Fintech Night, a meetup event for tech startups and investors who are shaping the future of the financial industry, was held on February 15, 2023. Brain Yun, co-founder and CEO of Woodstock, and Maurizio Raffone, CFO of Credify, took the stage, with Haruka Moritaka of Strive moderating. They discussed the opportunities and challenges of conducting Fintech business in Japan.

The panel discussed the impact of inflation on the Fintech industry in Japan, future predictions for the Fintech industry in 2023, and the differences in the Fintech market and startup environment between Japan and other countries. Brian stated that “Inflation will help push personal finance and investment verticals. For personal finance, as people become more cost-sensitive, they will seek to finance themselves and save smarter. As for investments, people are forced to think harder about growing their assets over time to beat inflation.” Maurizio added, “Inflation is required to push people to spend as well as invest in yield-generating assets.”
At the networking session after the panel, Brian explained the purpose of the event and shared his thoughts: “The goal of the event was to discuss the tailwinds and headwinds of running Fintech businesses in Japan. Regarding the future of the Fintech scene here, I believe there are opportunities for Fintech due to inflation, government support for the startup ecosystem, and big exits like Paidy.”

Shibuya Startup Support provides support to many international startups in Japan — not just Fintech! — by offering startup visas, application and admin support, and many other services. If you’re interested in coming to live in the most vibrant city in Japan on a startup visa, please don’t hesitate to contact us, and be sure to follow our social media for upcoming events and seminars.

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