GMO Coin, a consolidated subsidiary of the GMO Internet Group, and BridgeWise, a global provider of investment-focused artificial intelligence, have entered into a long-term strategic partnership. The alliance aims to deliver advanced, AI-driven financial insights tailored specifically for Japanese retail investors. The collaboration marks a significant milestone
dodoAI (formerly known as 58, Inc.), a Tokyo-based developer of enterprise AI governance infrastructure, has secured a total of ¥280 million in a seed funding round. Concurrently, the company has executed an official corporate name change from 58, Inc. to dodoAI Inc., effective June 1, 2026, to align its
SBI Ven Capital has co-led a US$5.6 million Pre-Series A funding round for Pints AI alongside Tin Men Capital, with participation from SEEDS Capital, NTUitive, SUTD Venture Fund, and Tenity. As financial institutions globally look to transition artificial intelligence from peripheral use cases—like customer service
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG) and its banking unit, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), have announced a new investment in a hedge fund managed by an emerging asset manager, taking advantage of Japan's shifting monetary environment, The investment, executed in collaboration with BNP Paribas Asset Management, through its
Digital Garage and its payment subsidiary, DG Financial Technology (DGFT), have announced that the cumulative transaction volume for its proprietary QR code payment bundle service, "Cloud Pay," has crossed the ¥1 trillion milestone. According to data released by the group, DGFT’s QR code payment volume achieved a
In the semi-annual monetary review submitted to the National Diet, Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda detailed a defining chapter in the nation’s modern economic history. Covering the second half of fiscal year 2025 (October 2025 through March 2026), the comprehensive report chronicles the central bank’s decision
In an era where decentralized finance (DeFi) and digital payment systems are frequently undermined by structural vulnerabilities, WEA Japan has secured two critical intellectual property assets designed to fortify the integrity of blockchain transactions. The granting of Patents JP 7811423 and JP 7857640 marks a calculated effort to institutionalize high-
LIFESCAPES, a medical technology startup spun out of Keio University, has raised 600 million yen (approx. $3.8 million USD) through a third-party allotment of shares. The funding round saw participation from a mix of existing shareholders and new investors, with strong financial services participation, including MSIVC2025V, Golden Asia
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) and Carbon EX have established a strategic partnership to provide a comprehensive J-Credit creation and trading service. This collaboration aims to assist businesses in achieving carbon neutrality by facilitating the certification and exchange of greenhouse gas reduction and absorption amounts. While SMBC identifies and
Indicating a strong desire to operationalize the "2050 Tokyo Strategy," the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) finalized its second major capital deployment under the GX Innovation Promotion Support Fund at the beginning of June. This milestone signals a sophisticated evolution in Tokyo’s industrial policy, moving to address the
The Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) is set to establish a definitive boots-on-the-ground presence in Japan, taking a significant step in the $232 billion sovereign wealth fund's regional strategy. Led by President Park Il-young, the fund’s move to open a Tokyo branch in early
Infcurion has announced the beta launch of a new Model Context Protocol (MCP) compatible feature for its invoice payment platform, "Winvoice". This integration marks a significant milestone, making it the first card-based invoice payment service targeting the Japanese market to adopt the global AI standard. The initial