 2016 @ 10:57 am By JD Alois  |  

Cloud Lending Solutions and Fujitsu have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on a new partnership to provide services in Japan and other ASEAN countries. The arrangement is pretty significant for Cloud Lending as it provides an established partner to promote and develop online banking… Read More

May 10, 2016 @ 10:09 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

On Tuesday, Crowdcube #FundedClub member, Cell Therapy (CTL), announced it has received £12.5M in a Japan Rights Deal. The Welsh biotech company, co-founded by Nobel Prize winner Sir Martin Evans, raised £689,246 through the equity crowdfunding platform to help cell-based regeneration medicine for heart trauma get to… Read More

May 3, 2016 @ 11:51 am By Erin Hobey  |  

MobiKwik, a Gurgaon, India based mobile wallet company, has raised an undisclosed amount of funding led by Japanese GMO Payment Gateway and Taiwanese fabless semiconductor company MediaTek, according to a company press release. The round was part of Series C round raised last month, which included participation from its existing investors… Read More