carbon credit
Asuene and SBI Holdings have made an additional investment of 300 million yen in Carbon EX, which operates a carbon credit and emissions trading exchange. In addition, Asuene has increased its investment ratio in Carbon EX to 51%, making it a consolidated subsidiary. The cumulative investment amount is now 400
capital markets
Nomura Research Institute, Nomura Securities, BOOSTRY, DeCurret DCP, and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation collaborated on the issuance of a digital bond using a new settlement scheme, and executed a proof-of-concept for Japan's first securities settlement using digital currency. These steps would expand the market for digital securities and
blockchain
G.U. Technologies Global, which provides web3 solutions such as blockchain infrastructure, including "Japan Open Chain," has launched the DeFi-based "JOC Lending Program". This program allows users to lend their "Japan Open Chain Token" (JOC Coin), the native token of Japan Open Chain, and
cryptocurrency exchange
B2C2, a global leader in institutional liquidity for digital assets, has entered into a partnership with HashKey Exchange, Hong Kong's largest licensed virtual asset platform. This collaboration will integrate multi-currency fiat trading networks, driving market efficiency and further strengthen Hong Kong's status as a premier hub
BaaS
invox has launched a new service called "invox Corporate Transfer" for its "invox Receipt Invoice" service, utilizing the "BaaS by GMO Aozora" banking-as-a-service platform from GMO Aozora Net Bank. Background invox's "invox Receipt Invoice" is a cloud service that streamlines
venture capital
Neobank Zolve, focused on cross-border financial solutions, has raised USD 251 million in equity and debt financing. The Series B round was led by Creaegis and saw participation from HSBC, SBI Investment, GMO Venture Partners, DG Daiwa Ventures, and existing investors Accel, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Sparta Group, and DST Global.
corporate venture capital
MUFG Innovation Partners (MUIP), the corporate venture capital arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), has recently invested in Auxia through the MUFG Innovation Partners No. 3 Investment Partnership. The USD 23.5m Series A round was led by VMG Technology Partners, with participation from
asset management
Alyssa Partners, a leading real estate investment management firm focusing exclusively on the Japanese market, has acquired a portfolio of residential assets located in Japan on behalf of The Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company. The portfolio consists of 10 stabilized, high-quality multifamily properties located in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya. The 669-unit
weekly
Welcome to the one hundred second edition of the Japan FinTech Observer. A big thank you to everyone who made it to Tokyo for the core of Japan Fintech Week 2025, and especially those who joined us for our meetup on Monday, the most international participation we have ever had!
web3
Digital Asset Markets has formed a strategic partnership with Intertrade, a software house for financial institutions and a shareholder of DAM, and Fireblocks, a digital asset infrastructure provider, to support the creation of Web3 infrastructure for Japanese companies. Background Financial services based on Web3 technology have undergone rapid technological innovation
insurtech
hokan has completed an MVP implementation of its SaaS "hokan®︎" at the Consulting Sales Headquarters of ORIX Life Insurance. Following the MVP, the system will be used at all branches from April 2025 onwards. ORIX Life Insurance's Consulting Sales Division sells insurance with the mission of
payments
"elepay bill payment" is a service that allows users to create invoices on the "elepay" management screen or through API integration. Until now, payment methods such as bank transfers and credit cards have been mainstream in Business-to-Consumer (B2C) businesses. "elepay" is a cashless specialized